My LOR won't come in until mid October

[Blueshirtguy]

Hello all,

I am freaking out a bit. The committee at my school is having some delays and I likely will not have a committee letter until mid-October and my primary application will be processed around mid-July. I have included my stats below for context, but honestly, I just want some advice on if I should apply the next cycle instead of this cycle.

I would really appreciate some other perspectives. Am I overreacting?

{
cGPA 3.66 sGPA 3.66 with a strong upward trend having a 4.0 sGPA and at least a 3.8 cGPA since the summer before my Junior year.

MCAT 525

I have over 400 hours of shadowing in neurosurgery. I have heard people also like to see primary care so I am trying to shadow there virtually.

I have 200 hours of clinical experience/volunteering working in a nonprofit clinic taking vitals and histories

I was finance chair for my medical fraternity for a semester and helped to organize an event that raised $2000 dollars. This year I led a team that organized another event that connected college students with over 200 hospice patients and caregivers for a phone call on the holidays. I am also vice-president of the tennis club.

For research, I have spent two years working in a neuroscience lab where I have won $1000 in research funding and will likely be published 1 or 2 times before I apply, one of which was in collaboration with the neurosurgery department at an Ivy League med school. I am also helping to write a Meta-Analysis with a different med school Neurosurgery department for which I will also be published. I have also presented a poster at a conference at my school.

I have very strong LOR from a neurosurgeon, my PI, and one of my professors as well as a pretty good LOR from two more of my professors and my supervisor at the clinic.

I am an asian male from Maryland
}

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[KnightDoc]

Stupid question - how the hell does your school justify doing this to you, or did you miss some deadline and are they imposing this as a consequence? "Some delays" are one thing. Prejudicing all of their students' applications this cycle is another! It's the end of June, and the cycle has begun. Not being able to produce letters for almost 4 months is inexcusable.

I'd want to know more about why this is happening and whether it can be fixed before making any suggestions, because your application looks like it will be very strong, and I'd hate to see you get screwed over by not being complete until mid October. Mid October is pushing up against the earliest deadlines. Even if it doesn't kill you (it shouldn't), it's not going to help you anywhere. I'd hate to see you lose a year because of this, but I'd also hate to see you lose opportunities because of it, and that's a very possible result.

Under the circumstances, have you considered skipping the committee letter and just going with the LORs? This seems like a perfect reason to do so.

 

[Blueshirtguy]

My pre-med advisor says "I don't know why premeds get so anxious about not submitting early. it doesn't affect your application". The committee doesn't even meet until July 17th. They wait until you application is processed to start writing your letter and there was an issue with parchment at my school so my app didn't get verified until yesterday. I am talking to some of my professors to try to change the system, but i don't think that is going to be in time for my own app. My state school requires committee letters and I don't think they would let me apply without it. It's likely my best shot or the closest thing to a safety when it comes to medical schools. I'm sorry if this seems a bit rantish (I'm not in the best state of mind)

 

[Blueshirtguy]

Stupid question - how the hell does your school justify doing this to you, or did you miss some deadline and are they imposing this as a consequence? "Some delays" are one thing. Prejudicing all of their students' applications this cycle is another! It's the end of June, and the cycle has begun. Not being able to produce letters for almost 4 months is inexcusable.

I'd want to know more about why this is happening and whether it can be fixed before making any suggestions, because your application looks like it will be very strong, and I'd hate to see you get screwed over by not being complete until mid October. Mid October is pushing up against the earliest deadlines. Even if it doesn't kill you (it shouldn't), it's not going to help you anywhere. I'd hate to see you lose a year because of this, but I'd also hate to see you lose opportunities because of it, and that's a very possible result.

Under the circumstances, have you considered skipping the committee letter and just going with the LORs? This seems like a perfect reason to do so.

i forgot to make my post a reply of yours lol

 

[deleted1054719]

My pre-med advisor says "I don't know why premeds get so anxious about not submitting early. it doesn't affect your application". The committee doesn't even meet until July 17th. They wait until you application is processed to start writing your letter and there was an issue with parchment at my school so my app didn't get verified until yesterday. I am talking to some of my professors to try to change the system, but i don't think that is going to be in time for my own app. My state school requires committee letters and I don't think they would let me apply without it. It's likely my best shot or the closest thing to a safety when it comes to medical schools. I'm sorry if this seems a bit rantish (I'm not in the best state of mind)

My opinion is that if you have the letters in your possession via Interfolio or something similar, submit your letters individually to all schools except your state one for which wait for your committee letter. Mid October is quite late and long after the traditional Labor Day rule and that's assuming your committee meets their promised timeline. I'm assuming that your prehealth committee wouldn't be too happy to write that letter explaining why you won't get a committee letter that Maryland asks for which is unfortunate but with your MCAT, I think you'll be okay elsewhere.

