Shall I submit without a committee letter?

[Hyazuma]

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Hello SDN,

I'm in a situation here with my application. It seems that whenever I go see the adviser at my university he tells me something negative; this translates into "your not getting in". Here are some examples.

~Conversation about application process:

Hya- What advise do you have for me concerning the application process?

Adviser-The secondary application process is a revenue generator for the school. It's not very important to the application process.

Hya- Ok. So I finished everything up early and I was as thorough as possible with my application; I applied early through AACOMAS and I've already received secondary applications in my e-mail. How far along are we on my committee letter (thinking: I turned in my packet well before the deadline).

Adviser- With your GPA (OverallGPA: 3.2, Sci/MathGPA: 3.1) and MCAT (25O), the rolling admission isn't going to help you out at all.
[NOTE: Basically this translates into: Your not getting in so why try!]

That's just a snippet of some of the conversations we have. I'm always kind and respectful to him when I go in.

My other adviser has encouraging but honest things to say. He is out of town until the 22nd of June. He mentioned giving my COMLET priority because I'm already applying but there are many others in the same situation.

Here is a snippet of the priority statement in our COMLET packet:

.Priority for interviews will be given to those individuals with overall GPA's greater than 3.00 and MCAT scores of 28 or greater (if available). Individuals with GPA's and/or MCAT scores less than those noted will be interviewed only after the committee has reviewed the applicants file. No interviews with any member of the committee or with the Health Careers Advisors will be scheduled after May 14, 2010. There will be NO exceptions to this. Once all your interviews have been completed, please allow a minimum of four weeks to prepare the committee letter. We cannot guarantee letters will be completed any sooner than this. If you are working on a particular deadline, please keep this in mind..

I could fight this and try to get my comlet written faster but I don't think it's a good idea to irritate my advisers any more than I already am 🙂

My advisers tell me that my comlet might get done some time in August. By that time all the schools with rolling admissions that I've applied to would have filled up their seats with medical students.

My question to you is, should I apply without a committee letter to the schools with rolling admissions?

It's more than a little frustrating dealing with my advisers this year. I get the feeling they are trying to discourage me from pursuing a career in medicine. I have my BS in Chemistry and I consider myself a qualified applicant for medical school.

Thank you,

~Frustrated in Denver

 

[HeelHookin]

Hello SDN,

I'm in a situation here with my application. It seems that whenever I go see the adviser at my university he tells me something negative; this translates into "your not getting in". Here are some examples.

~Conversation about application process:

Hya- What advise do you have for me concerning the application process?

Adviser-The secondary application process is a revenue generator for the school. It's not very important to the application process.

Hya- Ok. So I finished everything up early and I was as thorough as possible with my application; I applied early through AACOMAS and I've already received secondary applications in my e-mail. How far along are we on my committee letter (thinking: I turned in my packet well before the deadline).

Adviser- With your GPA (OverallGPA: 3.2, Sci/MathGPA: 3.1) and MCAT (25O), the rolling admission isn't going to help you out at all.
[NOTE: Basically this translates into: Your not getting in so why try!]

That's just a snippet of some of the conversations we have. I'm always kind and respectful to him when I go in.

My other adviser has encouraging but honest things to say. He is out of town until the 22nd of June. He mentioned giving my COMLET priority because I'm already applying but there are many others in the same situation.

Here is a snippet of the priority statement in our COMLET packet:

I could fight this and try to get my comlet written faster but I don't think it's a good idea to irritate my advisers any more than I already am 🙂

My advisers tell me that my comlet might get done some time in August. By that time all the schools with rolling admissions that I've applied to would have filled up their seats with medical students.

My question to you is, should I apply without a committee letter to the schools with rolling admissions?

It's more than a little frustrating dealing with my advisers this year. I get the feeling they are trying to discourage me from pursuing a career in medicine. I have my BS in Chemistry and I consider myself a qualified applicant for medical school.

Thank you,

~Frustrated in Denver

Most schools require a committee letter or adviser letter, while others will accept 2 science professors. I would look at the requirements for the specific schools, and apply accordingly. Some schools, such as PCOM and TUORO-CA, from my experience will not look at applications without that letter.

What other letters are you planning on submitting?

With all that being said I was in a similar very similar situation this past app cycle. Feel free to PM me if you want the details. Just so you know I was successful in the app cycle, and received a differed acceptance to WVSOM for 2011.

