~*~*~*~*~* Offical Letters of Evaluation Questions Thread 2021-2022 *~*~*~*~*~

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TheDataKing

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Disclaimer: This post was not written by me, it has been passed down through the ages over a campfire.

This thread is for 2022 applicants (those who will be entering medical school in 2021) to ask questions about letters of recommendation.

Any separate threads in Pre-Allo dealing with this topic will be merged into this thread.

Before asking a question, PLEASE READ THE FAQ, both here in this thread AND on the AMCAS website! It is quite possible that your question will have already been answered. If you think that you have a different take on a question in the FAQ, acknowledge this in your question; everyone in pre-allo will be much more likely to help you out if they think you've done due diligence.

LINK TO LAST YEAR'S THREAD

Also, each thread has a search function. Please use it before asking your question by clicking the "Search this Thread" button near the top of the page.

This thread is brought to you by the Pre-Allopathic Volunteer Staff. Ask away, and good luck!!


Frequently Asked Questions

1. What kinds of letters do I need to apply to medical school?

For most schools, you need a MINIMUM of two letters from science professors, and 1 letter from a non-science professor. If you have done research, a letter from your PI is also recommended, especially at research-intensive schools. (If you know of any exceptions to this rule, feel free to post in this thread with citations and I will add them). Other letters that may be helpful: a letter from an employer who knows your skills well, a letter from a physician you shadowed/worked with who knows your skills well, a letter from a volunteer coordinator who knows your skills well. The key is that the letters be exceptional. A detailed letter that can give clear examples of why you are an excellent candidate for medical school will generally trump a tepid letter from a famous person. Every school is different. Please check each school's individual letter requirements by visiting their website.A copy of an XLS spreadsheet from 2010 is attached to this post. The accuracy of this spreadsheet is unknown so be sure to check individual school websites! Keep in mind that a committee letter usually overrides any specific school requirements listed on the spreadsheet.
1a. But doesn't every school have different letter requirements?
Yes, they do. Do your homework, buy an MSAR (I hear from this thread that the way to go is to buy online access because the hard copy is not as useful:http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=811023), and look at the school websites. Also, AMCAS has a link to every school; use it and figure out what you need for the schools you're applying to. https://www.aamc.org/students/applyi...ating_schools/You can get a rough idea from the attached XLS spreadsheet but check school websites to confirm.
1b. But do I really really have to get X type of letter? (2 non-science, 1 science, a letter from my PI)
The short answer: yes. The long answer: Maybe...it depends on the school. No one on SDN can answer this for you. But the general rule in medical school admissions is do what you are told. Get the two science letters. If you can't...call the schools you're applying to and see if they will make an exception. But be aware that the answer may be no.

2. I am a non-traditional student and have been out of school for awhile. Can I get around the letter requirements?
The simple answer is probably no. If you are a non-traditional student, this doesn't mean that you have an easier time getting into medical school; the same hoops still need to be jumped through. Being out of school for awhile is likely a problem in itself; schools want to see recent evidence that you can handle the coursework necessary to get through medical school. Take some classes, form relationships, and get the letters you need to. If you must, you can contact each school individually to see if they would be ok with you submitting alternate letters, but be aware that the answer may be "no".

3. My school has a medical school admissions committee, and they produce a committee letter. But the letter won't be released until really LATE! (August, September, October). Can I just skip the committee and collect my own letters?
The general wisdom on this topic is that if your school has a committee, USE IT! If you don't, you will be asked why and will need a very good reason. You are circumventing the committee at your own risk.

4. How/when can I submit letters of req to AMCAS?
Once the application opens in May, you may begin submitting letters to AMCAS. Before you can mail a letter in, you must "create' the letter in your AMCAS application. This involves you telling AMCAS who the letter writer is and naming the letter in AMCAS. AMCAS will then give this letter an ID number. It is important for you to give your letter writer both your AMCAS ID number and the Letter ID number to avoid any snafus with lost letters. Your letter writer can then mail the letter into AMCAS with these two pieces of information, and the letter will be uploaded to your file and will be available to assign to any school you wish. I am told that while AMCAS will accept documents without your AMCAS ID on them, you MUST have the Letter ID or AMCAS will not accept it. I don't have firsthand knowledge of whether or not this is true.

