Max # of LOR --- Choosing which ones?

[Espressso]

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So some schools I see have a limit on LOR's, 5, 6 typically, but even schools like WVSOM and Rosalind, limit their numbers to 4, and 3 respectively.

I have 4 letters already submitted and recieved by AMCAS, my question is simple: for schools that require a max of 3 letters, when I submit my app, do I choose which letters get sent to which schools?

Follow-up question.. How on earth should I choose which one to leave out if I haven't read any of them!?!

Thanks in advance!

 

[To be MD]

Q1) Yes, you choose which specific letters get sent to each school you apply to.
Q2) You decide which ones to send by reading the school's 'Selection Factors' tab on MSAR and matching what they want to the right letters. Example: If school X says in their mission statement that they want researchers, you send a letter from your research supervisor instead of the primary care doctor you shadowed.

-- Make sure not to over-or-undersend letters. The MSAR will tell you how many letters (maximum and minimum) you can send. WVU, for example, has in bold on their website 4 maximum. If you send 5, I think you'd be out of the running, as you clearly didn't read their website before applying.

 

[MaxPlancker]

Most schools will require X letters but state that 2 should be Science 1 should be non-science etc in whatever combination that suits their fancy. Some schools allow for a max of X but only talk about requiring X-1, x-2 etc. In this case, the extra letter(s) are up to your discretion…use the one that you believe most matches what the school may look for or the one that you are most confident in. It is good to have a LOR from different areas if possible i.e. not all from academic sources.

The only way you can really gauge the strength of a LOR is if you've used the LORs in the past for some big awards. Otherwise, trust your gut on how you perceive your relationship to be with your LOR and whether the LOR is the kind of person who would spend a lot of time on the LOR.

Lastly, remember you don't have to send 4 letters. It's best not to send a mediocre letter than to just fill up the max # of letters.