Send ONLY Committee Letter?

[Quigon]

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[Juicec]

Good questions, I don't really have the answers I just wanted to provide some input.

In certain cases I just don't see the benefit of a committee letter. You are lucky that they all know you well, but 8 letters of rec to fill the letter? I mean come on.

I transferred schools 3 times due to required reasons and under no circumstance could I get 8 strong letters of rec. Furthermore, why would direct contact with 3 individual professors not serve as a stronger judge of character than (in my case) a few *****ic pre-med committee members that don't no jack about the application process (they are absolutely terrible advisers) writing some generalized form filled committee letter. I don't understand why people have to make this process so miserable for the few of us who actually know what we are doing.... -_-

 

[Quigon]

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[mauberley]

Hi all,

I'm a long-time lurker and just had a few questions I was hoping someone could clear up for me. I did a search and found some related threads, but nothing I feel definitively answered my question.

My school committee requires students to submit 8 letters of recommendation. From those 8 letters, they take quotations from them and place them into the committee letter. In addition, the committee writes their evaluation of me as well. I have taken many classes with all members of the committee, including my academic and research adviser, so they know me very well.


My questions are as follows:

1) For the medical schools that do not explicitly state that they only want a committee letter OR individual letters, do you think it would be alright to submit ONLY the committee letter?

2) Also, I have the option of requesting the committee attach the original letters to the committee letter. Would it matter if the committee letter contains quotes and no attached letters, or should I have them attach the original, full letters as well?

3) If I have them attach the original letters, do all of the letters have to have my AAMC ID # on them? Or will it be alright if only my committee letter will have my AAMC ID #?

Thank you so much!

1) LizzyM has stated on previous occasions that to not have a committee letter from a school that does have a committee is a red flag. My understanding of her explanation is that committee letters are "known quantities" that allow admissions committees to compare applicants coming from the same school. To not have one invites the question of why one doesn't have one.

2) I would think that having the letters available would be useful. The committee is already reading your letters to provide a composite picture, so if there were any negatives in the letters, they'd likely already be in the committee letter.

3) I'm not aware of any requirement that the letters themselves have your AAMC ID number. The letters are submitted to AMCAS with letter request forms that does have your ID number. The two together suffice to match the letters to your application.

 

[Quigon]

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[LizzyM]

As an adcom member, I like to see the original letters as well as the committee letter and at some schools it is routine to attach the letters whereas, (news to me) some schools give applicants the option of attaching or not attaching the letters. I think attaching is much stronger as we can see for ourselves that the quotes haven't been selected selectively to make you look a lot better than the letter writers intended.

 

[CodeBlu]

As an adcom member, I like to see the original letters as well as the committee letter and at some schools it is routine to attach the letters whereas, (news to me) some schools give applicants the option of attaching or not attaching the letters. I think attaching is much stronger as we can see for ourselves that the quotes haven't been selected selectively to make you look a lot better than the letter writers intended.

Much stronger for whom? The applicant or the adcom? 😛

So happy I didn't have a pre-med committee.

 

[NickNaylor]

I wouldn't include all eight letters because that's overkill, but I would include maybe two or three of what you feel would be the strongest. I definitely think it's a good idea to include some "real" LORs since the committee letter might be very... bland.

 

[LizzyM]

Much stronger for whom? The applicant or the adcom? 😛

So happy I didn't have a pre-med committee.

The application is stronger.... unless the letters are crap.

These committee letters tend to go along the lines of:

Jenny easily takes the lead when the opportunity presents itself, as described by physics lab TA Penny Pipp, "Jenny was always well prepared for lab and after completing her work often stepped in to help groups that were having difficulty."

Jenny's helpfulness was also noticed by Linda Lobo, a nurse in the NICU at St. Luke's Hospita. "I could always count on Jenny to step up and do whatever was necessary to keep things running smoothly. She was able and willing to do the most mudane tasks with a smile and the families greatly appreciated her warmth and concern for their well being"

and so on using a bit of each letter to illustrate a point being made by the committee.

 

[Quigon]

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[Juicec]

No medical school will read 8 letters of rec.

 

[LizzyM]

They might not read them all but having them there shows you have nothing to hide.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

I have a similar problem; my committee requires that I submit three "science and nonscience" faculty letters and two letters from supervisors for volunteering activities, but here's the kicker: none of the faculty letters can be from members of the committee. I have only taken one science class from a professor outside the committee and the committee letter itself is written by only one professor and the others just edit it. This seems like an awfully strange system to me, and if I want to send in copies of the original letters, I'll probably end up with weaker letters than the ones I would've received from committee members.