You can create and submit letters at any time, including after you submit your application and after you are verified. This is one of the few parts of the application you can edit after submission.

5. Do I have to know which letters are going to which school when I first submit my AMCAS application?
NO! You can submit your application without assigning letters. Again, this is one of the few parts of the application that can be altered later. HOWEVER, once you assign a letter to a school, you CANNOT un-assign it. If the letter is present in AMCAS, and you assign it to a school, it WILL go to that school. However, if you "create" the letter in AMCAS, assign it to a school, but your letter writer never sends the letter in, you can notify AMCAS (and the school, through the AMCAS application) that the letter will no longer be sent.

6. How many schools use the AMCAS Letter service?
This year, it looks like all but 4 schools that participate in AMCAS are participating in the letter service. Those non-participating schools are:
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicinein Shreveport
Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans
Universidad Central Del Caribe
University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine.

The participating schools can be found here: https://www.aamc.org/students/applyi...ating_schools/

7. Is it in my best interest to have my letter writers write different letters for each school?
Probably not. AMCAS can only hold a maximum of 10 letters for you. If you need a minimum of 3 letters for each school, these slots will be used up rather quickly.

8. What are letter services such as Interfolio, and why do people use them?
Interfolio and other companies provide secure online letter holding services. You can have your letters uploaded to these services at any time so that you're not scrambling at the last minute (or during the summer!) to get letters into your application. This can be especially beneficial when you are 9 months or so out from your planned application cycle, but know the professor you have NOW will write you a great letter. You can have them write the letter, upload it to a letter service, and then many months later have the letter sent to AMCAS once the application opens. When you do this, you have the ability to add on both your AMCAS ID and the Letter ID to the letter. All your letter writer needs to do is upload the letter (or mail it in) on letterhead and with a signature. These sites are secure and they do not allow you to read the letter beforehand.

9. What else about letters do I need to know?
Your letter must be SIGNED, and should be on OFFICIAL LETTERHEAD whenever possible. This is something that holds people up every year. Some schools will even hold up your application because of this. Also, AMCAS has a beautiful FAQ dealing with letters here: https://www.aamc.org/students/applyi...ding_page.html

10. How should I ask someone for a letter of req?
On this one, I will give my own experience. For each letter writer, I prepared a packet. In the packet I had:
A list of all of my science grades (or non-science grades for a non-science prof)
A copy of my resume
A rough draft of my personal statement
A guide to writing medical school letters (which can be found by googling), a reminder that the letter needed to be signed and on letterhead.

Before handing them this (because who wants all that before they even say yes!) I asked them point blank if they "would feel comfortable writing me a strong letter of recommendation for medical school". Always do this in person!!! If they hesitate...walk away. Seriously. You don't want this person writing your letter.

When they enthusiastically said yes, I pulled the packet out of my backpack and gave it to them.

Because I used Interfolio, I did not need to provide them with my AMCAS ID or Letter ID, but instead told them that they would get an email from Interfolio that evening with instructions on how to upload the letter. Give them a FIRM deadline (2-4 weeks seems to work best) for when you need the letter. Don't ask at the last minute. Don't ask when you think a billion other people will be asking. Do offer to provide them with any other supplementary information they would like. And do give them a thank-you note (and maybe a Starbucks card) when they submit the letter.

11. OMG! My letter writer has not written my letter!!! It has been minutes/hours/days/weeks/months and I'm freaking out!! What do I do!?
First, stop by or email and gently remind them that you need the letter by X date. If this doesn't work, I have given them a premature Thank-You note with a small token, and this seems to light a fire. I recommended this method to someone on SDN last year and it apparently worked like a charm.