 

[KnightDoc]

My opinion is that if you have the letters in your possession via Interfolio or something similar, submit your letters individually to all schools except your state one for which wait for your committee letter. Mid October is quite late and long after the traditional Labor Day rule and that's assuming your committee meets their promised timeline. I'm assuming that your prehealth committee wouldn't be too happy to write that letter explaining why you won't get a committee letter that Maryland asks for which is unfortunate but with your MCAT, I think you'll be okay elsewhere.

THIS^^^^. Do what you have to do for your state school, but why tie your hands behind your back like this everywhere else? Your advisor honestly doesn't know what s/he is talking about here. Again, it might not be fatal, but how the hell does not being complete until over 4 months into a rolling process not "affect your application"?

By the time your committee letter is ready, the first wave of As will have already been issued, and maybe half or more of all IIs to be issued, everywhere, will already be gone. (Schools will begin issuing IIs in the next few weeks, and some schools begin finishing up interviews in December or January.) You honestly look like you'll be successful regardless, but waiting until mid October to be complete everywhere might very well end up seriously limiting your choices.

 

[Blueshirtguy]

THIS^^^^. Do what you have to do for your state school, but why tie your hands behind your back like this everywhere else? Your advisor honestly doesn't know what s/he is talking about here. Again, it might not be fatal, but how the hell does not being complete until over 4 months into a rolling process not "affect your application"?

By the time your committee letter is ready, the first wave of As will have already been issued, and maybe half or more of all IIs to be issued, everywhere, will already be gone. (Schools will begin issuing IIs in the next few weeks, and some schools begin finishing up interviews in December or January.) You honestly look like you'll be successful regardless, but waiting until mid October to be complete everywhere might very well end up seriously limited your choices.

A close mentor of mine is telling me to wait a year and apply next year when the transcript issue is fixed. He says that I have a shot at some very good schools and they value committee letters highly. He was a faculty at a medical school I'm looking at, so I'm taking his advice seriously. I think I'm gonna go for a walk I think I'm too upset to make a decision right now. Thank you so much for your advice. You can't know how much it helps to hear someone else's thoughts on this.

 

[Blueshirtguy]

My opinion is that if you have the letters in your possession via Interfolio or something similar, submit your letters individually to all schools except your state one for which wait for your committee letter. Mid October is quite late and long after the traditional Labor Day rule and that's assuming your committee meets their promised timeline. I'm assuming that your prehealth committee wouldn't be too happy to write that letter explaining why you won't get a committee letter that Maryland asks for which is unfortunate but with your MCAT, I think you'll be okay elsewhere.

I dont have any of my letters, but I've been told the committee letter is very important most schools. Please see the reply to @KnightDoc

 

[KnightDoc]

A close mentor of mine is telling me to wait a year and apply next year when the transcript issue is fixed. He says that I have a shot at some very good schools and they value committee letters highly. He was a faculty at a medical school I'm looking at, so I'm taking his advice seriously. I think I'm gonna go for a walk I think I'm too upset to make a decision right now. Thank you so much for your advice. You can't know how much it helps to hear someone else's thoughts on this.

Yes, the committee letter is the gold standard, and is preferred by everyone, but making you wait until mid October is not reasonable. You are verified now, could get the required, excellent LORs now, and be complete everywhere except your state school in the next few weeks. You should also realize that all schools do not provide committee letters. Moreover, not everyone applying from schools where they are offered get them. People in these situations are also successful every year applying to top schools.

The difference between mid to late July and mid October is HUGE. You otherwise look great, regardless,

If anyone asks about the lack of a committee letter (it's very unlikely they would), you can just explain the situation and they will understand. Your mentor is correct about you having a legit shot at top schools. That's true now without a committee letter and will be true next year with one. The transcript issue is fixed now, since you are verified. I don't think it's fair that you should be forced to sit out a year because of this.

