question on letters of recommendation

[heymerle]

On the few secondaries I have received, the only recommendation letter the schools want is a "composite evaluation." Tulane states that additional letters of recommendation are discouraged. I was planning on having the doctor that I shadowed for two years and the professor from the lab I am currently doing summer research both write me a letter in addition to my composite letter. Can anyone give me insight into this? Do people just send in additional letters anyway, or do some schools accept extra letters?

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[Jacky]

Each school has specific guidelines with regard to evaluation letters. Unfortunately, you will have to check with each one, independently. It's best to get all this crap organized now so you're plan is set as to which professor sends to which school, etc, etc. I wouldn't recommend sending materials in to a school unwarranted. Good Luck!

 

[kreno]

So how does it work - sorry, I'm not applying 'til next year. Can you decide which specific letters go to what schools? Like, can I have 10 letters written for me, and then selectively pick which ones I want to go where (obviously they'd all be confidencial). thanks
leon

 

[sandflea]

kreno--no, it usually doesn't work that way, although you will have to doublecheck how your school does it. at my college, we must choose at least four professors to write letters of rec, and they submit these letters to the premedical advisory office, who then compiles them. when we ask for the office to send out the file, they send *everything*--we can't pick and choose. the only thing we do choose is the professors who write the letters.

but as to heymerle's original question, i'm wondering the same thing (i'm also applying to tulane). i'm in grad school and i work in a lab--both my graduate advisor and my boss wrote me letters and i want to send these. but tulane only indicates that grad students can send these letters in *place* of the undergrad committee letter. i want to send everything! anyone bothered to call tulane?

 

[Hopkins2010]

Another thing I noticed about Tulane is that they state that MCAT scores are valid for 2 years..

That poses a problem for me because I took the test in August 99. I'm wondering if that 2 year period refers to the application date or the matriculation date.

Every other med school that I know of will take MCATs that are 3 years old.

Guess I'm going to email them and get clarification.

 

[sandflea]

hey baylor21, i emailed tulane about that very same question a while back, as i took the MCAT in april 99. they told me that the '2 year' limit refers to the application date, not the matriculation date. so in reality, they are taking scores that are *3* years old--they just worded it differently than every other school. so you're good!

i emailed tulane about the recommendation question....will post here when i hear back....

 

[gower]

A concise commitee letter of evaluation is preferred and is given more weight than individual letters of recommendation. The placing of students into categories (3-5) is helpful as is an explanation of any disciplinary or academic action. Applicants submitting composite committee letters are discouraged from soliciting supplementary letters of support unless such letters add something significant to the file. If a committee letter is not solicited, the applicant may provide a minimum of 3 individual letters of evaluation, including at least 2 from science faculty. Letters that the student has waived his/her right to see are preferred. Letters can be received as early as June 15 but no later than January 31. Letters arriving early are held until the application is received.

MCAT: Must have been taken within the past 3 years. Applicants are strongly discouraged from taking the August exam as this leads to a delay in the processing of the application and thus a diminshed chance of acceptance. There is no automatic screening of applications based upon minimum GPA or MCAT scores since Tulane does not give any specific weight to either the MCAT or the GPA; rather, the "whole applicant" is considered.

AP courses credited by the college are accepted but generally carry less weight than a course taken in college would. Applicants receiving AP credits for biology or chemistry should take upper-level courses in the same area. [In chemistry, this means if AP was granted for general chemistry, 2 electives beyond organic chemistry.]

Dr. Joseph Pisano is the Associate Dean. Contact him by telephone or e-mail.

504 588 5188

e-mail: [email protected]

More than was asked for, but my Department of Fuller Explanation urged it on me.

 

[gower]

Addendum: Because of the long delay thid year in filing AMACS applications, the time frame for letters will probably be shifted to the right.