new to lor process

[hmm...]

Hello, I am really not sure how to go about asking for my lors after asking my profs whether they could write a good recommendation letter. If I apply to 25 schools, do I have to ask each to write 25 letters? they might be too busy. and what is a committe letter? i've heard this term, but don't really know what it is. is it possible for each prof just to write one letter for all schools? is there a way to save them time?

thx

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[kirexhana]

Hello, I am really not sure how to go about asking for my lors after asking my profs whether they could write a good recommendation letter. If I apply to 25 schools, do I have to ask each to write 25 letters? they might be too busy. and what is a committe letter? i've heard this term, but don't really know what it is. is it possible for each prof just to write one letter for all schools? is there a way to save them time?

thx

most schools have a letter distribution service, if it doesn't already have a "pre-med/health committee" to write one unified letter for you. generally, the recommender sends his/her letter to the distribution service, which makes copies and sends it out to the schools that you get secondaries from in a packet.

med schools will want either one unified letter from a committee or a packet of 2-4 recommendations (varies depending on school). hope this helps.

 

[DrMike24]

Well I am not sure how each school works, but at my school we have a centralized LOR system through the Premedical Professions office. Each LOR writer turns in their letter to the office, they put them all together, and you provide the postage and envelope and tell them which letters you want sent where.

There are also companies that do this.. I think Interfolio does that. Here is a description off their website: www.interfolio.com

Interfolio partners with university career centers and other institutions to give students and alumni the ability to manage letters of recommendation and other credentials online.

I know some school's premed office will gather your LOR and then either interview as well or just take your LORs and put together a composite letter based on those.

Hope that helps...

 

[hmm...]

i am not sure i have a committee, but if I do, do all the letter writers only need to send one letter to the committee?

if i don't have a committee, do I have to ask the writers to send all the letters to each indiv med school?

thx

btw, is it true that some med schools do not want committee letters?

 

[hmm...]

bump>

 

[DrBowtie]

If you have a committee, they either interview you themselves and formulate a letter or collect 1 LOR from each of your writers and compile

If you have a letter service, they collect 1 LOR from each of your writers, make copies and send them.

If you have neither, get an interfolio account, print out the LOR form and give it to the prof. The prof them writes 1 LOR and sends it to interfolio, then you pay to have it copied and sent by them.

 

[DrBowtie]

i am not sure i have a committee, but if I do, do all the letter writers only need to send one letter to the committee?

if i don't have a committee, do I have to ask the writers to send all the letters to each indiv med school?

thx

btw, is it true that some med schools do not want committee letters?

Most schools want a committee letter if your school has one.
If not then you substitute with your usually 3 min. from individual profs.

 

[Anastasis]

I have a question specifically about the Texas system and LOR. It says they want one from a science professor and one from the committee... are there any exceptions? Could I send one from the director at my volunteer site and one from the committee at school?