If you don't mind, and have something productive to do during a gap year, then sure, you'll be in a slightly better position in 2022-23 with a committee letter. But I think you'll be fine this cycle. If I am wrong, you can also always reapply next year with the committee letter, although, if you are not successful, it is highly unlikely it will be due to the lack of a committee letter.

 

[deleted1054719]

I dont have any of my letters, but I've been told the committee letter is very important most schools. Please see the reply to @KnightDoc

It is good to have but it is not mandatory. I applied without my school's committee letter and had significant success. Very few schools asked but when they did on their secondary, I simply said that it was not feasible for my timeline. The issue was never raised and I was accepted to a school that asked me specifically why I did not get my committee letter. They asked me once in a short essay on the secondary and then never again during the interview or beyond.

I cannot recommend delaying until mid October (at best). While it's unfortunate that you don't have the letters, can you ask your writers to upload them to Interfolio for you?

A close mentor of mine is telling me to wait a year and apply next year when the transcript issue is fixed. He says that I have a shot at some very good schools and they value committee letters highly. He was a faculty at a medical school I'm looking at, so I'm taking his advice seriously. I think I'm gonna go for a walk I think I'm too upset to make a decision right now. Thank you so much for your advice. You can't know how much it helps to hear someone else's thoughts on this.

I would disagree with this advice. You have an excellent shot right now. The only hold up is this letter that isn't anywhere near mandatory and can be easily circumvented. When asked, just tell schools that your committee had technical issues and thus was severely delayed this year. Unless you have something you want to achieve in a gap year, why wait? I also am not quite understanding what your mentor means by the transcript issue. There is no issue I (nor @KnightDoc ) can see. You're verified now so any problems there were are null and void.

 

[Mr.Blackdoc.5]

Would submit your apps . Some schools have max letter requirements of 3 so don’t include your committee letter if you have other extremely strong ones. Some schools are open to additional letters if invited for an interview (eg Feinberg) so could reach out to schools and gauge that as well.
Mid-October will absolutely put you at a disadvantage except at schools that truly have non-rolling admissions (eg Harvard).
Committee letter isn’t needed if you don’t come from a pre-med feeder school, but it will be suspicious if you don’t have one if you do come from one of those schools where you will be competing with many of your peers

 

[KnightDoc]

It is good to have but it is not mandatory. I applied without my school's committee letter and had significant success. Very few schools asked but when they did on their secondary, I simply said that it was not feasible for my timeline. The issue was never raised and I was accepted to a school that asked me specifically why I did not get my committee letter. They asked me once in a short essay on the secondary and then never again during the interview or beyond. I cannot recommend delaying until late October (at best). It's unfortunate you don't have the letters. Can you ask your writers to upload them to Interfolio for you?


I would disagree with this advice. You have an excellent shot right now. The only hold up is this letter that isn't anywhere near mandatory and can be easily circumvented. Unless you have something you want to achieve in a gap year, why wait? I also am not quite understanding what your mentor means by the transcript issue. There is no issue I (nor @KnightDoc ) can see. You're verified now so any problems there were are null and void.

I agree it's crazy, but the committee is blaming issues with Parchment that delayed verification this year for some for THEIR inability to push a letter out for 4 months, since they apparently don't begin their process until applications are verified by AMCAS.

 

[candbgirl]

Does your committee know interviews will have started and the early acceptance go out around 10/15? Is there anyone above this group you are dealing with? Even if you wait a year what makes you think they’ll write to letter this year if you withdraw.

 

[Blueshirtguy]

Does your committee know interviews will have started and the early acceptance go out around 10/15? Is there anyone above this group you are dealing with? Even if you wait a year what makes you think they’ll write to letter this year if you withdraw.

My advisor seems to not be aware what rolling admissions means and has been saying that there is no difference between those that apply early and those that don't. I'm talking to some professors so I can try and make a change in the system anonymously, but this will likely don't happen in time for this cycle.

 

[Blueshirtguy]

I agree it's crazy, but the committee is blaming issues with Parchment that delayed verification this year for some for THEIR inability to push a letter out for 4 months, since they apparently don't begin their process until applications are verified by AMCAS.

