Use recommendation letter from my MPH application?

[blueharbor]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I've been counting on a recommendation letter from one of my old supervisors. He is an MD/MPH and does what I want to do; he knows me better than any of my other letter writers, by a lot; he's the only doctor among my letter writers; and he told me that he wrote me an excellent letter. However, he hasn't responded to any of my emails asking for an updated letter, signed and on letterhead. He's done this before and I had to email his organization asking them to forward my email to him, but it took him a while to get back to me even then, and it was probably embarrassing for him - don't really want to do that again. He lives in another country.

The question is, can I send in the letter he wrote for my MPH program, which I have in interfolio? It's 9 months old. I don't know if it's signed or on letterhead. I'm hoping that adcoms would read the positive things he wrote about me and not be too bothered by the fact that it was written for my MPH program - maybe they'd assume he just sent in the wrong one.

I have 4 other letters - 3 professors, one supervisor. I'm applying to at least a couple schools that require 5 letters.

What do you all think? I'm leaning toward submitting it, especially now that I have secondaries in hand and want my application to be complete asap.

 

[turayza]

I've been counting on a recommendation letter from one of my old supervisors. He is an MD/MPH and does what I want to do; he knows me better than any of my other letter writers, by a lot; he's the only doctor among my letter writers; and he told me that he wrote me an excellent letter. However, he hasn't responded to any of my emails asking for an updated letter, signed and on letterhead. He's done this before and I had to email his organization asking them to forward my email to him, but it took him a while to get back to me even then, and it was probably embarrassing for him - don't really want to do that again. He lives in another country.

The question is, can I send in the letter he wrote for my MPH program, which I have in interfolio? It's 9 months old. I don't know if it's signed or on letterhead. I'm hoping that adcoms would read the positive things he wrote about me and not be too bothered by the fact that it was written for my MPH program - maybe they'd assume he just sent in the wrong one.

I have 4 other letters - 3 professors, one supervisor. I'm applying to at least a couple schools that require 5 letters.

What do you all think? I'm leaning toward submitting it, especially now that I have secondaries in hand and want my application to be complete asap.

It would not be a good idea to send a letter written for the MPH program (ie. "I highly recommend blueharbor for xyz school's MPH program) to AMCAS... can you imagine if you were an adcom and read this? Like, wow, this applicant did not even bother to tell the letter writer what program he/she was applying to. No matter how strong of a letter it is, if it's not even the right program (it's like...having the wrong school name on a secondary) the letter will not be considered very positively.
If it is an important letter, keep trying to get in contact with him. Is it possible to turn in secondaries without this letter? If not, maybe try calling the organization to let them know it is urgent, or ask them for his work phone.

 

[blueharbor]

It would not be a good idea to send a letter written for the MPH program (ie. "I highly recommend blueharbor for xyz school's MPH program) to AMCAS... can you imagine if you were an adcom and read this? Like, wow, this applicant did not even bother to tell the letter writer what program he/she was applying to. No matter how strong of a letter it is, if it's not even the right program (it's like...having the wrong school name on a secondary) the letter will not be considered very positively.
If it is an important letter, keep trying to get in contact with him. Is it possible to turn in secondaries without this letter? If not, maybe try calling the organization to let them know it is urgent, or ask them for his work phone.

Argh...when you put it that way...

I guess I was just hoping they'd assume there was a letter mix-up, as must happen all the time...but I'm probably being naive.

 

[turayza]

Argh...when you put it that way...

I guess I was just hoping they'd assume there was a letter mix-up, as must happen all the time...but I'm probably being naive.

I think a letter mix-up is pretty panic-worthy (on the part of the applicant) -- don't have a "letter mix-up" on purpose!!!
Good luck with getting in touch with your letter writer, hope it works out!