My school recommends not sending all of my recommendations?

[chaser0]

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I have a school composite letter that I put together last year that includes:
-committee letter
-science professor
-science professor
-non-science professor
-doctor I shadowed

Having not received an acceptance last cycle, i added a new letter to the pile:
-Lab PI from research specialist job


But upon checking my university request system, I realized that my last letter was not automatically sent the schools (and had to be specifically requested).
So I sent a letter of inquiry and received this response:

We automatically will send along with the composite letter up to four letters that were referenced in your composite. If you choose to send additional letters, you should make that request in the message box on the request page. I do not advise you to send all of your letters as medical schools prefer not to receive unsolicited letters(thus the preference for the composite letter); if medical schools request additional letters addressing a particular area, you would then have additional on file to provide. More is not always best!

They advise that I DO NOT SEND the recommendation from my research PI...?
Sure it is not listed as part of my composite letter, but I believe it is an important part of my application.
I was under the impression that "more was better," to an extent.

But considering this is advice from the career center of a top 20 university, I assume they should know what they are talking about... or do they?

So, should I NOT send my research recommendation until asked (which from my experience is never)? Or is this just bad advice and should I send them right off the bat?

 

[NickNaylor]

I would scratch the doctor letter and replace it with the research letter. Unless the doctor letter says something particularly amazing, it's probably not all that revealing.

 

[chaser0]

I see~ so it is true that medical schools do not like to receive letters that are separate from the composite?

yes, the doctor letter was more of a filler because I could not find a quality fourth at the time. But the man is a close friend of my father, so he may have said something of value...

 

[NickNaylor]

I don't know if they care or not, but I imagine they won't.

It sounds like the doctor letter isn't contributing anything. Just get rid of it, use your research letter, and problem solved.

 

[chaser0]

Ehhhhh, my career center just told me that Letters Can't Be Switched




.....................pretty confused what to do here. Anyone like to help?

 

[chaser0]

I was told a few months ago that an additional letter from my PI would be very advantageous to my reapplication.
Now it seems that the letter can't even be used?

 

[chaser0]

bump?

 

[IlDestriero]

1st rule. Don't listen to your university career center/pre med committee. If you have important questions, ask the medical school's office of admissions directly. They are the primary source.
Submit the new letter. The schools will be interested in this letter as it is from someone familiar with your work and potential since you have graduated, and they are someone who probably knows you better than all of the other letters combined.
More is not better, but this letter is important new information.
I never understood the committee/composite letter thing, and I submitted 4 LOR myself. (but I was out 2 years)

 

[iniquus]

I would scratch the doctor letter and replace it with the research letter. Unless the doctor letter says something particularly amazing, it's probably not all that revealing.

+1

I don't recall having 4 letters as a limit. If the committee letter has been submitted, then I can see why switching a letter out is an inconvenience. Schools have individual policies on sending stand-alone letter of recommendations, but for what it's worth, your research letter weighs more than the doctor recommendation. I always thought shadowing recommendations were a joke, unless they wanted to test your observation and curiosity skills.

 

[rHinO1]

I would send the PI letter, because it highlights a new and pertinent area of your app (research).

 

[Nymphicus]

I would use the research letter if I were you. As long as it is strong, it reinforces an area of your application (research, maybe leadership, etc)

 

[LizzyM]

Strongly agree with the advice not to listen to the career counseling office... even in a top 20 school they can be uninformed and hurt more than they help.

A letter from your PI is essential IMO as an adcom member at a top 20 research school. Back in the day when everything was paper, and during the transition when paper was scanned to an electronic file, it was a major undertaking to open thousands upon thousands of items that would flood into the office at this time of year. Now that it is electronic, it is much easier to deal with and having 2 separate electronic items, the "committee letter/packet" and the separate PI letter is not going to be a major problem.

What I think has happened is that your school writes the committee letter/packet stating that every letter submitted to them is included (they didn't pick & choose to eliminate those that were less flattering) and, in the case of a committee letter, they may have selectively quoted from the letters which are then appended so it would look weird to pull the doctor letter. However, a year later, with some major lab experience, not to have a letter from a PI is a red flag. I can't emphasize this enough and if your career office doesn't know that, then there's your proof that they don't know beans about what adcoms are looking for. Tell the career office, "I'll take my chances" and then have the two separate items sent to med admissions.

 

[chaser0]

Thank you SO MUCH everyone~

This has been torturing me for quite some time because it wasn't easy getting the LOR in the first place. My career center will not allow me to "attached" or "replace" new letters into the composite letter; they actually sent me a letter making me sound like I was crazy.


The letter will be sent together from my university WITH my composite letter, but NOT as a part of it. I was wondering, does this mean that I have to make a brand new entry on AMCAS for this research LOR?
or is it enough to just request my career center to send it with my composite?

 

[chaser0]

Bump?

sorry, I'm just getting a little antsy and want to submit my application soon.

 

[mauberley]

Thank you SO MUCH everyone~

This has been torturing me for quite some time because it wasn't easy getting the LOR in the first place. My career center will not allow me to "attached" or "replace" new letters into the composite letter; they actually sent me a letter making me sound like I was crazy.


The letter will be sent together from my university WITH my composite letter, but NOT as a part of it. I was wondering, does this mean that I have to make a brand new entry on AMCAS for this research LOR?
or is it enough to just request my career center to send it with my composite?

Check with your university if it's a part of the same packet or if it's being sent separately. If it's a part of the same packet (i.e. the same delivery), then it's the same AMCAS letter entry.

 

[mauberley]

Bump?

sorry, I'm just getting a little antsy and want to submit my application soon.

Also, you can submit your primary app independently of your letters, you know.

 

[bassvp]

Thank you SO MUCH everyone~

This has been torturing me for quite some time because it wasn't easy getting the LOR in the first place. My career center will not allow me to "attached" or "replace" new letters into the composite letter; they actually sent me a letter making me sound like I was crazy.


The letter will be sent together from my university WITH my composite letter, but NOT as a part of it. I was wondering, does this mean that I have to make a brand new entry on AMCAS for this research LOR?
or is it enough to just request my career center to send it with my composite?

You must have been very lucky thus far in that you still trust your school's advising. Most can't advise regarding their own degree programs, much less advising on other schools' programs.