They dont begin until the application has been processed 🙁

 

[Blueshirtguy]

Would submit your apps . Some schools have max letter requirements of 3 so don’t include your committee letter if you have other extremely strong ones. Some schools are open to additional letters if invited for an interview (eg Feinberg) so could reach out to schools and gauge that as well.
Mid-October will absolutely put you at a disadvantage except at schools that truly have non-rolling admissions (eg Harvard).
Committee letter isn’t needed if you don’t come from a pre-med feeder school, but it will be suspicious if you don’t have one if you do come from one of those schools where you will be competing with many of your peers

At this point I will not apply with the committee letter, just deciding whether or not to wait a year or apply with individual letters. This year I have a post-bac with the NIH and 3 to 4 more guaranteed publications from my old lab in addition to one that will come out in time for this cycle. I'm also volunteering at the clinic some more because I've crazy things about the number of hours some schools consider exemplary. I am so burned out. Writing secondaries, starting with the NIH, fighting the committee, and then organizing the interfolio thing seems like a lot, and my mental health hasn't been the best this cycle. I am just hoping I make the right decision. I think these publications would make a big difference but I'm not MD/PhD so I'm not sure.

 

[KnightDoc]

They dont begin until the application has been processed 🙁

It's just a terrible situation where the school is really doing you a disservice. Blaming Parchment is nothing but a red herring. People have had applications processed since 5/27. Even with the Parchment issue, you were processed on 6/24. You said they don't meet until 7/17, and then aren't promising a letter for an additional 3 months after that.

What is the justification for waiting until July to begin when they cycle begins in May and you are competing with students from all across the country whose schools are more interested in helping them succeed than your school apparently is? Do they really not care, or understand? How many applicants come from your school each year? The lower the number, the lower the justification for the delay. The greater the number, the greater the negative impact, and the greater one would think the uproar would be!

Why? Is it only you? Why do they need 4 months to produce a letter, and, if it's unavoidable, why don't they start in March-May as opposed to waiting until July? Something doesn't make sense, because this looks like it will negatively impact everyone from your school, in which case it seems as though someone would have addressed it long before now.

 

[Blueshirtguy]

It's just a terrible situation where the school is really doing you a disservice. Blaming Parchment is nothing but a red herring. People have had applications processed since 5/27. Even with the Parchment issue, you were processed on 6/24. You said they don't meet until 7/17, and then aren't promising a letter for an additional 3 months after that.

Why? Is it only you? Why do they need 4 months to produce a letter, and, if it's unavoidable, why don't they start in March-May as opposed to waiting until July? Something doesn't make sense, because this looks like it will negatively impact everyone from your school, in which case it seems as though someone would have addressed it long before now.

Our last pre-med advisor was fired in May a few years back because she was terrible and replaced by the current one. I have no idea why the system is the way it is, but I am going to through some professors to get answers and hopefully make a change. So I wasn't processed on 6/24 I was verified then because that is when the school's transcript came through. (Her original method of sending them through the registrar's didn't work and someone in my cohort found a better way) - I'll be processed probably by August. and then from that point they say the need 2 months. They call it an 8 week guarantee. Everyone I know got verified on the same day.

I know Penns State is a good school, but the only school the valedictorian last year got into was Penn state. He had amazing stats but they pushed his app until October. They said they had covid delays last year which i suppose is more forgivable, but hopefully I can change the system by next cycle. I will have 3 or 4 more publications by next cycle and a year postbac with the NIH plus clinical hours, so that's what I'm thinking I'll do right now. Even best case scenario is I'm complete a couple weeks into August without a committee letter. I don't know if I have it in me to deal with all of this plus the stress of applying. I know I'm ranting at this point but I just feel like no one cares about pre-meds. This cycle has really sapped a lot of the excitement I had about applying to medical school.

 

[KnightDoc]

Our last pre-med advisor was fired in May a few years back because she was terrible and replaced by the current one. I have no idea why the system is the way it is, but I am going to through some professors to get answers and hopefully make a change. So I wasn't processed on 6/24 I was verified then because that is when the school's transcript came through. (Her original method of sending them through the registrar's didn't work and someone in my cohort found a better way) - I'll be processed probably by August. and then from that point they say the need 2 months. They call it an 8 week guarantee. Everyone I know got verified on the same day.

