"Virtual Application" for Committee Letters

[Doko]

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My undergraduate school, Johns Hopkins, is no longer sending hardcopies of the committee letter and LORs to the medical schools. They said that medical schools are converting to the "Virtual Application" where all of the LORs are scanned and uploaded on the school's website.

Are there any other SDNers who have heard of this?!!

I'm wondering how effective this is going to be, especially if schools want to see a "hardcopy" of the letters.

 

[Supercluster]

My undergraduate school, Johns Hopkins, is no longer sending hardcopies of the committee letter and LORs to the medical schools. They said that medical schools are converting to the "Virtual Application" where all of the LORs are scanned and uploaded on the school's website.

Are there any other SDNers who have heard of this?!!

I'm wondering how effective this is going to be, especially if schools want to see a "hardcopy" of the letters.

Well, to be honest I haven't heard of it, but I attended Hopkins (class of 2004) and would confidently say that Savage and Kahn would NEVER EVER do anything with your committee letter to mess up your chances at med school (other than, I guess, refuse to write one if they thought you were a crappy candidate). So while it may be a little weird, please don't stress about it. They have that part covered--there's plently else to stress about 😉

 

[tigress]

Interesting. Certainly Hopkins wouldn't do anything to jeopardize your application, as the above poster said, so not to worry. But I also think it's strange. It seems to make more sense for schools to have a hard copy to pass around the adcom. They print hard copies of our AMCAS, right? And not too many schools have online secondaries, although I'm sure those will increase; they probably print those as well. I think computer-based stuff is great, but until everybody is walking around with a tablet PC that allows them to view documents the same way they would view paper, I don't see how a switch like this is feasible.

 

[Freakingzooming]

I went thru this for the last cycle. It was horrendous to say the least. My committee took until the end of September to send out our LORs through the Virtual Evaluation and they kept blaiming the delay on using the system. "Our scanners are broken. We're ordering a new one."

I even offered to buy them a new scanner. If your school is going thru this for the first time, using Virtual Evaluation, then they might work out a couple kinks, delaying your application but if they've gone it thru before, hopefully all the yelling at (from the applicants) will have helped prepare them to use the system. (to say the least, I'm bitter about using the system)

 

[BOBODR]

I went thru this for the last cycle. It was horrendous to say the least. My committee took until the end of September to send out our LORs through the Virtual Evaluation and they kept blaiming the delay on using the system. "Our scanners are broken. We're ordering a new one."

I even offered to buy them a new scanner. If your school is going thru this for the first time, using Virtual Evaluation, then they might work out a couple kinks, delaying your application but if they've gone it thru before, hopefully all the yelling at (from the applicants) will have helped prepare them to use the system. (to say the least, I'm bitter about using the system)

Our school (wake forest) started this last year. Our adviser seemed to do it right, BUT its annoying because you are never sure if the schools you applied to actually got your reccs. Calling each individually is annoying. It is even worse when they email you in November (complete in september) asking where your reccs are and you have to say they are online. To top it off not every school uses Virtual evals so you still have to send a hard copy to some (last yr Tufts and Downstate were 2 among many).

 

[Freakingzooming]

Our school (wake forest) started this last year. Our adviser seemed to do it right, BUT its annoying because you are never sure if the schools you applied to actually got your reccs. Calling each individually is annoying. It is even worse when they email you in November (complete in september) asking where your reccs are and you have to say they are online. To top it off not every school uses Virtual evals so you still have to send a hard copy to some (last yr Tufts and Downstate were 2 among many).

I hear you on that. Towards mid October, I was doing some routine calls to schools to check on my status and I got to UCSD. The lady was like we're still waiting on your LOR. I totally freaked out ntil the receptionst told me she hadn't updated her version of the Virtual Evaluation and it had been sitting in her mailbox since then. I was like, "thanks sheesh."

So to the original poster and other applicants this cycle, if your school is using Virtual Eval- you'll be getting an email from the server that tells you the LORS have been sent to the following schools you request them to. Double check every school you've applied to that same day or next day to get the ball rolling on your application.

 

[dr.z]

My undergrad school will start this year. My advisor told me that the schools will limit number of letters to be sent as well.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

My undergrad school will start this year. My advisor told me that the schools will limit number of letters to be sent as well.

Yes, my school has had this. I think their restriction is 6 total recs from college recommenders (including the "committee letter," which is actually not written by a committee but by another professor that knows you well). Then, they allow up to two "side" letters, people who are outside the college experience, or are from subsequent experiences. I don't what sort of limit other schools might have.

 

[TekkenDanser]

I think my school (Duke) actually spearheaded this. At first I was worried about technical gliches, but since it has been the usual mode of transmission for a few years now, and several other schools have hopped on the bandwagon, I'm assuming there must be more pro's than con's. The pre-med Dean told me that ultimately it is more efficient, more secure, and more organized. It cuts out the crap of envelopes and stamps as well as the terrifying possibility that letters can get lost in the mail. I don't think it's necessary to call each school to follow-up receipt of your letters, but if that gives you peace of mind, then certainly do so.

 

[Centinel]

H/Y/P do this. The system works fine as long as your Health Professions Committee know what they're doing. Really, it serves to expedite the process by eliminating the dead time when the letters are in the mail.