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[vworriedpremed]

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[LizzyM]

If you are getting a committee letter, you don't need anything else.

 

[Isoval]

Depends. Do you have another, stronger, writer?

If not, I'd just take it. It sounds like it will be a weak letter but not a bad letter. In other words, it shouldn't hinder your application.

 

[907914]

I'm a public health major who foolishly neglected to go to office hours for basically all of my hard science classes.

Out of curiosity, why is failing to go to office hours a big deal? Never been to office hours for any prof...never felt the need to....is that a common thing/requirement?

 

[LizzyM]

Out of curiosity, why is failing to go to office hours a big deal? Never been to office hours for any prof...never felt the need to....is that a common thing/requirement?

Office hours provides an opportunity to speak to a professor which many students in large classes don't have in a classroom setting. It is an opportunity to demonstrate your curiosity, creativity, and perhaps even your outside interests. It is a way for a professor to get to know you.

Do you want a letter from someone who knows your grades on problem sets and exams or someone who knows you based on face-to-face conversations?

 

[M&L]

I'm a public health major who foolishly neglected to go to office hours for basically all of my hard science classes. I'm getting one LOR from my freshman year neuro prof, who's also my academic advisor, and I planned to request one from my physiology prof from last semester. I got a solid A in her class and though I only went to office hours once, I had several email exchanges with her asking questions about the material and raised my hand in class a number of times. I thought it might have been enough.. But she just replied to my request with the following:

"Congrats on your applying to medical school. I can write a letter based on your grade in the class, however, as I am sure you know, the strongest endorsements are going to come from people who know you well and have worked with you closely. I realize that you need multiple letters for your application, and if you'd like me to write one based on your grade, I can do so."

My stomach dropped when I read that, but I don't know what I was expecting. What should I do?? I don't really have options for a second science LOR (I blew it with my physics prof, who I knew better, by literally forgetting to go to the final exam). Besides the neuro LOR, I'm already getting a committee letter, one from my lab PI, one from my bioethics PI, one from a public health class, and one from my current employer with whom I've worked on a medical humanities program. Which I already know is a lot.. Of course, I won't send all of them to every school. But I need this second science letter!! How bad will a tepid science letter look on my application??

ok... what am i missing here? you have COMMITTEE LETTER. that all you need. OR if you school doesnt have committee letter THAN you do the individual. Not both

 

[freedoctor17]

ok... what am i missing here? you have COMMITTEE LETTER. that all you need. OR if you school doesnt have committee letter THAN you do the individual. Not both

I think some schools take the individual letters and put it in the committee one? I might be mistaking that for a committee packet but that's what my school did.

 

[M&L]

I think some schools take the individual letters and put it in the committee one? I might be mistaking that for a committee packet but that's what my school did.

oh, so YOU have to make sure you have enough letters for the committee "package"?

 

[freedoctor17]

oh, so YOU have to make sure you have enough letters for the committee "package"?

Yeah that's how my school does it. Not sure how else places do it. Have never heard of a school that finds letter writers for you though so pretty sure most are like my school.

 

[M&L]

Yeah that's how my school does it. Not sure how else places do it. Have never heard of a school that finds letter writers for you though so pretty sure most are like my school.

Yeah my school requires 3-6 individual letters in addition to the committee letter to complete the letter packet

oh this just REALLY sucks. I was lucky that my school doesnt....