Recommendation letters timeframe

[j-med]

When is a good time to get recommendation letters? How many weeks should we give the recommender to write them?

Also, the AMCAS that we submit in June, does that require references? Or do they only solicit the letters for the secondaries?

Thanks.

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[rajad10]

well you've probably heard this, but professors can be real lazy or forgetful or busy. Therefore, I've always thought 1.5 - 2 months before you actually needs the recs is a good time frame. The primary app that you can submit june 1st does not include rec letters. these letters are sent with secondary applications. therefore, i kinda gave my profs a june 30th deadline, although realistically I wont be sending out the letters until like mid july - august (i think). This allows for a safeguard time frame in case something goes wrong.

If you haven't told your lor writers yet, do it asap, like tommorow. hope this helps

 

[j-med]

well you've probably heard this, but professors can be real lazy or forgetful or busy. Therefore, I've always thought 1.5 - 2 months before you actually needs the recs is a good time frame. The primary app that you can submit june 1st does not include rec letters. these letters are sent with secondary applications. therefore, i kinda gave my profs a june 30th deadline, although realistically I wont be sending out the letters until like mid july - august (i think). This allows for a safeguard time frame in case something goes wrong.

If you haven't told your lor writers yet, do it asap, like tommorow. hope this helps

hmm yea.. my school write composite letters and they said they won't send them out even until august 1st!

 

[JDUB44]

hmm yea.. my school write composite letters and they said they won't send them out even until august 1st!

Same problem, my adivisors won't even meet with me so they can write my composite letter until, july 28. Really throws a wrench in things

 

[SQUIX06]

what if you're a freshmen, and want a letter from of your professors for med school? is it normal to ask them this early?

 

[Dr. Giggles]

Bad post - listen to TheProwler instead.

 

[45408]

Same problem, my adivisors won't even meet with me so they can write my composite letter until, july 28. Really throws a wrench in things

I hope you don't think that's very late in the game. A number of my secondaries weren't even available until mid-August. Consider yourself lucky - some people's committees don't send out the letters until October.

 

[45408]

what if you're a freshmen, and want a letter from of your professors for med school? is it normal to ask them this early?

It probably won't hurt. If they write you a letter now, then you can either use that letter, a more current letter, or simply ask that professor to change the date on the letter when you're ready to apply. In no way does that seem unethical to me - they can clearly indicate when they had contact with you, but the letter can be written while you're still fresh in their mind. Asking a prof to write a letter about someone in his class from 2-3 years ago is not smart.

 

[CavalierMD]

what if you're a freshmen, and want a letter from of your professors for med school? is it normal to ask them this early?

My roommate collected letters as she went along and didn't run into a problem... only one Organic prof who told her that he'd be happy to write a letter... if she survived pre-med... so she had to go back to him when she was ready to apply- I guess he just didn't want to waste time on a letter given that so many people drop...

I asked my profs for letters back in March and gave them a June 1st deadline... That way there's plenty of buffer time in case something happens... although most profs were pretty quick to get back to me... I asked for 5 and am only waiting on 2 more