Please Help!!: recommendation letter question

[trunksvegeta]

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Hi,
I had some personal issues this summer and wasn't able to meet with my premed advisor regarding the recommendation letters. Well yesterday I emailed her and she has told me that I wouldn't be able to use my school committee letter because I contacted her too late...! Its totally my fault and I'm really confused on what i can do..I know the school offers a letter, but now I guess she says that she'll only be able to give me some hints but I won't be able to go through them...am I screwed or is there any way that i can still apply without looking really bad to the admissions committees? I don't mind asking my professors to send in each of the letters individually, granted its a more pain in the a@$, but if that has worked for others that have been in this situation, let me know...thanks...

 

[duncanfj]

On most of the secondaries I've seen they want to see a letter from a committee. But, there is almost always an option that states "If your school has a committe, but you will not be using this service, please explain why". Explain the nature of your personal issues this summer there and send in the single letters from profs.

 

[mosfet]

My school doesn't have a premed committee. So I got 2 letters from my sci profs, 1 letter from my major prof and 1 from my volunteer services director. I am using this letter service called interfolio. What they do is they keep a database of all your letters and charge a $5 fee everytime you request them to send the letters to med schools. This way, you don't have to bother your profs to write, print and mail out multiple letters everytime you need one. If you are interested, check out www.interfolio.com. This was the only option for me.

 

[trunksvegeta]

thanks for the info!
I was looking into the interfolio thing and I started to wonder if anyone had successes with this company. It sure beats sending 25+ letters to get lost, but is it legitimate? I wonder if the adcoms think if there is something shady with these types of services,,,but if anyone has had any success, then I'm definitely going to look into it..thanks

 

[KirsteenB]

Hi there,

Yes, Interfolio is legit. Here, in Canada, many universities don't offer committees and letter managment services, so I was relieved to find this company, although a little skeptical at first, too. Thus far, I've used them to complete a large number of medical school admissions packages and they have operated beautifully. All letters have been received, and on time.

Cheers,
Kirsteen

 

[trunksvegeta]

cool,
I just registered for the service...So all I have to do is give each one of my professors etc the letters and they submit the recommendations themselves right? After the service receives all the letters, how does Infolio send them to the schools? Do they have a database of all the schools like AMCAS does, or do I have to type in all of the schools I am applying to and addresses for them so they can send them to the designated schools?

 

[Arista.MD]

This is very surprising. I contacted my premed committee this summer, in July to have a letter written for the admission to medical school and when I requested it sent in early August, they thought it was really early in the process, because most students do not start until September.
Most of my secondaries wanted a committee letter and if the student was not able to obtain one, he should be able to explain why. I think the person who is in the premed committee at your school is a little bit extreme, they should not refuse you a letter. I know that schools like Harvard and Yale have the deadlines for receipt of letters in November, or December.

Good luck with application.

 

[Mistress S]

All schools are different in how they run their premed committees, my school has this whole packet you have to fill out to request a committee letter that becomes available in Feb and is due by the end of April in order to get a letter for that year. The committee only meets once a year over the summer to prepare the letters, and if your request isn't in than your SOL.