 

[LizzyM]

I have a similar problem; my committee requires that I submit three "science and nonscience" faculty letters and two letters from supervisors for volunteering activities, but here's the kicker: none of the faculty letters can be from members of the committee. I have only taken one science class from a professor outside the committee and the committee letter itself is written by only one professor and the others just edit it. This seems like an awfully strange system to me, and if I want to send in copies of the original letters, I'll probably end up with weaker letters than the ones I would've received from committee members.

So, submit 1 science and 2 non-science letters plus the 2 supervisor letters and let the committee (including your instructors) do its thing.

 

[NickNaylor]

I have a similar problem; my committee requires that I submit three "science and nonscience" faculty letters and two letters from supervisors for volunteering activities, but here's the kicker: none of the faculty letters can be from members of the committee. I have only taken one science class from a professor outside the committee and the committee letter itself is written by only one professor and the others just edit it. This seems like an awfully strange system to me, and if I want to send in copies of the original letters, I'll probably end up with weaker letters than the ones I would've received from committee members.

That's a ridiculous policy and makes absolutely no sense. If you have to, I would get letters from non-committee members for the purposes of the committee process, but I would definitely still get letters from the committee member(s) and add them to your letter packet for schools.

 

[LizzyM]

That's a ridiculous policy and makes absolutely no sense. If you have to, I would get letters from non-committee members for the purposes of the committee process, but I would definitely still get letters from the committee member(s) and add them to your letter packet for schools.

You seem to miss the fact that the committee letter is written/edited by these faculty members and they will have had the chance to weigh in on the applicant. A separate letter would be redundant. If I were already serving on the committee that writes the committee letter I would bristle at being asked to write an additional letter besides.

 

[zma21]

I pray every night before I go to bed that my pre-med committee blows up and disappears.

They gave my buddy a "recommended with great caution" with a 3.5 and a 37Q.

Here's the thing; they don't go off of anything but grades. Nothing else. His app is stacked - NIH funded research, solid volunteering in burn units overseas, etc. Since he "only got a 3.5", he was deemed "barely competitive.

We are not allowed to use our letters for the application process of D.O. schools. They list "allopathic" in each letter like four times.

Good luck OP, I'd call up the schools in question and see if they have any strong preference. If not, use your best judgement.

edit: forgot to mention, they gave another classmate a "Very highly recommended" with a 3.7 and a 22. Sigh.

 

[GS Mikami]

I pray every night before I go to bed that my pre-med committee blows up and disappears.

They gave my buddy a "recommended with great caution" with a 3.5 and a 37Q.

Here's the thing; they don't go off of anything but grades. Nothing else. His app is stacked - NIH funded research, solid volunteering in burn units overseas, etc. Since he "only got a 3.5", he was deemed "barely competitive.

We are not allowed to use our letters for the application process of D.O. schools. They list "allopathic" in each letter like four times.

Good luck OP, I'd call up the schools in question and see if they have any strong preference. If not, use your best judgement.

edit: forgot to mention, they gave another classmate a "Very highly recommended" with a 3.7 and a 22. Sigh.

LOL

I'll have your committee in my prayers too

 

[Quigon]

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[spike55]

You could, theoretically, ask the original letter writers to all submit the original letters to AMCAS in addition to your premedical committee... what do other students from your school do? If previous students have all just submitted the committee letter and were accepted, then it would seem like you don't have to worry about it.

 

[LizzyM]

If that's what your school does, and if your school is a feeder to one or more medical schools, then those adcoms are familiar with that (suboptimal) style.

 

[Quigon]

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[LizzyM]

That is something I am somewhat afraid of. I go to a very small private school, and not many students apply to medical school. There are some years when no students apply, so the school is not exactly a "feeder." This fact also makes it very difficult to talk to previous students on how things turned out since there have not been many that have applied.

Well, if that's the case, scr3w the committee (adcoms are unlikely to know that you have a committee at your school) and just ask your recommenders to upload their letters to a interfolio account. Then tell your school that quoting letters selectively is suboptimal because it makes it appear that only the best bits are being abstracted from the letters and any negatives are being edited out. Ergo, the reliability of the letter is questionable.