If this isn't working....you do the same thing you do whenever something goes awry - find a plan B. Ask someone else...two other people even, just in case this person does not come through. You can't have too many letters. But you can have too few.

12. Do I have to waive my right to see the letters?
No. But if you don't schools might not see them as letters that carry much weight. Waive your right. If you know the person well enough, you should have a pretty good idea of what they are going to write.

13. If I apply this June, and I have given every school my 5 chosen LOR's with committee letter through AMCAS virtual evals upload by my prehealth office, and then I get anther LOR over the summer/fall and want to send it to all schools in December, do I have to have the prof mail it to all 25 schools or will AMCAS distribute it?

or, tl;dr: Can I submit my application without the letters?

You can add a letter at ANY time in AMCAS, have it sent to AMCAS, and AMCAS will distribute it.
You may want to shoot an email to each school letting them know to expect another letter just in case. They should be updating your file continuously (they will want your current contact info, and often people change their addresses mid cycle) but they may not always do it in a timely manner.

Please send me a PM if you know of additional questions suitable for the FAQ.

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Are letters of recommendation weighed by who wrote them? Ignoring famous people, how are science professors vs. professors/employers who you did research with but never took a class, physicians, etc. weighed? Or are you only judged by what these writers say about you?
 
Hello! I applied during the current cycle but am planning on reapplying since I have only received a waitlist decision and may not hear back on a final decision until well into this upcoming cycle. I want to update my letter writers with info on how they can resubmit their letters if they are willing to do so, and I have a couple of questions.

1. If they used the AMCAS Letter Service, is their letter saved if they log into their account or would they have needed to keep a copy on their own computers?
2. What changes/updates need to be made to their letter, if any? I read through the thread for this current cycle and saw some mentions of updating the date, but would this be necessary if all of my letters were from 2020?

Also, I have one question about a new letter of recommendation that is related to the previous poster's question. I began working as a Health Tech assisting with COVID-19 tests in August and am currently still working there. I would like to ask for a letter of recommendation from someone who works there, and I think I could ask the nursing director who oversees all of the testing (who knows me and has asked me to lead testing sites before but is someone that I have only talked to a few times) or an RN/testing supervisor that I have worked with multiple times across the past 2 semesters. Making the big assumption that I can get a letter from either of them, would it say more having a letter from someone higher up or from someone who has worked with me more directly?

Thanks in advance for any help/input!
 
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Does getting a letter from a basic science professor whose class you TA'd for but did not take count as a science letter?
 
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Does getting a letter from a basic science professor whose class you TA'd for but did not take count as a science letter?
A science letter should address your academic ability and talent for science. Is the professor able to do that, preferably with examples, or will they only able to say that you showed up on time and were nice?

You know the professor and your relationship with them. Evaluate that and what they can say about you.
 
I wanted to get an LOR from a grad student and not sure if it's a good idea. I already have the 3 required letters from professors. The grad student taught a humanities class by himself, so he's not a TA, but not a PhD or Professor either. The reason why I wanted a letter from him: Besides getting a good grade in this class, the course content is related to my interest in data science, which was also why I took the class in the first place; I worked on a project in this class and had a lot of interactions with the grad student.
Do y'all think it's a good idea to ask the grad student for a letter? Thank you!
 
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Many medical schools say that reapplying too soon is the biggest mistake that reapplicants can make (see below ***)


Letters are not saved nor accessible by writers on AMCAS cycle. They would need copies


If you have new or additional activities they should be updated. I would suggest they all should be refreshed. Resubmitting the same letters and expecting a different result is optimism



A work supervisor who know you best is where to get a letter. Rank, position, etc mean almost nothing
thank you so much!
 
