Re-applying, school wants "updated" letters?

[Pacna]

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This is my concern: When you re-apply, you are required to submit updated letters of recommendation. You may use previous recommenders.

That is a copy/paste from UoMN's application instructions for a re-applicant. I have 5 letters. Two are totally new this year, 3 are 1 year old (written in June or July of last year).

I already have their application, so I don't want to wait a month for my writers to get back to me before I submit. I should have realized this before, but I'm applying to so many schools that I didn't notice this requirement.

How much is this going to affect my application? Will they throw it out? Will they frown and tap it in their hands, shake their heads, and look at one-another? Will they not notice at all???

 

[Pacna]

Bump of shame.

 

[ericksonj15]

.

 

[Pacna]

I applied to Minnesota twice (granted it was not in consecutive cycles) and I got all new letters. 4 out of my 5 were from the exact same writers. It sucks asking the same people for multiple letters, but I didn't want to get burned on using old ones.

I just called my writer at 8PM at his house... Totally OK with it of course. I wouldn't have asked him if he didn't like me, but I still feel super awkward. Freakin' arbitrary rules.

 

[music2doc]

I just called my writer at 8PM at his house... Totally OK with it of course. I wouldn't have asked him if he didn't like me, but I still feel super awkward. Freakin' arbitrary rules.

Umm... you would want new letters anyway. You didn't get in last time, so your old app should be tossed. It didn't work. That includes your letters. (Also, they are now a year old, which means hopefully you've grown since then and will make a better applicant; the new letters need to reflect that.) It's not an arbitrary set of rules. They are helping you to become a competitive applicant instead of being the dog that returns to its own vomit again and again.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

Umm... you would want new letters anyway. You didn't get in last time, so your old app should be tossed. It didn't work. That includes your letters. (Also, they are now a year old, which means hopefully you've grown since then and will make a better applicant; the new letters need to reflect that.) It's not an arbitrary set of rules. They are helping you to become a competitive applicant instead of being the dog that returns to its own vomit again and again.

Getting new letters is much harder for people who arent fresh out of college or are non-trads though.

 

[music2doc]

Getting new letters is much harder for people who arent fresh out of college or are non-trads though.

I was a non-trad. I understand that. However, there are still ways to do it. If anything, non-trads who go back and take classes should have better relationships w/ faculty from their second time around since they were more like colleagues to their professors. (I know I was able to approach and befriend most of my professors when I did a post-bacc. Since I was already a "professional," my professors respected me as a colleague crossing over and learning their field and seeking their guidance. That offers more -- not fewer -- opportunities, IMO.)

 

[Status Sciaticus]

I was a non-trad. I understand that. However, there are still ways to do it. If anything, non-trads who go back and take classes should have better relationships w/ faculty from their second time around since they were more like colleagues to their professors. (I know I was able to approach and befriend most of my professors when I did a post-bacc. Since I was already a "professional," my professors respected me as a colleague crossing over and learning their field and seeking their guidance. That offers more -- not fewer -- opportunities, IMO.)

FWIW, I reused two old letters from my Science profs, got a new letter from my graduate advisor/physiology teacher/PI, and a composite letter from my school committee ( first time).

 

[StephanieZ]

I was a non-trad. I understand that. However, there are still ways to do it. If anything, non-trads who go back and take classes should have better relationships w/ faculty from their second time around since they were more like colleagues to their professors. (I know I was able to approach and befriend most of my professors when I did a post-bacc. Since I was already a "professional," my professors respected me as a colleague crossing over and learning their field and seeking their guidance. That offers more -- not fewer -- opportunities, IMO.)

Not necessarily true. I'm a reapplicant and while I've taken a smattering of classes between then and now, most of my growth and improvement has come from working in a healthcare field and volunteering. I did get all new letters this time around, but only one was from a professor whom I had taken a class with after my first application cycle.

 

[music2doc]

Not necessarily true. I'm a reapplicant and while I've taken a smattering of classes between then and now, most of my growth and improvement has come from working in a healthcare field and volunteering. I did get all new letters this time around, but only one was from a professor whom I had taken a class with after my first application cycle.

But didn't you keep in contact with your original letter writers? Just because you haven't taken a class with them doesn't mean they don't know about your growth. I still keep in touch with a few key faculty from undergrad (professors I haven't had a class with in 6 years) as well as some from my post-bacc -- professors that I worked with as a TA, RA (research), lab instructor, tutor, etc. If you cultivate a relationship with a few of them it helps to build out your network, which could be quite valuable down the line since you never know who they might know....

 

[snorlax]

Is Minnesota the only school that requires all the letters to be new?

 

[Pacna]

Is Minnesota the only school that requires all the letters to be new?

I doubt it, but they're the only one I'm aware of.