Premedical Committee Letter, do I or don't I?

[MyEyesMesmerize]

The school I attend has a premed committee that will write a composite letter on your behalf from 3 prof's with the condition that you meet certain GPA and MCAT minimum requirements. That's fine because they aren't very high but what worries me is that you cannot make an appt for an interview with them to send out your letter until Sept. at the earliest. I am sending in my amcas in early june. Will sept/oct be too late for them to send out my letter? I don't see the committees logic and I believe it puts me at a disadvantage. What if I was interested in EDP? It's ridiculous. I would rather have my 3 prof's write me a letter and send them out with my secondaries as soon as i get them. Can someone advise?

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[none]

The great thing is...you don't have a choice! The vast majority of schools absolutely require you to use the committee if your school has one.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

none is right....you should use the committee letter. By the time you get secondaries and fill them out it will probably be around September anyway...right?

In any case, if you don't use the committee letter, most secondaries will ask you to write an explanation as to why you feel you couldn't be supported by them, etc...it doesn't look good if you don't take the opportunity IMHO. Usually, people who don't use committee letters can't because they graduated a while ago. But if you have the opportunity to get a committee letter, you should take it.

 

[otter]

Geez, that's poor service by your school. That sucks! But, like Dra Foxy said, I don't think it's going to set you back that much. Even if you turn your AMCAS in in June, it won't be until July or August that most schools will send you the secondaries anyways. Just make sure you try to get scheduled in for the committee interview as early as possible in September.

 

[randomlogik]

Wow, that is kind of late for your school's committee to be meeting. Mine wants everything turned in by June 15th. Since I am leaving the state at the end of the month, I'm gonna be kind of rushing to get everything turned in to them. However, if I were you, I would still definately use the committee though. From what I have heard, schools pretty much expect you to use it if your school offers it. I really doubt that a couple of months is going to be that big of a deal. Don't worry and good luck with everything!

 

[Doctor Wyldstyle]

My undergrad had the same logic. They explained that in the past when letters were sent out earlier, they tended to get lost, that is...the med school would lose it. Experience had shown that it was safer when they sent it out at the very end of august at the earliest.

•••quote:•••Originally posted by MyEyesMesmerize:
•The school I attend has a premed committee that will write a composite letter on your behalf from 3 prof's with the condition that you meet certain GPA and MCAT minimum requirements. That's fine because they aren't very high but what worries me is that you cannot make an appt for an interview with them to send out your letter until Sept. at the earliest. I am sending in my amcas in early june. Will sept/oct be too late for them to send out my letter? I don't see the committees logic and I believe it puts me at a disadvantage. What if I was interested in EDP? It's ridiculous. I would rather have my 3 prof's write me a letter and send them out with my secondaries as soon as i get them. Can someone advise?•••••

 

[rajneel1]

committe letters are good. they know how to write them with medical school in mind. it shows that your school supports you. also, it's pretty much required.

 

[vyc]

just to echo most of the points above:
it's totally fine that your school will send out the letter in September.
don't worry.

 

[Sm00th13]

The advice you're getting here are fine. You'll also have to remember that if a med school admission knows that your school has a premed committee, and you do not go through them, the med schol admission would ponder why you forfit the premed committee letter. I have known people in my school that decided not to go through the premed committee and they got accepted to med school anyway. But be prepare to answer as to why you did not use the services of the premed committee. BTW, one of these people that forfit the premed committee letter, got into Columbia and NYU, so it's possible without the premed committee letter.