*~*~*~* Official Compilation of School-Specific LOR Requirements *~*~*~*

[aalamruad]

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It's about time that we started a compilation of school-specific LOR requirements on SDN, so we don't all continue to blindly follow the general rule of "2 science professors + 1 non-science professor," which is quite inconsistently true as it turns out. It makes much more sense to know the actual requirements of specific schools that you're applying to, and adjust your letter-seeking ventures accordingly. Please add to the list only if you learn a school's requirements from an official source (i.e. their website, or an admissions officer, or some sort of personal experience), and if you find the list useful, please do your fair share of adding to it by doing a few minutes of online research to add schools that you don't currently see on the list. Please QUOTE THE MOST RECENT POST WITH THE LIST, REMOVE THE QUOTE TAGS, AND ADD TO OR REVISE IT AS NECESSARY (sorry for yelling)

Mods: feel free to change the title if the "*~*~*~*" is some sort of plagiarism/policy infringement 😉

Note: this list is for those without a package/committee letter - it's for applicants submitting LOR's from individual professors/PI's/etc. In general, applicants who attend schools that have committee letters must send the committee letter instead of individual LOR's.

Hopefully this thread will be helpful to applicants cycle after cycle, long after we've made our way through this whole icky LOR process. I'll start:

UCSF: 3-5 letters, at least 2 of which must be from instructors (upper div. instructors recommended)

Harvard: Up to 6 letters are accepted, at least 2 from science profs, at least 1 from non-science prof, 1 from each research supervisor, employer letter recommended if non-trad

UC Davis: 3-6 letters allowed

Tufts: 3 letters of any kind

Columbia: 3-7 letters required, at least one from a science faculty member, teacher, or research mentor

Dartmouth: "at least two individual letters from your school"

Yale: at least 3 individual letters of recommendation, which "may come from those who have taught you or worked with you in undergraduate or graduate school classes, in research settings, clinical settings, extracurricular or community service activities, professional settings, or other contexts. It is helpful to have at least one of the letters from someone in the sciences, but this is not mandatory."

Johns Hopkins: 3 individual letters, 2 of which are from science faculty, and one from non-science faculty. if you have advanced degrees or significant postgrad work experience of one year or more, you're required to send recommendations from each component of your education and major work experience. additional letters are accepted, but are not guaranteed to be read, and "do not give you an advantage over the required three letters"

Baylor: 3-4 letters, 3 of which must be from individuals who are qualified to evaluate you personally and academically. non-trad: if you're in grad school, one of your letters must be from a graduate advisor or major professor. if you're in grad school but don't have a graduate advisor or major professor, one letter must be from the chairperson of your major department. if you haven't attended a college or university for one year or more, and you're currently employed or in military service, one letter must be from your immediate supervisor (if self-employed, an evaluation from a business associate)

WashU St. Louis: "in general [they] require three letters of recommendation." should be from 3 teachers at a college or university you attended, at least 1 of whom should teach in the sciences. "If you have had a particularly significant extracurricular experience, you may also invite someone who is aware of your accomplishment(s) to submit an additional letter of evaluation." research mentor LOR's seem to be encouraged.

Princeton: (this sounds like a rather odd requirement) you must first found a medical school at Princeton, and then you need 2 science LOR's and 1 non-science LOR

Vanderbilt: 3 letters. "if you have advanced degrees or at least one year of postgraduate full-time employment, it is advisable to ask your supervisor at work or a member of the graduate faculty to send a letter of recommendation"

Boston University: minimum of 3 letters, "2 of which should be from professors who taught you in biology, chemistry, or physics. the third letter can be from a person of your choice and need not be academic in nature." "if you're enrolled in, or have completed, a formal, degree-granting program of graduate study, provide a letter from your thesis adviser or a graduate professor for non-thesis programs in addition to the undergraduate letter requirement. applicants in a non-thesis grad program can submit a letter from a graduate professor. if you're engaged in research, either as part of a degree program or in any other substantive way, a letter from your research supervisor would be appreciated."

NYU: Minimum of 2 letters, which must be from faculty members who taught you in a course, at least 1 of which must be science faculty. No maximum number of letters, and "additional letters are welcome." If you're applying MD/PhD, you must submit additional letters from all research mentors.

