Should I Apply Later to Ensure that I Receive a Good LOR?

[CTAATGT]

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What's up,

I have a dilemma. I'm planning to apply to med school this summer, and I want to do apply as soon as possible because of rolling enrollment. However, for the past three years, I haven't gone to any of my professors' office hours to talk to them. However, I'm planning to get to know my Biochem professor this coming Spring quarter.

The problem is that if I establish a good relationship with my professor in the Spring, and I want to a LOR from her, then I probably can't send in my application until August. So is it worth the wait to get a good, personal letter of recommendation?

 

[tremulousNeedle]

From personal experience as well as experience with my school's admissions committee, August is a fairly late submission date. If you are an extraordinary candidate you will still probably do well, but an August submission for an average or below average applicant can be fraught with disappointment.

Think of it this way. There will be quite a few applicants with your exact same GPA and MCAT score as well as comparable time devoted to EC's; an adcom can only separate and rank different applicant so far. There comes a point where the only objective difference between you and other applicants of a similar quality, is the date at which you submitted your application.

I have seen people apply in August/September and get no interviews, then reapply the next June and get multiple acceptances.

My advice is always to submit your application as soon as possible once it is complete, so I guess the real question is what it will take for your application to be complete.

Good luck.

-senior medical student / admissions committee interviewer

 

[Morsetlis]

The LoRs are read AFTER secondaries are submitted. This gives you until about July to get that letter.

Submit ASAP.

 

[Melicopter]

I agree - apply early. I had a letter that came in months after my application, and most schools didn't even notice. Letters are at least step 2 in processing, if not step 3.

On another note - do you have other letters? What if your biochem professor hates you? Do you have any other plans? You seriously haven't talked to any of your professors? I mean, I don't talk to most of them, but eventually you get to know one or two, right?

 

[CTAATGT]

I agree - apply early. I had a letter that came in months after my application, and most schools didn't even notice. Letters are at least step 2 in processing, if not step 3.

On another note - do you have other letters? What if your biochem professor hates you? Do you have any other plans? You seriously haven't talked to any of your professors? I mean, I don't talk to most of them, but eventually you get to know one or two, right?

Yes. My Biochem professor would be one of four. I've been talking to my Behavioral Neurosci professor a lot along with my research PI. I'm also planning to get another letter of rec from the physician I'm shadowing.

 

[Melicopter]

That's good. You should be fine, then. Applying early is definitely the best thing you can do.

Some schools were fairly quick with the processing, some literally took months. That's after waiting a few weeks for your primary to be verified. As long as you have other letters, it can just be an add-on to your file when it comes in.