I wanted to get an LOR from a grad student and not sure if it's a good idea. I already have the 3 required letters from professors. The grad student taught a humanities class by himself, so he's not a TA, but not a PhD or Professor either. The reason why I wanted a letter from him: Besides getting a good grade in this class, the course content is related to my interest in data science, which was also why I took the class in the first place; I worked on a project in this class and had a lot of interactions with the grad student.
Do y'all think it's a good idea to ask the grad student for a letter? Thank you!
One of my LORs is from a grad student that taught my minor capstone independently, which sounds like a very similar situation to yours. Overall, it sounds like he would be able to write a more personal/specific LOR that may add a new perspective on you and your interest in data science. I think it would be a nice compliment to your application, especially if you have activities related to data science, mention it in your PS, etc.

An issue that I ran into this past cycle was schools having LOR maximums (the lowest of which was 4) so I needed to pick and choose which LORs I wanted to send to meet their guidelines. If you already have/plan to have a lot of LORs, then you might run into this issue and not find yourself able to use the LOR for very many schools.
 
It looks like a lot of schools recommend you get a letter of recommendation from your grad school if you are a grad student. I have taken a few grad (public health) courses non-degree seeking through distance learning at a medical school, I wasn't planning on asking one of them for a letter because we've never met in person but now I'm thinking that might raise red flags. What do y'all think?

Edit: decided to ask anyways, I don't think it can hurt to include, but I doubt it will be given too much weight.
 
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It looks like a lot of schools recommend you get a letter of recommendation from your grad school if you are a grad student. I have taken a few grad (public health) courses non-degree seeking through distance learning at a medical school, I wasn't planning on asking one of them for a letter because we've never met in person but now I'm thinking that might raise red flags. What do y'all think?

Edit: decided to ask anyways, I don't think it can hurt to include, but I doubt it will be given too much weight.
You are not a degree-seeking grad student. You don't need a letter from the grad school where you took a few classes for your own interest. I agree that such a letter would be given little weight.
 
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You are not a degree-seeking grad student. You don't need a letter from the grad school where you took a few classes for your own interest. I agree that such a letter would be given little weight.
Thanks!
 
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I work for the government for two independent research projects. I just learned that two LORs I was depending on (one supervisor from each independent project) are not legally allowed to use official letterhead for their LOR. This is because their LOR does not represent an official government statement and the writers do not represent the government. They are using their own letterhead and stating at the top of the letter that the use of official letterhead was not allowed by government policy. Is there anything I can do or will these letters be essentially useless?
Personal letterhead is fine, with the explanation as to its use. The context in which the writer knows you will be included in the body of the letter. The letters are not "useless." You are not the only applicant who is submitting LORs from government facilities.
 
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I have four letters: 1 PI, 2 science professors, and 1 humanities professor. I am trying to decide which letters to use for a school that has a limit of 3 letters. I know the PI letter will be outstanding, so I'm definitely using that. Would a school prefer to see 2 science prof letters or 1 science and 1 humanities? Note that I am a non-trad and the humanities letter is from a professor I had four years ago while the other letters are from professors I've had within the last year, if that makes any difference.
 
I have four letters: 1 PI, 2 science professors, and 1 humanities professor. I am trying to decide which letters to use for a school that has a limit of 3 letters. I know the PI letter will be outstanding, so I'm definitely using that. Would a school prefer to see 2 science prof letters or 1 science and 1 humanities? Note that I am a non-trad and the humanities letter is from a professor I had four years ago while the other letters are from professors I've had within the last year, if that makes any difference.
If the exact wording of the website's LOR directions and the FAQ area don't shed light on the school's preferences, and provided this is not a school with a primary care focus and thus less interested in research, I'd tend to go with the two more recent science letters.
 
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Is there anything wrong with having DO physicians you work with write letters for MD apps?
 
Does a letter packet (not committee letter) override the requirements a school has for sending individual letters? For example, my letter packet will contain 5 letters, but one school requires a non-science professor letter if sending individual letters to which I don't have (and is impossible to get).
 
Does a letter packet (not committee letter) override the requirements a school has for sending individual letters? For example, my letter packet will contain 5 letters, but one school requires a non-science professor letter if sending individual letters to which I don't have (and is impossible to get).
Generally, yes. I’ve seen rare exceptions, but they are clearly stated on the school’s Admissions Requirements website or FAQ area. If you do not see this addressed, call the school admissions office to ask.
 
