Not using committee letter

[VersaceSofas]

Is this frowned upon? Can I just use individual letters instead? The reason I don't want to use one is because I graduated in 2014 and moved away from the college I attended. If possible I would rather not spend money on a plane ticket for a 20 minute interview.

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[betthat09]

It doesn't help, but it doesn't hurt. I applied this year without a committee letter to ~25 school, and I got 8 II with 3 acceptances. I never had an interviewer ask me Q's about a committee letter

 

[Make Or Break]

Skipped the committee letter this cycle. No questions asked in interviews and had 5 II in total.

 

[CharlieKelly]

I had the same experience as those above, best of luck

 

[referee3]

Not using a committee letter can be a yellow flag at some schools but as long as you have a valid reason for not using one most schools won't care. I think your reason is more than acceptable.

 

[singergirl18]

I think you have a good reason. As long as you have other strong rec letters, I think you're good. No red flag awarded.

On the other hand, the premeds at my school who are afraid of the "big, bad, and scary" committee because they tell the truth in their feedback do not have a good reason. They will put up a huge red flag at schools in this area for not using it.

 

[LizzyM]

If you've already graduated, it is less of a big deal than it would be if you were still attending college.

 

[NickNaylor]

If that's the only barrier to getting a letter, would your institution not be willing to work with you and do, say, a Skype interview? I agree that it's absurd to spend your money and time going to do what is ultimately something not all that important, but I would work to try and find a reasonable compromise to make it work. As a general rule I think it's a bad idea to go without a committee letter barring some truly extenuating circumstances.

 

[the_fella]

I thought most schools require a committee letter if your school has a committee (thankfully, mine doesn't).

 

[dexter7788]

Skipped the committee letter this cycle. No questions asked in interviews and had 5 II in total.

Did you submit a letter explaining why? A lot of the schools I want to apply to are asking for a letter of explanation :/

 

[dexter7788]

If you've already graduated, it is less of a big deal than it would be if you were still attending college.

Hi LizzyM. Do you have any advice about what to write in a letter of explanation regarding this issue? My premed program told me that it wouldn't be worth it for me to join since I already fulfilled my prereqs and had a good handle on my ECs as a junior unlike the freshmen/sophomores that they usually target. A lot of the schools I want to apply to seem to want a letter of explanation.

 

[Banco]

Committee letter does fulfill all letter requirements for virtually all schools and saves a lot of time/headache. I think its worth it to get one.

 

[LizzyM]

Hi LizzyM. Do you have any advice about what to write in a letter of explanation regarding this issue? My premed program told me that it wouldn't be worth it for me to join since I already fulfilled my prereqs and had a good handle on my ECs as a junior unlike the freshmen/sophomores that they usually target. A lot of the schools I want to apply to seem to want a letter of explanation.

I don't understand what you mean by "join". I suppose the process for getting a committee letter varies by school. I know the letters from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, NYU, Cornell, Penn, Hopkins, Duke, Emory and a few other schools as I see them frequently and the absence would be noted. The others, maybe not so much. I don't believe that my school asks why you didn't have a letter if your school has a committee so I don't really know what those med schools are looking for in an explanation.

 

[Tintinnabula]

I don't understand what you mean by "join". I suppose the process for getting a committee letter varies by school. I know the letters from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, NYU, Cornell, Penn, Hopkins, Duke, Emory and a few other schools as I see them frequently and the absence would be noted. The others, maybe not so much. I don't believe that my school asks why you didn't have a letter if your school has a committee so I don't really know what those med schools are looking for in an explanation.

For a bit of contrast, the medical schools in my state (includes top 20 members) know that my post-bacc school offers a committee letter and that our committee has existed for a while (>15 years). There are admissions members at the state's medical schools who have told me that their AdComs always wonder when they see an applicant without a committee letter at schools where they know one is offered. If it isn't addressed in the initial paperwork, it will probably come up in interviewing if the applicant advances that far based on the rest of their application. I got the impression that interpersonal issues were not deemed a good reason (i. e., "I didn't get along with the committee members," "I took a class with one of the committee members and they graded me poorly/unfairly") nor was not knowing that there was a committee at our school which considering how things are at my school is a very weak excuse. They seemed neutral on things like someone having an entirely different major and deciding late in the game to apply to medical school and deciding against a committee letter because they felt the committee wouldn't know them as a candidate very well.

 

[dexter7788]

I don't understand what you mean by "join". I suppose the process for getting a committee letter varies by school. I know the letters from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, NYU, Cornell, Penn, Hopkins, Duke, Emory and a few other schools as I see them frequently and the absence would be noted. The others, maybe not so much. I don't believe that my school asks why you didn't have a letter if your school has a committee so I don't really know what those med schools are looking for in an explanation.

Thanks for your response! At my undergrad (not a big name school), you have to apply to get into the premed program and then after working with the office for 1-2 years, they will write a committee letter for you. I was told by the premed counselor himself that there would be no point in me applying for the premed program when I already completed what they usually help students plan out, etc. I suppose I can just explain this...

 

[dexter7788]

For a bit of contrast, the medical schools in my state (includes top 20 members) know that my post-bacc school offers a committee letter and that our committee has existed for a while (>15 years). There are admissions members at the state's medical schools who have told me that their AdComs always wonder when they see an applicant without a committee letter at schools where they know one is offered. If it isn't addressed in the initial paperwork, it will probably come up in interviewing if the applicant advances that far based on the rest of their application. I got the impression that interpersonal issues were not deemed a good reason (i. e., "I didn't get along with the committee members," "I took a class with one of the committee members and they graded me poorly/unfairly") nor was not knowing that there was a committee at our school which considering how things are at my school is a very weak excuse. They seemed neutral on things like someone having an entirely different major and deciding late in the game to apply to medical school and deciding against a committee letter because they felt the committee wouldn't know them as a candidate very well.

Yes, in my case it definitely did not have to with having a poor relationship with the profs who write the committee letter- most of them wrote individual letters for me anyway. It's just that the premed counselor thought me joining the premed program would be pointless since I already completed all premed prereqs and had my ECs under control. I'm glad to hear they look upon that neutrally... I would hate for something so arbitrary affect my application

 

[NeuResurgens]

It seems to me that if you've already graduated, it might not be a huge deal. But I've heard it can raise some eyebrows if you forgo a committee letter from a school that is known to have a committee.

 

[chemist16]

Email your school to see if they can do Skype interviews. Pre-med committees understand that many pre-meds take years off before medical school and if you're clear across the country, they realize that it's unreasonable to ask you to come in personally to do an interview. Most, if not all, committees will do Skype interviews and everything online.

 

[Tintinnabula]

Email your school to see if they can do Skype interviews.

My school's committee will also do Skype interviews and I found this out when I expressed concern that my husband was looking at a job in another part of the state which would have entailed moving.

 

[ndafife]

If its an issue - like they recognize your school and know it generally has committee letters - they will ask you about it. Your reason is fine, I can't see it having any real consequences