Super late committee letters, what can I do??

[larrylu]

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Hey guys, so here's my story. I will be applying this coming summer. So by the time I apply I'll have a 3.40GPA(both science and overall) and 200 volunteer hours(hospital and some nursing homes). 1 year of research. 2 club memberships and 1 one them being an officer. 1 semester of supplemental instructor for physics(like TA and ongoing) I think I'll get the Chemistry TA job and work as a TA during summer.

Taking DAT in 31 days. Aiming for 21+

I just talked to my pre-health advisor today and she said our school wont send out Committee letters until mid-september. The thing is I really wanna apply as early as possible since my GPA is not that pretty. But my state school(Tennessee) really values committee letter above all others. And I'll be applying to at least 10 schools. With my stats, should I just do individual letters from my chemistry and biology professors or should I wait for the Committee till mid-september?? Please help!!

 

[Longcatislong]

Just don't use the committee letter. It's not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. Plenty of folks whose schools offer committee letters go in favor of individual letters to save time. Applying early is more important than having a committee letter.

 

[gentlerwave]

Do you have any shadowing hours at a dental office? Most schools now prefer to see around 100 hours before you submit your AADSAS application.

I think the only advantage of the committee letter is that all of your LORs are stored with your undergrad institution, so in case you need them again in the future, you don't have to contact your professors again. Since your school sends out the committee letter that late, if it was me, I would go ahead and do individual letters. Although mid-September is not terribly late, the earlier you get your application complete the better.

 

[ModifiedBass]

Committee letters are also advantageous in that they can send letters as a package, so you could be sending over 6 letters whereas aadsas only allows you to upload a certain amount of letters. But, in your case being that late in mid-September I would probably skip it as well. What is the point of these schools committees that don't get their packages together until that late? Are they really that misinformed on the application process?

 

[sjv]

Mid-September seems a bit ridiculous. If that is indeed the date, as said above, I would skip it.

 

[larrylu]

Just don't use the committee letter. It's not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. Plenty of folks whose schools offer committee letters go in favor of individual letters to save time. Applying early is more important than having a committee letter.

Are you applying this coming cycle??

 

[larrylu]

Do you have any shadowing hours at a dental office? Most schools now prefer to see around 100 hours before you submit your AADSAS application.

I think the only advantage of the committee letter is that all of your LORs are stored with your undergrad institution, so in case you need them again in the future, you don't have to contact your professors again. Since your school sends out the committee letter that late, if it was me, I would go ahead and do individual letters. Although mid-September is not terribly late, the earlier you get your application complete the better.

Oh yes. Forgot about that! I think I'll have about 120 hours from 2 local dentists by the time I apply. I'm also planning to shadow a local orthodontists before june, you know to get like 30 some hours.

 

[larrylu]

Committee letters are also advantageous in that they can send letters as a package, so you could be sending over 6 letters whereas aadsas only allows you to upload a certain amount of letters. But, in your case being that late in mid-September I would probably skip it as well. What is the point of these schools committees that don't get their packages together until that late? Are they really that misinformed on the application process?

Exactly right? She told me that the faculty decided to to it in the fall semester because they want to see the spring semester in students' transcript. Which what I think is pointless!

 

[Longcatislong]

Are you applying this coming cycle??

I applied this current cycle. Accepted 🙂

 

[gn4]

I didn't use my school's committee letters. They were gonna take forever to send it as well. I did get letters from individual professors who make up that committee and sent the letters in myself. Nobody asked me at the interviews why I didn't use a committee. So, just skip it.

 

[Illfavor]

"Here at FU, we pride ourselves on our preparation (lube free). We bend over the absolute best pre-health candidates and **** them so hard up the ass they generally withdraw their applications. Each cycle we hit a new low, and then some!"

I don't understand these incredibly late pre-health committees.

 

[larrylu]

I applied this current cycle. Accepted 🙂

Congrats!!

 

[hitmans45]

I used my school's committee letter but they got it done in May so students could apply early. You know... to give their students the best opportunity to get interviews and become accepted...which is the sole purpose of the pre-health departments existence!!! You should really try to make a change, get a petition or stage a protest. Haha. Something! September seems absurd. I think my committee letter really helped me with getting accepted, but if it would have been that late I don't think I would have bothered.

 

[larrylu]

I used my school's committee letter but they got it done in May so students could apply early. You know... to give their students the best opportunity to get interviews and become accepted...which is the sole purpose of the pre-health departments existence!!! You should really try to make a change, get a petition or stage a protest. Haha. Something! September seems absurd. I think my committee letter really helped me with getting accepted, but if it would have been that late I don't think I would have bothered.

Amen brother.

 

[BlueDevil2012]

UT actually doesn't require LORs and although the website does say they value committee letters over others it isn't a big deal. You can do the individual option or wait, either way you will be fine with UT but to increase your chances with the other 9 schools id send individual ones.My committee letter wasnt submitted until the second week of August and UT had already extended an invite the third week of July. Good luck and don't stress.

 

[larrylu]

UT actually doesn't require LORs and although the website does say they value committee letters over others it isn't a big deal. You can do the individual option or wait, either way you will be fine with UT but to increase your chances with the other 9 schools id send individual ones.My committee letter wasnt submitted until the second week of August and UT had already extended an invite the third week of July. Good luck and don't stress.

Do you mind if I ask your stats? UTHSC is my first choice and I know how much they like a good GPA.