Ok to use recommendation letters dated from last year?

[Imogen]

I am currently in the middle of submitting my application to med schools for this cycle, however, a medical problem of mine has returned and I may have to delay my application for a year. All of my recommendation letters are dated 2011. Would it be ok to use these letters next year (for the application cycle starting summer 2012). I would probably have a few newer letters to throw in there if this happened... I just didn't know if it would matter to have letters dated from one year ago.

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[senorsquishie]

I will take a stab at this since no one else has. I would say using some is fine, because who will have new Prof letters? But I would mix in a couple on what you have done in the last year so they can see what you have been up to in the mean time.

 

[gettheleadout]

Yes, it will be okay.

 

[serendipity513]

I wasn't accepted the first time I applied to med school and re-used my same LORs this last cycle. I was accepted this year without any problems.

 

[tman5890]

You'll be fine!

 

[Avoidthetiger]

yes - it will be OK. I sent one with a date that was 2-years older than my application.

You might want to ask them next summer to update the date though... just so it looks newer.

 

[Imogen]

Thanks everyone! I feel like professors are already busy enough writing recommendations the first time around... I didn't want to have to ask them to change the date on a letter if it could be avoided.

 

[Donnie1310]

Thanks everyone! I feel like professors are already busy enough writing recommendations the first time around... I didn't want to have to ask them to change the date on a letter if it could be avoided.

If you know the profs really well at least one of them might be willing to "update" a letter for you (i.e. just glance at it and change the date). I had my advisor do that when I reapplied. It was easy for him to do and it gave me a current-year letter out of it.

Edit: I'm dumb and didn't read your last post, where you said exactly what I just did. I think I read one time that you'll probably want one new or updated letter, but they dont all need to be.