 

[DbDan]

PCOM requires a pre-med advisor letter or letter of the dean in replacement. I've heard schools generally frown upon not getting the committee letter if your school offers one, however, with how discouraging the one advisor has been you are in a difficult situation. I'd say get a letter from at least the advisor who has been encouraging and get other letters in order in case you cannot get the committee letter. For what its worth, I would still attempt to get the committee letter even if it is a little late in the cycle. Good Luck

 

[PharmaTope]

PCOM requires a pre-med advisor letter or letter of the dean in replacement. I've heard schools generally frown upon not getting the committee letter if your school offers one, however, with how discouraging the one advisor has been you are in a difficult situation. I'd say get a letter from at least the advisor who has been encouraging and get other letters in order in case you cannot get the committee letter. For what its worth, I would still attempt to get the committee letter even if it is a little late in the cycle. Good Luck

What about non-traditionals who did all the pre-med requirements but graduated undergrad perhaps 8 yrs ago, did graduate work. How would they get pre-med advisor letters when they are not a 21 yr old at that college anymore?

 

[DbDan]

What about non-traditionals who did all the pre-med requirements but graduated undergrad perhaps 8 yrs ago, did graduate work. How would they get pre-med advisor letters when they are not a 21 yr old at that college anymore?

non-trad is the exception to alot of rules. For PCOM's sake I'd call them and explain the situation. Many schools also offer a dean's letter that says little more than you graduated in good standing and they will accept this as your "dean's letter". I had to do this last year and I can't imagine it helped my application. Kind of frustrating but anything to be complete right?

EDIT: someone just posted in the secondary thread that for huge institutions the committee letter is waived for PCOM and can be replaced by any letter. Possibly the same for non-trad? Call them.

 

[artaxerxes627]

I'm confused, Hyazuma. Are you trying to get your comlett for the 2011 application or the 2010?

I'll tell you that the pre-health advisor at my school is much more encouraging than all that. So I'm sorry you have to deal with a prick. But even the policy at my school is that the application for the comlett has to be submitted before may 31 of the year that the application opens. i.e. If you are still trying to get in for 2010 then why didn't you get this letter a year ago.

I will also admit that Not being aware of PCOM's demand for this letter nor the deadline with Pre-health prolly kept me from getting an interview with PCOM for 2010.

If you are going for 2011 - well, you're still a little on the late side asking for this letter, but why all the concern about August? I don't know of any schools that start interviews before September... I will plead ignorance if this is not the case.

It's good that you have been pleasant and respectful every time you've spoken to this advisor of your's. Maybe it's time, though, that you remind him who is paying for the educational services, and who is getting paid. I.E. he OWES you those letter writing services. He seems to believe you are not qualified. And while I will leave your competitiveness for adcoms to assess it does appear from your description of yourself that you do meet the qualifications. Sounds like he was wounded in the past by either himself or someone he cares about getting rejected by medical schools (obviously they did not keep on trying to get in until they succeeded). You will have to persuade him, beyond his reserved judgment to write for you.

Welcome to the school of hard knocks. I had to pass through similar fire to get a letter from my dean.

Be creative, be genuine, don't give up. Get the letter. You do need it. Schools may accept a letter from a dean in place of a comlett but that usually means that your Dean is explaining why your undergrad institution does not offer Pre-health comletts at all. Not why you have been excused from the process that ALL of the other med-school hopefuls from their school have had to go through.

good luck.

 

[futuredoc4432]

ya my schools premed advisor hated do schools and acted like they didn't even exist. she encouraged me multiple times to go to grad school and not even apply. So I tried talking to the biology advisors who were extremely nice but offered very little insight into the entire app process. Most of what I learned is from a TPR book, the aamc website, and sdn. as far as comletters go, all of our stuff was due at the beginning of may (very strict about the deadline) so they have time to review it and get it out - is yours still accepting applications?

 

[katarina90]

I applied without a committee letter (for reasons other than time, an advisor that didn't necessarily approve of my applying that yr.)

I received interviews at every school I applied to (including LECOM and Touro-Ca), and was accepted to the one I wanted to attend..

Just my opinion, but I would go for it : )

 

[HeelHookin]

I've heard schools generally frown upon not getting the committee letter if your school offers one. . .

You make a good point. It does depend on where you went to undergrad, and what kind of resources the pre health committee offers. Obviously if your school doesn't have a pre-health committee, or you graduated 8 years ago this LOR requirement may take a little bit of work to fulfill.

I also think when you apply has a lot to do with how many exceptions could be made in regards to LORs. It is all a game and timing is everything!!