I know Penns State is a good school, but the only school the valedictorian last year got into was Penn state. He had amazing stats but they pushed his app until October. They said they had covid delays last year which i suppose is more forgivable, but hopefully I can change the system by next cycle. I will have 3 or 4 more publications by next cycle and a year postbac with the NIH plus clinical hours, so that's what I'm thinking I'll do right now. Even best case scenario is I'm complete a couple weeks into August without a committee letter. I don't know if I have it in me to deal with all of this plus the stress of applying. I know I'm ranting at this point but I just feel like no one cares about pre-meds. This cycle has really sapped a lot of the excitement I had about applying to medical school.

What does "processed" mean in this context? I thought you either meant verified, or even submitted. To the extent schools use any milestone at all to enter a committee letter queue, it's usually AMCAS submission, not verification, or "processed," whatever that means. An 8 week guarantee isn't unreasonable, but requiring you to be verified by AMCAS when they have access to your official transcript does seem unreasonable.

Exactly how are you using the term "verification"? If your transcript just came through on 6/24, that would be the date you entered the verification queue, not the date you were verified. What is your AMCAS status right now? Is it "Ready for Review" or "Complete"?

Plus, with your grades, why are you wasting time and money on a post-bacc?

 

[Blueshirtguy]

What does "processed" mean in this context? I thought you either meant verified, or even submitted. To the extent schools use any milestone at all to enter a committee letter queue, it's usually AMCAS submission, not verification, or "processed," whatever that means. An 8 week guarantee isn't unreasonable.

Exactly how are you using the term "verification"? If your transcript just came through on 6/24, that would be the date you entered the verification queue, not the date you were verified. What is your AMCAS status right now? Is it "Ready for Review" or "Complete"?

So as I understand it when you submit the primary with all your activities you are submitted and then when your documents come in you're ready for review and then when they go through your application and make sure it's done you're processed and sent out to schools which is when you receive your secondaries. That is when the 8 weeks begin. Now that I think about it I think I did mean verified. So next cycle, the earliest I could have LOR in (barring any transcript issue) is mid August. Thats not perfect but not terrible. Since the transcripts pushed everyone back, and I'll be processed/verified in August, they won't look at my application until then. So I get the LOR in October.

I'm a research fellow they just use the word post-bac. I get paid to work there 🙂

 

[KnightDoc]

So as I understand it when you submit the primary with all your activities you are submitted and then when your documents come in you're ready for review and then when they go through your application and make sure it's done you're processed and sent out to schools which is when you receive your secondaries. That is when the 8 weeks begin. Now that I think about it I think I did mean verified. So next cycle, the earliest I could have LOR in (barring any transcript issue) is mid August. Thats not perfect but not terrible. Since the transcripts pushed everyone back, and I'll be processed/verified in August, they won't look at my application until then. So I get the LOR in October.

Right. And my point is that it is unreasonable for them to require a verified primary in order for the 8 weeks to begin.

Requiring you to submit a primary is not unreasonable, in order to evidence that you are actually applying and they would not be wasting their time by drafting a letter for you. Requiring your LORs to be receiving is also reasonable, since those are used to draft your letter.

Waiting for AMCAS to "process" or "verify" you, however, is crazy, because that only involves mapping your official transcripts to your application, which the committee can do independent of AMCAS, since they presumably require a copy of your transcript as part of their process. Making you go through the AMCAS queue just to enter their queue is unnecessary, and it's what's messing you up here.

 

[Blueshirtguy]

Right. And my point is that it is unreasonable for them to require a verified primary in order for the 8 weeks to begin.

Requiring you to submit a primary is not unreasonable, in order to evidence that you are actually applying and they would not be wasting their time by drafting a letter for you. Requiring your LORs to be receiving is also reasonable, since those are used to draft your letter.

Waiting for AMCAS to "process" or "verify" you, however, is crazy, because that only involves mapping your official transcripts to your application, which the committee can do independent of AMCAS, since they presumably require a copy of your transcript as part of their process. Making you go through the AMCAS queue just to enter their queue is unnecessary, and it's what's messing you up here.

Yeah hopefully it all works out. Thanks for your time in replying to these comments

 

[candbgirl]

So were you verified by AMCAS last week? When they release all of these verified applications will yours be sent to the schools?(This might have already happened.) Or are you still in the queue waiting to be verified? Are you saying your school withheld your transcripts until last week and now you are in the queue for verification? If that’s what happened your school is unethical for screwing with your future and I think they are doing it to cover up the fact that it takes so long for them to get letters out. If your transcripts only arrived at AMCAS last week(6/24) you probably won’t be verified until mid August . You need to be working with administration and not other professors. Just my opinion.

