Rec. Letter from a pre-med advisor necessary?

[bozz]

We don't have a committee or anything..

so far I have:

2 science prof LORs
1 non-science prof LOR

1 Research LOR
1 Volunteering LOR

Is a pre-med advisor LOR necessary... I feel like it would add absolutely nothing. Would it look weird to medical schools if I didn't have a pre-med advisor write me a LOR.. is it even a requirement?

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[mikedc813]

Not necessary. Use it if you think it will strengthen your application though.

 

[Mobius1985]

I never met the pre-med advisor in undergrad, but had one school requiring a letter from that person. I wrote that school a letter about why such a letter wasn't included, substituted another from an instructor, and there was no problem. (I called and spoke to admission's personnel after they received the packet, and was assured the letters were adequate.)

 

[blahwhatever]

I've seen a few secondaries asking you to provide an expanation, if you didn't use your school's committee. I don't remember which ones anymore.

 

[pride4jc727]

If there is a pre-med advisor but no committee, I would definitely ask the pre-med advisor for a letter, given that you actually talked to the person over the course of four years and knows how much of a hard worker you are. Otherwise, I would explain to the school, if they need it or at the interview, that the school does not have it but that you believe that your performance and desire to go into medicine warrants consideration.

 

[Flaxmoore]

I used my pre-med advisor as a letter during my first application cycle. I wish I hadn't- we clashed on about every level, and just flat didn't get along. She insisted, and said she wouldn't send the others until she had written hers.

All of my other letters were written and ready to go in July. She didn't even write hers until August. Waitlist and denied.

 

[LizzyM]

If your school doesn't have a "committee letter" then no one on the adcom will be looking for or expecting one. If your school had a committee letter then it would look bad NOT to have one in your file.

OP, you'll be fine with the letters you have from instructors and supervisors.

 

[bozz]

If your school doesn't have a "committee letter" then no one on the adcom will be looking for or expecting one. If your school had a committee letter then it would look bad NOT to have one in your file.

OP, you'll be fine with the letters you have from instructors and supervisors.

Thanks a lot for clarifying this

It's just that on our "premed" website, there's a link with a star next to it saying "Pre-med advisor recommendation letter request form." He'll probably be writing 50-100 other letters. I've met him multiple times, but if medical schools do not require it (since we don't have a committee), I won't ask.

 

[daaarn]

If your school doesn't have a "committee letter" then no one on the adcom will be looking for or expecting one. If your school had a committee letter then it would look bad NOT to have one in your file.

OP, you'll be fine with the letters you have from instructors and supervisors.

The school I'm at right now does do a "committee letter," but since I was a transfer student (and took all my prereqs at my old school), they won't write me one b/c I don't fulfill some of their evaluation requirements. Is it alright in that case to use individual letters?

Furthermore, I am getting my letters from 2 science profs and 1 research adviser. Is that alright, or should I have asked a regular, classroom-based non-science teacher?

 

[LizzyM]

The school I'm at right now does do a "committee letter," but since I was a transfer student (and took all my prereqs at my old school), they won't write me one b/c I don't fulfill some of their evaluation requirements. Is it alright in that case to use individual letters?

Furthermore, I am getting my letters from 2 science profs and 1 research adviser. Is that alright, or should I have asked a regular, classroom-based non-science teacher?

Some schools specifically ask for a non-sceince teacher. You should have a letter from one.

If adcoms put a lot of weight on the advice of the pre-med committee at your school, then the lack of a letter from said committee will be noticed and could be interpreted (incorrectly) as a lack of support from the committee. In rare instances I've seen a letter from the committee chair stating that this applicant is not eligible for a letter but that the lack of the letter does not mean that the applicant is not recommended for admission but rather that the committee did not have enough information to form an opinion. You might ask about getting such a letter, particularly if it is your school's custom to classify applicants in the letter as "recommended" "highly recommended" "most highly recommended", "recommended with reservations", etc.

 

[BrainBuff]

I just wanted to stress the above point. LizzyM is absolutely right.

 

[foster033]

Considering all the problems I've seen and read about concerning pre-med committees and their letters, I'm surprised that schools even still ask for them. I've seen everything from them forgetting to send them (happened to a friend of mine), sending the wrong ones (another person I know), not submitting them until Sep/Oct while still requiring that the students submit their information to them almost a year in advance, not accepting LORs from supervisors, etc. I'm sure it was necessary before Interfolio/other LOR services but now they seem antiquated. Kind of glad my first choice school doesn't accept them.

 

[daaarn]

Considering all the problems I've seen and read about concerning pre-med committees and their letters, I'm surprised that schools even still ask for them. I've seen everything from them forgetting to send them (happened to a friend of mine), sending the wrong ones (another person I know), not submitting them until Sep/Oct while still requiring that the students submit their information to them almost a year in advance, not accepting LORs from supervisors, etc. I'm sure it was necessary before Interfolio/other LOR services but now they seem antiquated. Kind of glad my first choice school doesn't accept them.

I hear that. To my knowledge, my old school didn't even have one. And my current univ. won't even start sending out their letter until mid-late August either, so even if I were able to get a committee letter, I think that'd be cutting it "close" w/ my stats. Regardless, I'm still worried about not having one (esp. since my school does use them), b/c I don't know if adcoms will think that's b/c my school doesn't recommend me or something.