I had a biology professor whose class I excelled in freshman year and TAd for sophomore year. I had the foresight to ask him to write me a letter after sophomore year, as I did not have much contact with him afterwards. I know this is a very strong letter.

Now that I have asked him to submit it, he is asking me if he should edit the dates on the letter to make it seem that it was written recently, or if he should keep the original dates on which it was written.

My though is to keep the original dates, to show that I have had continuous academic success throughout my undergrad. Any thoughts?
 
I had a biology professor whose class I excelled in freshman year and TAd for sophomore year. I had the foresight to ask him to write me a letter after sophomore year, as I did not have much contact with him afterwards. I know this is a very strong letter.

Now that I have asked him to submit it, he is asking me if he should edit the dates on the letter to make it seem that it was written recently, or if he should keep the original dates on which it was written.

My though is to keep the original dates, to show that I have had continuous academic success throughout my undergrad. Any thoughts?
If the letter will be more than two years old at the time you submit it to med schools, I suggest that updating the LOR's date would be a reasonable idea. The letter itself will give the specific timeframe within which the professor knew you.
 
Generally, yes. I’ve seen rare exceptions, but they are clearly stated on the school’s Admissions Requirements website or FAQ area. If you do not see this addressed, call the school admissions office to ask.
I'm not so sure about this. Committee letters definitely trump all, because schools love the analysis and comparison to other candidates that they contain. Letter packets, not so much. After all, they are nothing more than a bunch of letters with a cover sheet.

Why do you think that a compilation of letters that individually do not meet a given school's requirements are acceptable, when it is so simple to either make sure that the packet meets all your schools' requirements, or, in the alternative, simply add the extra letter via Interfolio?

In other words, why would a school that requires a non-science letter be okay with 5 letters in a letter packet that doesn't contain one when they wouldn't be okay with the same 5 letters individually? What's magic about a packet that doesn't meet a school's requirements, since UGs typically only have suggestions regarding what goes into them?
 
How long does it take schools to receive a LOR after assigning it to them?
 
How long does it take schools to receive a LOR after assigning it to them?
Immediate (or, within a day). As long as the LOR has been received by AMCAS, it's just another change in your app (like adding a school). Once you are verified, changes are processed immediately, and schools can see them as soon as they are processed.

It's not like anyone is actually sending it to the school or anything like that. AMCAS already has it, and they are just giving the school access to it on the AMCAS portal.
 
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Would it be a smart idea to wait until I receive secondaries to assign LORs to schools? I have all my letters uploaded to AMCAS and am using school websites to look up requirements, but I was wondering if schools send out more information on LORs in secondaries that I should be privy to?
 
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Would it be a smart idea to wait until I receive secondaries to assign LORs to schools? I have all my letters uploaded to AMCAS and am using school websites to look up requirements, but I was wondering if schools send out more information on LORs in secondaries that I should be privy to?
This sounds like a decent idea. I don't think schools hide the ball on this, so there is no reason to think you will learn more with secondaries than on their websites. OTOH, they are not going to be looked at until your secondaries are returned, so what's the rush???
 
I was planning on using a science letter of recommendation from a now post-doc who had taught a biology class in summer 2020 and at the time was a PhD student at the same school. The post-doc was the professor of the course and was not a graduate teaching assistant. Our school lets finishing PhD students teach courses independently in their final year. Would this letter of recommendation be considered a letter from faculty that taught a science course? I have two other science letters from faculty professors but this letter in particular I feel is very strong.

Also, for schools without a letter of recommendation maximum would 6 letters be considered too many? I currently have the letter in question, 2 letters from science faculty, an English professor, my PI, and a physician I did research with and shadowed.

Thank you!
 
I was planning on using a science letter of recommendation from a now post-doc who had taught a biology class in summer 2020 and at the time was a PhD student at the same school. The post-doc was the professor of the course and was not a graduate teaching assistant. Our school lets finishing PhD students teach courses independently in their final year. Would this letter of recommendation be considered a letter from faculty that taught a science course? I have two other science letters from faculty professors but this letter in particular I feel is very strong.