 

[KnightDoc]

So were you verified by AMCAS last week? When they release all of these verified applications will yours be sent to the schools?(This might have already happened.) Or are you still in the queue waiting to be verified? Are you saying your school withheld your transcripts until last week and now you are in the queue for verification? If that’s what happened your school is unethical for screwing with your future and I think they are doing it to cover up the fact that it takes so long for them to get letters out. If your transcripts only arrived at AMCAS last week(6/24) you probably won’t be verified until mid August . You need to be working with administration and not other professors. Just my opinion.

It's bad, but not quite this bad! OP apparently got caught up in the Parchment fiasco which caused transcript receipt issues for AMCAS, which impacted some people's ability to be Ready for Review and to enter the verification queue this cycle. His school did nothing wrong with respect to that, but, apparently, they are requiring him to be verified before they will put him in the committee letter queue. THAT seems unnecessary, especially under the circumstances, since they have access to his actual official transcripts, and therefore don't need an AMCAS verification for anything.

OP was also confusing Ready for Review with Verified. He just went into Ready for Review status, and is therefore looking at 6-8 weeks until verification, which is where he is getting mid August for entering the committee letter queue and mid October until completion. Now that I know all this, I personally think it won't be quite this bad, and that he'll be verified by the end of July/beginning of August, and that he'll probably have his committee letter sometime in September.

Even so, this timeline is ridiculous, but I don't think they are being unethical. Just incompetent. Based on what OP said about the committee letter plus excellent stats getting his school's valedictorian into Penn State last cycle, I just don't think the committee letter is the golden ticket it is made out to be (not that there's anything wrong with Penn State, but I'm betting the valedictorian didn't need a committee letter to receive that A), and I'd go forward without it rather than unnecessarily waiting a year for whatever benefit it is supposed to confer. JMHO.

 

[candbgirl]

I agree, OP needs to move forward and if/when questioned about a committee letter just explain the fiasco that is his school premed advisor. OP start rounding up your own letters and get them uploaded so when you are verified and are doing secondaries you can be marked complete quickly. Good luck.

 

[Blueshirtguy]

So were you verified by AMCAS last week? When they release all of these verified applications will yours be sent to the schools?(This might have already happened.) Or are you still in the queue waiting to be verified? Are you saying your school withheld your transcripts until last week and now you are in the queue for verification? If that’s what happened your school is unethical for screwing with your future and I think they are doing it to cover up the fact that it takes so long for them to get letters out. If your transcripts only arrived at AMCAS last week(6/24) you probably won’t be verified until mid August . You need to be working with administration and not other professors. Just my opinion.

I will be verified in mid-august. I believe that is exactly what is happening and I am bringing some professors and administrators (read avengers) together to find out what we can do.

 

[KnightDoc]

I will be verified in mid-august. I believe that is exactly what is happening and I am bringing some professors and administrators (read avengers) together to find out what we can do.

For the record, you might be verified a little sooner! 6-8 weeks is the quote so people don't start freaking out and swamping them with phone calls on day 29 if they quote 4 weeks, but, you probably will do a little better. People being verified now submitted on 6/4! It will certainly get worse from here, but, having entered the queue on 6/24, you very well might be able to shave a few weeks off of your mid August estimate and find yourself verified by the end of July or beginning of August.

What I humbly suggest you ask for is to be allowed to enter their 8 week queue NOW rather than being forced to wait to be verified. It's not your fault Parchment had issues, and it's not necessary to be verified by AMCAS for the committee to do its thing, so they shouldn't make you wait. Pushing your letter out at the end of August instead of the beginning or middle of October will make all the difference in the world to your cycle. Good luck!!! 🙂

 

[candbgirl]

For the record, you might be verified a little sooner! 6-8 weeks is the quote so people don't start freaking out and swamping them with phone calls on day 29 if they quote 4 weeks, but, you probably will do a little better. People being verified now submitted on 6/4! It will certainly get worse from here, but, having entered the queue on 6/24, you very well might be able to shave a few weeks off of your mid August estimate and find yourself verified by the end of July or beginning of August.