 

[Daedra22]

My pre-health office was very unsupportive, so I applied with 2 very strong letters from professors and 1 letter from a DO. I got interviews at 3 out of the 4 DO schools I applied to. I think that if your letters are strong enough, they can make up for the lack of a committee recommendation (no love from MD schools, the lack of committee letter might have contributed there, don't know). But then, that's just what happened with me. It doesn't hurt to apply either way.

 

[cbrons]

Hello SDN,

I'm in a situation here with my application. It seems that whenever I go see the adviser at my university he tells me something negative; this translates into "your not getting in". Here are some examples.

~Conversation about application process:

Hya- What advise do you have for me concerning the application process?

Adviser-The secondary application process is a revenue generator for the school. It's not very important to the application process.

Hya- Ok. So I finished everything up early and I was as thorough as possible with my application; I applied early through AACOMAS and I've already received secondary applications in my e-mail. How far along are we on my committee letter (thinking: I turned in my packet well before the deadline).

Adviser- With your GPA (OverallGPA: 3.2, Sci/MathGPA: 3.1) and MCAT (25O), the rolling admission isn't going to help you out at all.
[NOTE: Basically this translates into: Your not getting in so why try!]

That's just a snippet of some of the conversations we have. I'm always kind and respectful to him when I go in.

My other adviser has encouraging but honest things to say. He is out of town until the 22nd of June. He mentioned giving my COMLET priority because I'm already applying but there are many others in the same situation.

Here is a snippet of the priority statement in our COMLET packet:

I could fight this and try to get my comlet written faster but I don't think it's a good idea to irritate my advisers any more than I already am 🙂

My advisers tell me that my comlet might get done some time in August. By that time all the schools with rolling admissions that I've applied to would have filled up their seats with medical students.

My question to you is, should I apply without a committee letter to the schools with rolling admissions?

It's more than a little frustrating dealing with my advisers this year. I get the feeling they are trying to discourage me from pursuing a career in medicine. I have my BS in Chemistry and I consider myself a qualified applicant for medical school.

Thank you,

~Frustrated in Denver

Like most "pre-health" advisers, yours doesn't seem to know what the hell he's talking about.

 

[Hyazuma]

Ok. So here is how it all went down for those going through the same situation.

UPDATE:

I go in to see my adviser again and he informs me that there are several pages missing from my packet. At this point I feel like exploding because I know that they were sitting in the shredder waste basket next to his desk; how do I know that? Because I triple checked the application packet and had someone else verify that it was 100% complete. He then tells me that once I get the documents to him he can start writing my letter (MCAT scores, Release form).

I get the idea that he is trying to nuke my chances at acceptance so I arrange for a visit with an adviser at the diversity office at my school. I learned something new when I went to visit the diversity adviser. He asked me about my visit with my health careers adviser and I told him about the specific questions that I asked him.

"What determines ones place in line to get his letter written?"

"It's really a function of applicability and how qualified we think you are"

My adviser told me that this is the job of the admissions committee, not the job of the health careers adviser. At that point I was certain something was going on.

I came home that night and I was super frustrated with the whole situation and at around 11pm I get an email stating that my letter is ready and it was just uploaded to the electronic service.

I think to myself "Hmmmmmm"

--------------------------------------

So that is the update. I have been getting positive feedback from all of the schools that I applied to and I am super excited to start the interview process (If I get one *fingers crossed*).

I imagine that this process was extremely easy for someone else; I wish I could be that person. 🙂

P.S. I am applying for the 2011 entering class. Thank you for all your replies.

~Sincerely

A little less frustrated but still really anxious in Denver

 

[Fay8]

Hi all,

Interesting discussion.

If an applicant has a mixed performance in undergrad (ie: 3.1 gpa) is it recommended to get a committee letter? I graduated a few years ago.. so I'm unsure. Or, should I get 2 strong LORs from science professors who know me?


What, exactly, is in the letter? Is it generic or specific?

 

[Hyazuma]

Hi all,

Interesting discussion.

If an applicant has a mixed performance in undergrad (ie: 3.1 gpa) is it recommended to get a committee letter? I graduated a few years ago.. so I'm unsure. Or, should I get 2 strong LORs from science professors who know me?


What, exactly, is in the letter? Is it generic or specific?

I apologize for the late reply.

Your going to need to get a committee letter. Some schools consider the committee letter a stronger addition to your applicant profile.

Good luck with your application.

-H-