Pre-Med Committee problem...

[millee3]

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My school requires a "pre-med committee interview" before one of them write the letter for you. I would like to apply in June, to give me the best chance because I plan to apply broadly, and to many out-of-state places.

Here's the problem. My school (for some odd reason) has never had these interviews in the Spring...only at the end of August and into the Fall semester...Some didn't get theirs until October...

This worries me...my question is, do schools require letter of rec's right away with the application? Main question, is would I receive secondaries from these places without my pre-med committee letter?

Also, any advice to approach the committee to lobby for spring interviews? We've talked about it a little, but it doesn't seem like it would happen unless a few of us pre-meds went to talk to each one to argue our case...

Any advice on the situation helps! Thanks.

 

[illegallysmooth]

Your letters of recommendation are considered part of your secondaries. Get on the pre-med committee crap ASAP. They took forever to do mine and it was the last part of my applications to be complete.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

You would think the committee would understand the importance of an early, complete application.

I would go in to the office and make my case for why I want a spring interview as you want to maximize your chances by being complete as early as possible. Just don't be mean...considering they will be writing it

 

[mfrizzo3]

My school requires a "pre-med committee interview" before one of them write the letter for you. I would like to apply in June, to give me the best chance because I plan to apply broadly, and to many out-of-state places.

Here's the problem. My school (for some odd reason) has never had these interviews in the Spring...only at the end of August and into the Fall semester...Some didn't get theirs until October...

This worries me...my question is, do schools require letter of rec's right away with the application? Main question, is would I receive secondaries from these places without my pre-med committee letter?

Also, any advice to approach the committee to lobby for spring interviews? We've talked about it a little, but it doesn't seem like it would happen unless a few of us pre-meds went to talk to each one to argue our case...

Any advice on the situation helps! Thanks.

What about students who may want to apply ED?

 

[LRAccord624]

Could you bypass the premed committee interview and get multiple letters from professors instead? And then do the pre-med interview and add the committee letter to your app later?

This way you apply with letters, and then can add the committee letter later.

I think many (maybe most?) schools will still send secondaries without letters, but you'll never be invited to interviews without them that I know of. So it will make your application REALLY late.

 

[NickNaylor]

My suggestion (half in jest, but half in sincerity) is to get to know the person writing your letter and see if you can sow the seed of getting the process done early. Simply schedule a meeting and talk about your application, PS, and anything else you need advice on. If anything it'll get you a better letter since he'll know you personally; it may even get your letter written earlier.

 

[ChiDO]

You would think the committee would understand the importance of an early, complete application.

I would go in to the office and make my case for why I want a spring interview as you want to maximize your chances by being complete as early as possible. Just don't be mean...considering they will be writing it

HAHAHAHHA. Pre-med advisors and admissions committee's are not the same as SDN nor do most of them give the same type of advice as SDN does.

I avoided my pre-med admissions committee like the plague and had multiple acceptances without their letter. I had interview invites while some of my friends who went through the committee were still waiting on their letters.

Thus, my advice is get it done on Day 1. If you know that they give out the "application" on Mar 1, be sure you already know all the requirements beforehand and get everything done within that first week (ie. have all the essays and teacher LORs done before Mar 1). If you cannot get this done early, then skip the letter.

 

[millee3]

I know most of the members on the committee. One is my research mentor (i've known him for almost 3 years now), and i'm assuming he'll be writing my letter...but from what I've heard, we don't get to pick.

I haven't even thought about early decision applicants...and like I said before...it makes no sense. I don't understand why the school wouldn't do them in the spring. It increases the chances of acceptance..which makes the school look better...

Anyways, I plan to call up a few schools tomorrow and ask them if they require them to be in right away or not...if not, i'll get a few more pre-meds together and we'll go talk to each member and try to work something out. Because it doesn't make sense to punish the students who want to apply early...

 

[ABRuniverse]

My school requires a "pre-med committee interview" before one of them write the letter for you. I would like to apply in June, to give me the best chance because I plan to apply broadly, and to many out-of-state places.

Here's the problem. My school (for some odd reason) has never had these interviews in the Spring...only at the end of August and into the Fall semester...Some didn't get theirs until October...

This worries me...my question is, do schools require letter of rec's right away with the application? Main question, is would I receive secondaries from these places without my pre-med committee letter?

Also, any advice to approach the committee to lobby for spring interviews? We've talked about it a little, but it doesn't seem like it would happen unless a few of us pre-meds went to talk to each one to argue our case...

Any advice on the situation helps! Thanks.

If your school is anything like my undergrad was, than they are expecting you to go through the committee during your junior. During the fall semester of my junior year, I was required to submit a mock application, including a list of all my classes with grades and BCPM designations (yes it was a pain in the butt to do it for them and then input the classes again into AMCAS!) as well as a completed PS. In the spring, they conducted committee interviews. The letters were ready sometime in July. It sounds to me that you misunderstood the timing of all of this as I doubt the committee would actually screw people over like that. If that's the case, you may be SOL.

 

[MilkmanAl]

If that's the case, you may be SOL.

That or you could just bypass your committee and submit all of your letters yourself. You'll probably be asked why you didn't use their letter, but I can't see how, "It wasn't going to be done until October" would be an insufficient response.

 

[millee3]

If your school is anything like my undergrad was, than they are expecting you to go through the committee during your junior. During the fall semester of my junior year, I was required to submit a mock application, including a list of all my classes with grades and BCPM designations (yes it was a pain in the butt to do it for them and then input the classes again into AMCAS!) as well as a completed PS. In the spring, they conducted committee interviews. The letters were ready sometime in July. It sounds to me that you misunderstood the timing of all of this as I doubt the committee would actually screw people over like that. If that's the case, you may be SOL.

The routine sounds the same as how they do it at my school, except they want you to use the AAMC application, and just print it off. As far as misunderstanding the timing...i would disagree. the chair of the committee didn't know when the 2011 application even opened...I have never heard of them doing them in the Spring...so I do believe its their screw up. They must have always done it in the Fall, and don't want to deal with it before finals, etc...

I was not sure if schools allow you to bypass the committee letter or not...it is a legit reason, and I could always get their letter in September if needed...

 

[NickNaylor]

I don't think getting a committee letter is required. I believe AMCAS just says it's recommended to get a committee letter if that's an option.

 

[chicubsfan]

Could you bypass the premed committee interview and get multiple letters from professors instead? And then do the pre-med interview and add the committee letter to your app later?

This way you apply with letters, and then can add the committee letter later.

do this.

 

[millee3]

Alright, thanks for the responses.