Sending out letters of recommendation

[nimujm13]

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I have a question regarding sending out letters of recommendation. I know that each school has a different format for a letter of recommendation that they want sent in, but what do you do if you are applying to alot of schools? Do you have to get a duplicate recommendation from each professor for each school that you apply to, or can you send in photocopies of letters of recommendations? I just want to know if I go to a professor to get a recommendation if I have to have him fill out a recommendation form for each school I apply to. Thanks.

 

[od2b77]

I have a question regarding sending out letters of recommendation. I know that each school has a different format for a letter of recommendation that they want sent in, but what do you do if you are applying to alot of schools? Do you have to get a duplicate recommendation from each professor for each school that you apply to, or can you send in photocopies of letters of recommendations? I just want to know if I go to a professor to get a recommendation if I have to have him fill out a recommendation form for each school I apply to. Thanks.

When you ask a professor for a recommendation, you need to provide addresses (and preferably stamped, addressed envelopes) for all the schools you are applying to. They don't give you those recommendations back, they need to send them straight to each school. As far as the format is concerned, some schools like ICO have a specific form for the recommendation and some schools like SCCO don't. So for SCCO is would be a free format, probably a letter/essay form.

 

[kgrabar]

I have a question regarding sending out letters of recommendation. I know that each school has a different format for a letter of recommendation that they want sent in, but what do you do if you are applying to alot of schools? Do you have to get a duplicate recommendation from each professor for each school that you apply to, or can you send in photocopies of letters of recommendations? I just want to know if I go to a professor to get a recommendation if I have to have him fill out a recommendation form for each school I apply to. Thanks.

Its a good idea to mail or give a large envelope with all the materials to each professor/OD/employer who is writing your recommendation. You should include an addressed/stamped evelope for each school attached to the rec. form (if applicable). If there is no form, ask that they write a letter on official letterhead. I also asked that they send the personalized letter in supplement to the standard forms. Lastly, some schools ask that the letters cover certain things like fitness for professional life, clincial abilities, etc so you should ask that they cover these specifics in the letter. Its also good manners to send a thank you card to those that helped you. Hope this helps!

 

[UABopt]

I have a question regarding sending out letters of recommendation. I know that each school has a different format for a letter of recommendation that they want sent in, but what do you do if you are applying to alot of schools? Do you have to get a duplicate recommendation from each professor for each school that you apply to, or can you send in photocopies of letters of recommendations? I just want to know if I go to a professor to get a recommendation if I have to have him fill out a recommendation form for each school I apply to. Thanks.

Most undergraduate universities have a premedical advisor, who should really be called the pre health professions advisor, as they actually help pre-medical, pre-dental, and pre-optometry students. If your school is anything like mine, this premed advisor will help you when it comes to recommendations. Each of the recommendations made by my undergraduate professors and doctors that I had shadowed was turned into the pre-medical advisor. After meeting with the advisor, who was an MD himself, several times over the school year, the advisor himself wrote my last recommendation and compiled the remaining recommendations. He then sent out these recommendations, along with his composite recommendation, to each one of the optometry schools to which I had applied. Although each one of the schools had their own recommendation form, nobody seemed to mind that the LOR's were in a different format. This made things much easier on me, and also lessened the burden on all of the people that wrote me recommendations. It really is time that optometry schools came up with a centralized application like the AMCAS.

In the end I don't think it really matters how the schools get the recommendations, the main thing is that they get there, and that they don’t pass through your (the applicants) hands before they do. I hope that helps. As always check with the schools to which you are applying and make sure.