Very important LORs question (amcas/aacomas/TCOM-UNTHSC)

[studentp0x]

Feels like I'm making too many threads... probably just pre exam stress + all the LOR stuff , PS, and MCAT in june along with my 20 hour/week EC and being in a relationship through all of this.

Anyway...

1) So my profs have asked for the instructions for these letters (uploading/sending). So using Interfolio, do I send 3 seperate email requests to them, one each for AACOMAS, AMCAS and TMDSAS?

2) Do I just tell them to copy paste my applicant ID for each letter? And does TMDSAS require your applicant ID to be on there if using Interfolio?

3) Since you can't view the letters, is there any way to double check or ensure the wrong letter isn't uploaded for each different organization? So a letter with an applicant ID for AACOMAS gets uploaded and used as a TMDSAS letter.

Thanks!

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[Awesome Sauceome]

Dang that is a toughie... I would first contact Interfolio about it, they are usually really helpful. They might have some insight on all of this stuff.

If I was to go gut instinct, I would say yes get one for each medical school application. I would rather be sitting there with the 3 letters rather than having one but then having trouble sending it to their prospective institutions. I would just have them send it in 3 times with the 3 different ID's. I mean realistically it shouldnt be too much of a burden for your writers, it should only take a few extra minutes, just explain as thoroughly as you can; I dont see Interfolio mixing up your ID numbers, but I could definitely see a letter writer mixing them up. Someone else might come on here and say something completely different, but again if it was my application, thats what I would do.

I am not knowledgeable of TMDSAS.

As far as I am aware, the only way to double check would again be to contact Interfolio.

Hopefully someone else can comment with a definitive answer.

 

[studentp0x]

Dang that is a toughie... I would first contact Interfolio about it, they are usually really helpful. They might have some insight on all of this stuff.

If I was to go gut instinct, I would say yes get one for each medical school application. I would rather be sitting there with the 3 letters rather than having one but then having trouble sending it to their prospective institutions. I would just have them send it in 3 times with the 3 different ID's. I mean realistically it shouldnt be too much of a burden for your writers, it should only take a few extra minutes, just explain as thoroughly as you can; I dont see Interfolio mixing up your ID numbers, but I could definitely see a letter writer mixing them up. Someone else might come on here and say something completely different, but again if it was my application, thats what I would do.

I am not knowledgeable of TMDSAS.

As far as I am aware, the only way to double check would again be to contact Interfolio.

Hopefully someone else can comment with a definitive answer.

Yea so 3 letters each with the right ID. Does interfolio make it easy to distinguish these letters?

 

[TXKnight]

1) No, you send a single request to each LOR writer. Remember the LOR is not going to any school initially, it's going to Interfolio. Create an Interfolio acct and then from there you'll see the option to request that LOR by entering your professor's email address, then they can either upload or send a paper copy to interfolio. In the latter case, you give them a SASE.

2) Do not tell the professos to add anythinh ID-wise to your LOR, because that LOR will go to all schools eventually, thus ID numbers will vary (TMDSAS vs AACOMAS vs AMCAS). They just need to write a LOR for med school and that's it.

3) Once they send the LOR to Interfolio, YOU are the one that sends these electronic LORs to each application service, and right then before sending them, you eill have the option to nem the letter (ie. letter from Dr. X) and also to add an ID. For instance, if you are sending dr's X letter to TMDSAS, you select your TMDSAS ID #. In a separate event, you are going to send dr. X's letter to AACOMAS, in which case you opt to include your AACOMAS ID#, and so on.

In essence, if you have 3 LORs and you are sending each to all three app services, then Interfolio will log 9 deliveries.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Yea definitely go with TXKnight's advice. Now that I have fiddled around with my Interfolio account, that is definitely the way to go. Just get the one letter and rename it before sending to the 3 different application boards. Not to mention for DO schools, it does not even go to AACOMAS, you will instead selectively pick which schools you want it to go to. I am ignorant as to how Interfolio would work for AMCAS (since I know they have their own letter service which is what I used). I imagine you would just send the letters to AMCAS via interfolio.

So if I am understanding this, lets say you just have the one letter. I believe you would ask for just the one letter from your writer. Then lets say you are applying to 5 DO schools. So you would rename the letter with your AACOMAS ID and individually select each school you want to send it to.
Then for AMCAS I guess you would have the option of either sending the letter directly to AMCAS's letter service, or you might be able to send them to individual schools?
Have no freaking clue about TMDSAS.

Obviously you would not send the letters to the individual schools until they asked you for them in your secondaries. But if you were wanting to send it to AMCAS, I think you could start that whenever. But I dont know which way would be better/more efficient.

 

[studentp0x]

1) No, you send a single request to each LOR writer. Remember the LOR is not going to any school initially, it's going to Interfolio. Create an Interfolio acct and then from there you'll see the option to request that LOR by entering your professor's email address, then they can either upload or send a paper copy to interfolio. In the latter case, you give them a SASE.

2) Do not tell the professos to add anythinh ID-wise to your LOR, because that LOR will go to all schools eventually, thus ID numbers will vary (TMDSAS vs AACOMAS vs AMCAS). They just need to write a LOR for med school and that's it.

3) Once they send the LOR to Interfolio, YOU are the one that sends these electronic LORs to each application service, and right then before sending them, you eill have the option to nem the letter (ie. letter from Dr. X) and also to add an ID. For instance, if you are sending dr's X letter to TMDSAS, you select your TMDSAS ID #. In a separate event, you are going to send dr. X's letter to AACOMAS, in which case you opt to include your AACOMAS ID#, and so on.

In essence, if you have 3 LORs and you are sending each to all three app services, then Interfolio will log 9 deliveries.

Perfect, this makes sense and makes it a lot easier. Only issue is dealing with CCOM's requirements...

1. The full legal name and AACOMAS ID number of applicants must be on the front page of the recommendation. Please provide this information to the evaluators.
2. Letters must be sent directly from evaluators and must be printed on letterhead stationery, which includes the complete contact information for evaluators.
3. The academic degrees of evaluators must be listed (e.g., Ph.D., D.O., M.D.).
4. Students who have previously applied to CCOM must submit new letters of recommendation.
5. Letters from immediate family members will NOT be accepted

Isn't the only way to bypass to send 2 emails requests from interfolio to the 2 people writing? Since a letter with my aacomas ID on it wouldn't be valid for anything else that's not done through them.
Is it even possible to send 2 email requests to the same person through interfolio?

 

[Member004422]

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[chizledfrmstone]

Perfect, this makes sense and makes it a lot easier. Only issue is dealing with CCOM's requirements...

1. The full legal name and AACOMAS ID number of applicants must be on the front page of the recommendation. Please provide this information to the evaluators.

A lot of schools didn't care that my AACOMAS ID wasn't on my LORs. I just designated it on my deliveries through Interfolio. You're over thinking this.

So if I am understanding this, lets say you just have the one letter. I believe you would ask for just the one letter from your writer. Then lets say you are applying to 5 DO schools. So you would rename the letter with your AACOMAS ID and individually select each school you want to send it to.
Then for AMCAS I guess you would have the option of either sending the letter directly to AMCAS's letter service, or you might be able to send them to individual schools?
Have no freaking clue about TMDSAS.

1.) You pick all the letters you want to send to 1 school.
2.) You pick the school.
3.) There is a small notification right before delivery asking if you want to attach any ID numbers. You attach your ID number to the delivery and send it.

 

[TXKnight]

You guys are correct in stating that LORs go to tmdsas and amcas (for most schools) and They go to individual DO schools
Edit: can't believe it's all a blur now for me, and it just happened