Need Composite/Committee Letter Advise please! :)

[poprox]

hey guys,

two years ago i completed my application and had all of my LOR's submitted to my undergrad university's pre-health advisor. he finished my committee letter and submitted it to AMCAS. unfortunately i ended up voiding my MCAT score that summer, so now i'm 'reapplying.'

bad news: my old advisor is gone (really liked him!). i found this out recently and after contacting the new pre health advisor, she not only had me re-write the 15 essays necessary for the letter in the first place, which i did a week ago (a day after she sent them) but now she's telling me that since i did not submit these essays on feb 1 that my letter probably wont be ready until OCTOBER 30.

now not only was i unfamiliar with her timeline, i only have one additional LOR (i maintained employment with the same non profit for almost two years). i find this ridiculous and hindering. this is going to make my application late, as everything else is already complete.

so, i was wondering if anyone knew if a private advisor can write a committee letter and if yes, is this acceptable?

thank you

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[LizzyM]

If you have been out of school for two years, no one will fault you for not having a committee letter. You will need to contact professors who taught you at that school and ask if they can write you a LOR and have them send it to AMCAS. You should provide each professor with a copy of your resume and transcript and, if you still have any, some samples of your work in that class. Some current applicants may have some good tips for you on collecting the letters. Believe me, with that memory jog, most professors will remember students they had in class 2-4 yrs ago.

 

[poprox]

If you have been out of school for two years, no one will fault you for not having a committee letter. You will need to contact professors who taught you at that school and ask if they can write you a LOR and have them send it to AMCAS. You should provide each professor with a copy of your resume and transcript and, if you still have any, some samples of your work in that class. Some current applicants may have some good tips for you on collecting the letters. Believe me, with that memory jog, most professors will remember students they had in class 2-4 yrs ago.

thank you, LizzyM! all of my coursework is completely gone as my computer i had in undergrad crashed and my university email account has been deleted since my graduation. i will definitely consider asking again for LOR's.. just want to be as timely as possible!

 

[LostInPreMed]

I have a friend that used to go all out any time that he would ask a prof (or anyone for that matter) for an LOR. He would always send a very nice email and once they agreed, we would send them nothing short of an encyclopedia volume of information! There was always a picture of him (to job their memory), his entire CV, Resume, transcript (for profs with a breakdown of grades) and he would even sketch out a very superficial letter for them to "aid in their letter writting task." Although it seems like a little much, he said that his letter writters were always VERY greatful! Best of luck!


Onwards!

 

[poprox]

I have a friend that used to go all out any time that he would ask a prof (or anyone for that matter) for an LOR. He would always send a very nice email and once they agreed, we would send them nothing short of an encyclopedia volume of information! There was always a picture of him (to job their memory), his entire CV, Resume, transcript (for profs with a breakdown of grades) and he would even sketch out a very superficial letter for them to "aid in their letter writting task." Although it seems like a little much, he said that his letter writters were always VERY greatful! Best of luck!


Onwards!

thank you! i always was worried that a pre drafted letter would be a little forward, but if it's produced positive results, i'll give it ago. thanks again, LostInPreMed

 

[SnowyRox]

thank you! i always was worried that a pre drafted letter would be a little forward, but if it's produced positive results, i'll give it ago. thanks again, LostInPreMed

A resume with any relevant additions, a transcript, and a bit about why you want to be a doctor are standard. The picture idea is brilliant if you've been out for that long.

I would never pre-draft a letter. That seems over the top and inappropriate.

 

[poprox]

A resume with any relevant additions, a transcript, and a bit about why you want to be a doctor are standard. The picture idea is brilliant if you've been out for that long.

I would never pre-draft a letter. That seems over the top and inappropriate.

thanks, snowyrox. i'm on the same page as you as far as pre-drafting a letter goes.

on my advisor's timeline it seems all of those who submit everything on time will have their letters into AMCAS by june 30th (if some miracle occurs and she has my letter done by this time) -- AMCAS opens on june 5th. does this seem a bit late to have a committee letter in? i'm just trying to weigh my options. thanks again!

 

[kduck]

thanks, snowyrox. i'm on the same page as you as far as pre-drafting a letter goes.

on my advisor's timeline it seems all of those who submit everything on time will have their letters into AMCAS by june 30th (if some miracle occurs and she has my letter done by this time) -- AMCAS opens on june 5th. does this seem a bit late to have a committee letter in? i'm just trying to weigh my options. thanks again!

June 30 isn't late at all. You don't need your letters in for your AMCAS to be verified and sent out to schools; AMCAS will forward the letters when they arrive. In the meantime, many schools may not have even released their secondaries by June 30, so as long as you are busy pre-writing your essays you won't lose any time by not having your letters in until June 30.

 

[poprox]

thanks so much!!!