Rec Letter Question

[effectedtag]

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My spring semester of freshman year I connected pretty well with my English teacher in an academic writing class. (I am now a sophomore)

I asked him for a rec letter and he agreed.

However, I don't plan to apply to medical school for a few years. I know interfolio is an option to store the letter. So, do I just store the letter in there and when it comes time to apply have him change the date on the letter?

Also, what pertinent information should I supply the letter writer with, besides the letter guide from the AAMC. I have a year of coursework and can provide him with a CV of some of my activities, but that is about it.

 

[chaim123]

My spring semester of freshman year I connected pretty well with my English teacher in an academic writing class. (I am now a sophomore)

I asked him for a rec letter and he agreed.

However, I don't plan to apply to medical school for a few years. I know interfolio is an option to store the letter. So, do I just store the letter in there and when it comes time to apply have him change the date on the letter?

Also, what pertinent information should I supply the letter writer with, besides the letter guide from the AAMC. I have a year of coursework and can provide him with a CV of some of my activities, but that is about it.

I don't recommend this strategy. Letters should not be backdated, so its best to get the letter around when you're going to use it. If you aren't going to apply for many years, no need to get the letter now. Just keep the relationship strong so you can get one when you need it.

 

[LizzyM]

Stay in touch with the professor by dropping in during office hours once or twice a year just to say hi and to update the professor on what you've been doing. When it comes time to ask for a letter, give the professor the AMCAS info sheet and, perhaps, copies of some of the assignments you submitted for his course. I know that some people like a CV, transcript and/or personal statement but in all honesty, we don't want a letter telling us that the writer has reviewed these items and believes you to be a good candidate on that basis. We see those things and we'll make up our own minds, thank you. We want the letter writer to draw on their own experience with you: did you write well, did you speak well in class, were you respectful toward others' points of view while expressing your own point of view? That's what we are looking for from the non-science prof letter.

 

[effectedtag]

Stay in touch with the professor by dropping in during office hours once or twice a year just to say hi and to update the professor on what you've been doing. When it comes time to ask for a letter, give the professor the AMCAS info sheet and, perhaps, copies of some of the assignments you submitted for his course. I know that some people like a CV, transcript and/or personal statement but in all honesty, we don't want a letter telling us that the writer has reviewed these items and believes you to be a good candidate on that basis. We see those things and we'll make up our own minds, thank you. We want the letter writer to draw on their own experience with you: did you write well, did you speak well in class, were you respectful toward others' points of view while expressing your own point of view? That's what we are looking for from the non-science prof letter.

The problem is this professor is now teaching at another University and has agreed to meet with me to discuss the letter writing. I know the most ideal scenario would be to keep in touch and then obtain a letter when the time comes. But with services like interfolio is there necessarily any downside to just storing the letter in the system and using it when the time comes. Any additional interactions I would have with this professor would be email related anyways, so I am not really going to be able to provide any additional interactions with him the next two years.

I feel as time passes some of the writing may become more superficial and his memory of me in the class might become foggy. Which is why I suggested to him obtaining the letter now.

 

[chaim123]

But with services like interfolio is there necessarily any downside to just storing the letter in the system and using it when the time comes.

5 year old freshman English course letters are much weaker than 1 year old long term relationship letters. Maybe instead of jumping the gun see who else you connect with while in college? There's no reason to think that you won't have other great writer options...

 

[effectedtag]

5 year old freshman English course letters are much weaker than 1 year old long term relationship letters. Maybe instead of jumping the gun see who else you connect with while in college? There's no reason to think that you won't have other great writer options...

While I agree with the sentiment, I think this teacher would make a fantastic letter writer. For one, the class was particularly small and the rest of my courses besides lab courses are very large, think 100+ plus for most.

If I find someone down the line couldn't I just not send the letter? Sorry, I am not 100% sure how interfolio works.

 

[chaim123]

While I agree with the sentiment, I think this teacher would make a fantastic letter writer. For one, the class was particularly small and the rest of my courses besides lab courses are very large, think 100+ plus for most.

If I find someone down the line couldn't I just not send the letter? Sorry, I am not 100% sure how interfolio works.

That is a possibility. But you'll probably need to have him submit a new letter to interfolio anyway in a few years, unless you're going to send a letter that is 5 years outdated. So there's little use in asking for it now, unless it is to give him the option to write it and keep it for now. He'll need to date it and submit it later.

 

[LizzyM]

Stay in touch by email once or twice a year. You are young and 5 years seems like a long time but if, like me, this professor has been teaching for 25 years, the time between now and when you need the letter is no time at all, particularly if you provide a copy of some of the material you wrote for class when you make your LOR request.