Also, for schools without a letter of recommendation maximum would 6 letters be considered too many? I currently have the letter in question, 2 letters from science faculty, an English professor, my PI, and a physician I did research with and shadowed.

Thank you!
I don't see why not. He's the professor after all same like visiting professors/lecturers
 
1) I was planning on using a science letter of recommendation from a now post-doc who had taught a biology class in summer 2020 and at the time was a PhD student at the same school. The post-doc was the professor of the course and was not a graduate teaching assistant. Our school lets finishing PhD students teach courses independently in their final year. Would this letter of recommendation be considered a letter from faculty that taught a science course? I have two other science letters from faculty professors but this letter in particular I feel is very strong.

2) Also, for schools without a letter of recommendation maximum would 6 letters be considered too many? I currently have the letter in question, 2 letters from science faculty, an English professor, my PI, and a physician I did research with and shadowed.

Thank you!
1) Yes.

2) I would consider that a lot. YMMV.
 
1) Yes.

2) I would consider that a lot. YMMV.
Thank you and drthedude for the quick replies! For those schools assuming no specific recommendations are made would the following be a sweet spot: 2 science, 1 English (non-science), and PI?
 
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Thank you and drthedude for the quick replies! For those schools assuming no specific recommendations are made would the following be a sweet spot: 2 science, 1 English (non-science), and PI?
Of course! I would also try and include a physician letter if you can
 
Does a PreHealth board committee letter having two science professors on it count as a science professor writing it? I currently have a letter from that comittee, 1 from an Organic Chemistry professor I TA for, 1 from my personal track and field coach and church youth leader, and 1 from the DO trauma fellow I shadowed with. I requested another letter from a chemistry professor that I had for two semesters, but it was told to me by the committee that she is very forgetful about writing the letters and I have been asking for 4 months now to get it in. I was instead going to go to a professor that I had for both Organic Chemistry labs as well as another topics class. From what I have been told by my prehealth board is that they are writing a letter and including the three other letters I have so far alongside their letter(Orgo professor, track coach, trauma fellow). Will those count as one letter together or will they count as 4? And should I get another letter from the Organic Chemistry Lab professor?
 
Does a PreHealth board committee letter having two science professors on it count as a science professor writing it? I currently have a letter from that comittee, 1 from an Organic Chemistry professor I TA for, 1 from my personal track and field coach and church youth leader, and 1 from the DO trauma fellow I shadowed with. I requested another letter from a chemistry professor that I had for two semesters, but it was told to me by the committee that she is very forgetful about writing the letters and I have been asking for 4 months now to get it in. I was instead going to go to a professor that I had for both Organic Chemistry labs as well as another topics class. From what I have been told by my prehealth board is that they are writing a letter and including the three other letters I have so far alongside their letter(Orgo professor, track coach, trauma fellow). Will those count as one letter together or will they count as 4? And should I get another letter from the Organic Chemistry Lab professor?
The committee letter counts as one, whether or not they include your other letters in their submission, and replaces the requirement for other letters, to my knowledge, everywhere. You're fine as long as you have the committee letter.
 
The committee letter counts as one, whether or not they include your other letters in their submission, and replaces the requirement for other letters, to my knowledge, everywhere. You're fine as long as you have the committee letter.
So would be asking for that other letter be a waste?
 
So would be asking for that other letter be a waste?
"Waste" is probably overstating the case. I'd just call it unnecessary, since committee letters are the gold standard, and are very much preferred by adcoms over individual letters. If you think the letter will be strong and you can get it to the committee to include along with the other letters, it certainly won't hurt, but, as a stand alone letter, it probably won't receive a lot of weight if you are submitting a committee letter.
 
