Question about LoR's

[jHoon]

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I had originally intended on sending my application through the health comittee at my school. But I am unable to attend the requried amount of Letters of Recommendation to be considered. The deadline is within a month and I have only been able to obtain 1 letter from a professor as well as 1 from my dentist, but the comittee requires 2 for professors.

With about a month left, and all my professors being bombarded with 300+ students asking for letters, I figured I would just withdraw from the committee and apply on my own.

My question is this: since I already have gotten 1 professor to agree to write me a letter, do the letters have to be addressed to the specific school I am applying for? Or can the same letter be sent to multiple schools?

 

[LeoK]

Same letter to multiple schools

 

[Teeths]

I'm actually trying to get ahead and figure out the process for the LORs without the committee as well. I'm in a masters program now and went to a different undergrad school and I have applied with the committee from undergrad, but unfortunately, it just took way too long for the letter to be sent to schools. There's about 300+ students utilizing the system with one person 'heading' the committee and next thing you know, your letter isn't received until October or November

From what I understand, we give AADSAS the professors, dentist, etc email address and they will send an email for them to upload the LOR. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong and has applied before without the committee letter.

Good luck

 

[two thirty]

One professor may not cut it for a lot of schools requirements. Most schools require at least 3 total(including dentist), some even more.

 

[LaughingGas]

When you apply, and application cycle opens, you will need a waiver from the AADSAS to be printed, signed and incorporated with your professors letter, sealed and be sent to AADSAS. Just for a back up, it's nice to have the letter saved using interfolio (no clue how this works).
Once received by AADSAS, they will send the letter to multiple schools.

 

[cleary21191]

I highly recommend getting a committee letter. I personally think schools look upon committee letters much more favorably than regular letters and I believe it played a strong part in my overall application.

Why not ask multiple teachers at the same time for a recommendation letter, that way at least one will have it ready in time. My committee required a minimum of 7 letters; 3 from science professors, 3 from non-science professors, and at least one letter from a dentist. The more letters the better as it allows the committee to draw upon more and make the overall package stronger.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

committee letters suck from my experiences. at my undergrad school, the committee is terribly disorganized and doesn't know anything. not to mention, there's usually like a 3 month wait to be interviewed for like 5 minutes.

i had my school pick out the 5 best letters and had them submit to aadsas electronically. it worked out for me. not sure if it'll break your app if you decide to go with individual letters.

 

[ATG20]

When you apply, and application cycle opens, you will need a waiver from the AADSAS to be printed, signed and incorporated with your professors letter, sealed and be sent to AADSAS. Just for a back up, it's nice to have the letter saved using interfolio (no clue how this works).
Once received by AADSAS, they will send the letter to multiple schools.

I used Interfolio this past cycle and was skeptical, but it's useful and helps you know when the professor mails in the letter, so you don't need to keep pestering them whether it's done or not (professors are busy and may put your LOR on the backburner and forget!). As LaughingGas said, when the cycle opens, print a Match Form from AADSAS and give it to your professor along with the mailing instructions from your Interfolio account. They mail it in, you get a notification, and you choose when to release it all to AADSAS. Interfolio also saves the letters, so if you need to reapply, you can simply resubmit (note: when you sign up you buy a year of access for $9.99 I believe, could be slightly more).

I highly recommend getting a committee letter. I personally think schools look upon committee letters much more favorably than regular letters and I believe it played a strong part in my overall application.

Why not ask multiple teachers at the same time for a recommendation letter, that way at least one will have it ready in time. My committee required a minimum of 7 letters; 3 from science professors, 3 from non-science professors, and at least one letter from a dentist. The more letters the better as it allows the committee to draw upon more and make the overall package stronger.

Some schools may prefer a committee letter, but my interviewers didn't appear adverse to individual letters. I personally feel they give different perspectives from those who actually know the student. I submitted 2 science profs, 1 non-sci, and a dentist's letter (one school wanted a third science professor letter mailed in before my interviewer), and in a few of my interviews, the interviewer asked me about specifics on activities mentioned in each letter eagerly. OP, I don't feel there's a wrong way to do it, but given that you only need one more sci-prof letter, I'd submit individually.

 

[Teeths]

committee letters suck from my experiences. at my undergrad school, the committee is terribly disorganized and doesn't know anything. not to mention, there's usually like a 3 month wait to be interviewed for like 5 minutes.

i had my school pick out the 5 best letters and had them submit to aadsas electronically. it worked out for me. not sure if it'll break your app if you decide to go with individual letters.

This is...well was.. my same predicament and I think this cycle I'm going to say goodbye to the committee letter and get fresh science prof letters from the program I'm in.

It seems like a lot more hassle going about it with the individual letters, but in the end I think it'll benefit me more. Can you sign up for interfolio before the new cycle opens?

 

[Bis-GMA111]

This is...well was.. my same predicament and I think this cycle I'm going to say goodbye to the committee letter and get fresh science prof letters from the program I'm in.

It seems like a lot more hassle going about it with the individual letters, but in the end I think it'll benefit me more. Can you sign up for interfolio before the new cycle opens?

i don't see why not. just set up an account and have your profs send everything there

 

[jHoon]

I would loved to have sent my applicatino through my school's committee but the whole process (especially applying through AADSAS which is still foggy) was a bit new to me. I got an email mid February saying that I needed the letters written and submitted by late March. THis was wayyy to short of a notice in my opinion, and I sort of made the mistake of not building a close relationship and good rapport with my professors previous semesters because (in my defense even though my application is my 100% my responsilibity) i didn't really know how getting LoR's "worked"

So this past 2 weeks I have been approaching current and old professors somewhat apologetically asking if they would mind writing me a LoR, and I was rejected flat out by 2 of them. And though I have 1 more professor I could ask, I tried to put myself in their position, and thought it sort of rude to ask them to write a letter about the character and personality of someone they know nothing about.

Knowing I most likely couldn't get this letter by March, i figured I would go the harder route and do it on my own. And use what semester I have left to get close with the professor, visit her office hours, be more involved in class, etc.

Btw i really appreciate all the feedback! I'm going to try to figure out how to use that interfolio thingy!