 

[aalamruad]

UCSF: 3-5 letters, at least 2 of which must be from instructors (upper div. instructors recommended)

Harvard: Up to 6 letters are accepted, at least 2 from science profs, at least 1 from non-science prof, 1 from each research supervisor, employer letter recommended if non-trad

UC Davis: 3-6 letters allowed

Tufts: 3 letters of any kind

Columbia: 3-7 letters required, at least one from a science faculty member, teacher, or research mentor

Dartmouth: "at least two individual letters from your school"

Yale: at least 3 individual letters of recommendation, which "may come from those who have taught you or worked with you in undergraduate or graduate school classes, in research settings, clinical settings, extracurricular or community service activities, professional settings, or other contexts. It is helpful to have at least one of the letters from someone in the sciences, but this is not mandatory."

Johns Hopkins: 3 individual letters, 2 of which are from science faculty, and one from non-science faculty. if you have advanced degrees or significant postgrad work experience of one year or more, you're required to send recommendations from each component of your education and major work experience. additional letters are accepted, but are not guaranteed to be read, and "do not give you an advantage over the required three letters"

Baylor: 3-4 letters, 3 of which must be from individuals who are qualified to evaluate you personally and academically. non-trad: if you're in grad school, one of your letters must be from a graduate advisor or major professor. if you're in grad school but don't have a graduate advisor or major professor, one letter must be from the chairperson of your major department. if you haven't attended a college or university for one year or more, and you're currently employed or in military service, one letter must be from your immediate supervisor (if self-employed, an evaluation from a business associate)

WashU St. Louis: "in general [they] require three letters of recommendation." should be from 3 teachers at a college or university you attended, at least 1 of whom should teach in the sciences. "If you have had a particularly significant extracurricular experience, you may also invite someone who is aware of your accomplishment(s) to submit an additional letter of evaluation." research mentor LOR's seem to be encouraged.

Princeton: (this sounds like a rather odd requirement) you must first found a medical school at Princeton, and then you need 2 science LOR's and 1 non-science LOR

Vanderbilt: 3 letters. "if you have advanced degrees or at least one year of postgraduate full-time employment, it is advisable to ask your supervisor at work or a member of the graduate faculty to send a letter of recommendation"

Boston University: minimum of 3 letters, "2 of which should be from professors who taught you in biology, chemistry, or physics. the third letter can be from a person of your choice and need not be academic in nature." "if you're enrolled in, or have completed, a formal, degree-granting program of graduate study, provide a letter from your thesis adviser or a graduate professor for non-thesis programs in addition to the undergraduate letter requirement. applicants in a non-thesis grad program can submit a letter from a graduate professor. if you're engaged in research, either as part of a degree program or in any other substantive way, a letter from your research supervisor would be appreciated."

NYU: Minimum of 2 letters, which must be from faculty members who taught you in a course, at least 1 of which must be science faculty. No maximum number of letters, and "additional letters are welcome." If you're applying MD/PhD, you must submit additional letters from all research mentors.

University of Pennsylvania: A minimum of three (3) letters from faculty members who know the applicant well; at least one must come from a science faculty member with whom the applicant has taken courses.

Duke: Each applicant must submit four (4) letters of recommendation, two of which must be from science faculty.

University of Washington: Submit a minimum of three and up to six letters from writers who can speak to one or more of the following: your academic ability, commitment to service, leadership potential, clinical or research experiences, interpersonal skills, ability to function on a team, and/or potential as a physician. The collection of letters should provide a balanced and well-rounded view of your candidacy for medicine. Letters of recommendation from current employers may be advantageous.

University of Chicago: 3 minimum, there's no maximum. At least 2 letters should be written by individuals who can speak specifically to your potential for success in a rigorous science curriculum. Try to make sure your letters arrive at the same time.

University of Michigan Ann Arbor: They require a minimum of 3 letters of recommendation with a maximum of 6 letters. Your recommenders can be any individuals who can objectively assess your personal qualities such as integrity and ethics; reliability and dependability; social, interpersonal and teamwork skills; resilience and adaptability; altruism; and a desire to learn. They have no specific requirements regarding how you select these individuals. However, if you choose to include someone from your academic experiences, they strongly recommend an experienced faculty member (Associate Professor or Professor) rather than a graduate student instructor (GSI).

University of Pittsburgh: Three individual letters of recommendation are required. While any three letters of recommendations will be accepted, it is preferred that the applicant submit three academic letters. An academic letter can be written by a professor from whom you took a class, a pre-health advisor, or a research mentor(s). Additional letters may be submitted.

Indiana University: 3 letters of recommendation: they require at minimum one science faculty recommendation (from a biology, chemistry, or physics instructor), one non-science faculty recommendation, and one personal recommendation. Science and nonscience letters may be written by anyone that has taught you in a class and issued a letter grade. Personal letters may be prepared by former employers, volunteer coordinators, mentors, etc. If you are currently enrolled into a graduate program or professional school, it is recommended that one letter be prepared by a faculty member from the program or school.