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"Waste" is probably overstating the case. I'd just call it unnecessary, since committee letters are the gold standard, and are very much preferred by adcoms over individual letters. If you think the letter will be strong and you can get it to the committee to include along with the other letters, it certainly won't hurt, but, as a stand alone letter, it probably won't receive a lot of weight if you are submitting a committee letter.
I was just worried about not having enough professors letters.
 
I was just worried about not having enough professors letters.
The committee letter satisfies all requirements, again, as far as I know, everywhere, so that should not be a concern. In fact, schools prefer it to multiple letters, because it gives them all the information they want from these letters in one convenient package, with the added bonus of placing you in context with all other candidates from your school who are going through the committee.
 
Hello, I saw another question about letterheads and the advice given. I'm in a similar boat where one of my LORs is going to be from a national organization's regional admin, and they don't allow the organization's official letterhead to be on LORs. Would it be alright if my recommender submits the letter with the organization's logo but not the full official letterhead? I guess I could ask them to use their personal letterhead and explain it, like the above advice as well. Thank you.
 
Does anyone have a list of schools that require LORs before sending you a secondary? I know UA Phoenix does, but I was hoping to find out which other schools do this. Thanks!
 
I created letter entries for my 3 LORs and sent the letter ID to each respective recommender. Each recommender submitted to Interfolio. I am now trying to deliver the letters from Interfolio to AMCAS but am realizing that I might need to create new letter entries to use the letter-specific email addresses Interfolio provides since I can’t edit the old letter entries (which are essentially blank). Will creating these 3 new letter entries on AMCAS with new letter IDs cause issues after I pull the letters over from Interfolio? I contacted AMCAS but the response was not very helpful.
 
If an applicant accidentally sends an extra LOR to a school, surpassing their maximum allowed letters, is it better to email/call the school to ask for one of the letters to be removed, or is it better to do nothing and not contact the schoool?
 
This has probably been answered before, so I apologize in advance for the repeat. One of my LOR writers has been set on mailing a physical copy to AAMC, which was fine, but has been delayed until now. Wondering if there's any estimate for how long this generally takes to be received. Still pre-writing and have plenty of time before I'm verified I believe (marked 'Ready..' on June 13, and looks as if they are still on June 6) just want to confirm. Could potentially try and get this through the letter-writer, but also respecting the writer's wishes here.
 
How long does it take to send letters from Interfolio? I heard a few people have had some delays taking 5+ days. I haven't sent any of mine yet because I don't have them all yet.
 
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It is better to have followed the directions in the first place. I would email the school starting and ending with an apology due your oversight and mistake and "thank you very much for your assistance"
Thanks. This is actually due to the school changing their LOR policy after I submitted my AMCAS primary.
 
My school uses a committee letter. However, one of my letter writers ( a physician) reached out to me and said they don't have an official letterhead. Instead I asked them to just put their name, address, email, and phone number at the top in the header. Does this qualify as a letterhead, or do I need anything else?
 
1) is the physician letter part of the committee letter packet? if so then its up to the premed committee what is acceptable.
2) If they are a physician they can always create their own letter head
John Smith, MD
Internal Medicine
555 Main St
Anywhere, Any State, 99999
3) most medical schools do not require or prefer physician letters as the vast majority are overly exuberant from short term shadowing experience that have no evidence of time or relationship that would justify their hearty recommendation. In other words fluff. Unless this physician was a supervisor and/or you worked under them in a professional capacity and/or have other in-depth appropriate professional connection, they are not particularly useful to an adcom
4) There are not standards to committee letter packets. While the majority of schools collect letters and attach to committee letters, some do not send the actual individual letters along with the committee evaluation. There are a few schools that avoid gathering letters in the first place relying on advisors speaking directly to faculty for information
5) Medical school requirement for letters is almost always EITHER:
a committee letter (requirements established by each UG)
OR
individual letters (requirements set by medical schools.
It was a physician letter from someone I shadowed. My committee needed one for the packet. My letter writer told me they had created their own letterhead just like how you wrote, but with no logo however. So if I'm understanding correctly, this still qualifies as "official" letterhead?
 
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