LORs

[jgalt42]

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Hi Everyone:

I just recently finished taking the MCAT and I am now preparing my letter of recommendations.

I know that AMCAS/AACOMAS doesn't open until May 1st but are LORs due during primaries or secondaries?

Is there a specific prompt or does it vary by schools?

Thanks for the info!

 

[notbobtrustme]

Hi Everyone:

I just recently finished taking the MCAT and I am now preparing my letter of recommendations.

I know that AMCAS/AACOMAS doesn't open until May 1st but are LORs due during primaries or secondaries?

Is there a specific prompt or does it vary by schools?

Thanks for the info!

They are part of your primary application but each school can have it's own requirements. Writers submit their LORs to AMCAS, but they aren't verified/vetted as far as I can tell. When you submit your primary to be verified, they are mainly looking at transcripts not LORs.

Generally, you need 2 science + 1 non-science, but this may be waived if you've been out of school long enough. Just about every place I'll be applying this year says that for non-trads, their requirements are waived/altered.

 

[jgalt42]

Thanks for the info. Are you applying early as well? What deadline should I give to my writers if I am submitting on June 1st?

 

[notbobtrustme]

Thanks for the info. Are you applying early as well? What deadline should I give to my writers if I am submitting on June 1st?

I'm letting my letter writers know in May that I'd like a letter from them sometime in June.

LORs come into play after you submit secondaries because that's when schools will check for completeness. Your primary isn't sent out until the end of June and then secondaries start to trickle in after that. So ideally, you'd want LORs in before you submit secondaries which puts it in early to mid July. Giving them enough time to write a LOR is the biggest hurdle. You want to give them at least a month and that way you can give them a reminder without looking neurotic.

 

[Equestrian]

I'm letting my letter writers know in May that I'd like a letter from them sometime in June.

LORs come into play after you submit secondaries because that's when schools will check for completeness. Your primary isn't sent out until the end of June and then secondaries start to trickle in after that. So ideally, you'd want LORs in before you submit secondaries which puts it in early to mid July. Giving them enough time to write a LOR is the biggest hurdle. You want to give them at least a month and that way you can give them a reminder without looking neurotic.

I'm far from an expert, but this seems late to me... Other posts I've read have suggested requesting LORs sooner rather than later, and then using a central service to manage the originals (I'm blanking on the different ones, but if your undergrad/postbac doesn't manage the letters for you, then there are a couple of services that different med schools trust).

I would advise OP to request letters now, and to find out where they should be sent ASAP. If you're getting a committee letter, it's my understanding that all LORs would go to them to be incorporated to a single package. This should be done as far in advance as possible to prevent LORs from holding up your primary application from being complete with AMCAS.

EDIT: Sorry! Just noticed that OP was pre-dental, so maybe the advice given is correct.... However, I'll leave my response, as it is directed at pre-meds, and other readers may be as unobservant as I!

 

[jgalt42]

I've hit somewhat of a bump in my LOR requests. My ochem professor declined to write me a letter. It's understandable considering I took his class in 2006.

I graduated in 2009. My school has no premed committee so I have to request 3 letters. I was able to get a non science prof and my old physics prof to write me a rec this week. In 2005, my gen chem professor had written me a rec letter which can be used for medical school. It is currently stored in the interfolio service at my school. Unfortunately he passed away in 2008. Out of all the science professors I've intereacted with over the years, he knew me the best because I had visited him during office hours every week. I also had him for the entire year because at that time he taught me the entire year for gen chem (all 3 quarters). The thing is, while I could use this letter, I'm not sure what to put as his email or phone number considering the fact that he's no longer with us. 🙁

I could get an old neuroscience prof to write me a letter, but he doesn't know me that well. And I wonder if he'd say yes. My other rec letters (graduate advisor (MPH program), medical director at the org at work) will shed a ton of light to my ability to handle medicine though and will be more recent.

I was exclusively a psych major in undergrad, so I don't have a lot of science profs to begin with.

 

[jgalt42]

The absolute last option is to quit my job just so I can go back and retake some classes just so I can get a more recent rec letter for the sciences. This will inevitably push me back a year to apply. I'd hate to do that, but prepared to if the scenario arises. 🙁

 

[notbobtrustme]

I'd check with each school. I graduated in 2005 and I don't have any letters from my undergraduate institution. Most schools I've talked to waive the requirement for 2 science/1 non-science for non-traditional students out of school a certain number of years. I'm getting work/research LORs instead.

 

[sdegann]

I'd check with each school. I graduated in 2005 and I don't have any letters from my undergraduate institution. Most schools I've talked to waive the requirement for 2 science/1 non-science for non-traditional students out of school a certain number of years. I'm getting work/research LORs instead.

what is this "certain number of years"? I'm having trouble getting in contact with a previous non-science prof, I've been out of undergrad for a year now and I haven't had her in two years. the grad program I'm in is purely science. any... recommendations?

 

[startingover84]

I'd like to know "how many years," as well. I graduated in 2006 and live out of state. I can't imagine how I would get LORs at this time.