Recommendation forms...

[CaliforniaGirl]

I'll be applying this June, and already I've run into a dilemma! Although schools will not ask for letters of recommendation until the time for secondary applications comes around, my boss (who will be a strong recommender) is leaving in May for a teaching position at a major university across the country. Therefore, he has expressed the desire to write the letter now instead of next fall. My only concern is the darned forms schools send out with secondary apps. From all of your experiences, are these necessary/desirable, or purely optional? I realize that MSUCOM requires this form, are there any other schools who are sticklers?
Thanks!

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[MSafur]

From experience, most schools do not require you to use their form for recommendations. A letter is just fine. However, I recommend that you contact the schools you plan to apply to and ask.

FYI, these schools DO NOT require you to use their form:

NYCOM, PCOM, UMDNJ/SOM, NOVA, UNECOM, OUCOM, LECOM.

 

[healthydawg]

wow californiagirl, i keep running into your posts!

my experience is the same as the above poster. most of the schools don't care, MSU being an exception. in fact, i don't think any of the other schools i applied to required my recs to be on the form. maybe this will put your mind at ease: none of my recs went in on a form. of course, i didn't apply to MSU - or rather, i didn't return the secondary.

as long as they go in on letter head, they should be fine. good luck to you, you're sharp for getting this started early.