What I humbly suggest you ask for is to be allowed to enter their 8 week queue NOW rather than being forced to wait to be verified. It's not your fault Parchment had issues, and it's not necessary to be verified by AMCAS for the committee to do its thing, so they shouldn't make you wait. Pushing your letter out at the end of August instead of the beginning or middle of October will make all the difference in the world to your cycle. Good luck!!! 🙂

This. But we really don’t know if the Parchment issue even applied to OP. OP said at one point the premed advisor used to use the registrar because “ (Her original method of sending them through the registrar's didn't work and someone in my cohort found a better way) -“. At the very least the premed advisor is incompetent/in over her head. And the worst her policies are impacting OP and who know how many others in the application process.

 

[Blueshirtguy]

I agree, OP needs to move forward and if/when questioned about a committee letter just explain the fiasco that is his school premed advisor. OP start rounding up your own letters and get them uploaded so when you are verified and are doing secondaries you can be marked complete quickly. Good luck.

This. But we really don’t know if the Parchment issue even applied to OP. OP said at one point the premed advisor used to use the registrar because “ (Her original method of sending them through the registrar's didn't work and someone in my cohort found a better way) -“. At the very least the premed advisor is incompetent/in over her head. And the worst her policies are impacting OP and who know how many others in the application process.

Asking to start the process now is the first thing we are trying to get done via the administrators/professors. I don't think it was a parchment issue because when I went directly to the registrar's office (not through her) I got ready to review in 1.5 hours. I am leaning towards applying next cycle but I'll wait until I speak with someone from my school to see if we can speed things up. Thank you all so much for your help!

 

[candbgirl]

Let’s us know what really happened when it gets sorted out. Good luck as you move forward.

 

[Blueshirtguy]

Let’s us know what really happened when it gets sorted out. Good luck as you move forward.

Will Do! Thank you all! @KnightDoc @reizh @candbgirl

 

[Vinbro123]

Our last pre-med advisor was fired in May a few years back because she was terrible and replaced by the current one. I have no idea why the system is the way it is, but I am going to through some professors to get answers and hopefully make a change. So I wasn't processed on 6/24 I was verified then because that is when the school's transcript came through. (Her original method of sending them through the registrar's didn't work and someone in my cohort found a better way) - I'll be processed probably by August. and then from that point they say the need 2 months. They call it an 8 week guarantee. Everyone I know got verified on the same day.

I know Penns State is a good school, but the only school the valedictorian last year got into was Penn state. He had amazing stats but they pushed his app until October. They said they had covid delays last year which i suppose is more forgivable, but hopefully I can change the system by next cycle. I will have 3 or 4 more publications by next cycle and a year postbac with the NIH plus clinical hours, so that's what I'm thinking I'll do right now. Even best case scenario is I'm complete a couple weeks into August without a committee letter. I don't know if I have it in me to deal with all of this plus the stress of applying. I know I'm ranting at this point but I just feel like no one cares about pre-meds. This cycle has really sapped a lot of the excitement I had about applying to medical school.

If I’m right, I went to the same school as you lol. I applied last year and went through the same thing but it sounds like last year went a little better than this year. This might be because you all have a new pre-med advisor this year right? The advisor last year was temporary until they hired a new one.

I also was given an “8-week guarantee” but the 8 weeks started when I submitted my application to AMCAS. My application was verified on 06/25 and I had all my secondaries in by the middle of July but I wasn’t complete at any of the schools I applied to until 8/20 because my committee letter and other LORs weren’t submitted until 8/19 (because of the 8-week thing).
So if they are doing the same thing as last year I think the 8-weeks starts after you SUBMIT not after you’re verified. Once I submitted I sent a pdf copy of it the advisor and then the committee used that to help write the letter. So I would double check to see if it’s from the date of submission and not verification/processed date.
You can PM if you want to talk more about the specifics since I’m familiar with what you’re going through. Best of luck!

 

[KnightDoc]

I also was given an “8-week guarantee” but the 8 weeks started when I submitted my application to AMCAS. My application was verified on 06/25 and I had all my secondaries in by the middle of July but I wasn’t complete at any of the schools I applied to until 8/20 because my committee letter and other LORs weren’t submitted until 8/19 (because of the 8-week thing).
So if they are doing the same thing as last year I think the 8-weeks starts after you SUBMIT not after you’re verified. Once I submitted I sent a pdf copy of it the advisor and then the committee used that to help write the letter. So I would double check to see if it’s from the date of submission and not verification/processed date.
You can PM if you want to talk more about the specifics since I’m familiar with what you’re going through. Best of luck!

This definitely sounds more typical!