What happens to LOR if you don't get in?

[GellaBella]

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Ok, so this fall will be my first time applying. I am currently shadowing with a vet who I am planning to ask for a letter of recommendation. I will probably be shadowing with him through at least part of next year as well, but then will be moving out of state.

My question for people who have already applied (maybe multiple times) is, what happens to your LOR if you don't get in the first time? Would I need to ask the vet for an updated letter when I apply again? What if I didn't do more shadowing with the same vet...should I have the same exact letter submitted again (with other, more recent letters of recommendation to show continuing exp, just with another vet) or do I not include that first one the second time?

Also, do I ask him to save his recommendation so that if I need it a second time he will have it available?

I know I haven't even applied yet so I am getting a little ahead of myself. But I'm just wondering how people felt going back to the same person and getting another LOR, whether or not they warned the person ahead of time they might need another recommendation in a year or so, or whether they just asked when/if the time came?

 

[robeezy08]

Hey GellaBella,
This is my 2nd app cycle and I was told to never send the same LOR twice. One of the advantages of this is that different LOR reflect how much breadth of experience you have accumulated and/or academic improvement. Additionally, your previous app is kept on file, so during the 2nd app review, they're still able to read your previous LOR.
Hope this make sense/helps!

 

[DVMorBust]

what happens to your LOR if you don't get in the first time? Would I need to ask the vet for an updated letter when I apply again? What if I didn't do more shadowing with the same vet...should I have the same exact letter submitted again (with other, more recent letters of recommendation to show continuing exp, just with another vet) or do I not include that first one the second time?

Also, do I ask him to save his recommendation so that if I need it a second time he will have it available?

First off, as robeezy said, you don't want to use the same letter twice. Personally, I would only feel comfortable using the same letter writer in one situation: I knew them well enough that I have a good idea what they wrote the first time, I would be working with them further during the following year, I felt comfortable enough with them to have a frank discussion about a letter they would be writing, and I trusted that if they DID write a less-than-awesome letter, they would tell me that.

Granted, that's a lot to qualify for, but aside from the fact that adcoms can see your previous letters - what if your writer didn't give you a glowing recommendation, and that impacted your application? Could you trust that, although you put a lot of effort into improving in other areas, leaving that area (and imho, letters of rec can have a profound impact on an application) completely the same wouldn't hurt?

 

[twelvetigers]

I was going to have one LOR written by the same person... in fact, they insisted. Should I really be worried about this? I waived my rights to read the LORs, but I'm pretty sure that they were good! I'll have two different ones next time...

On a similar topic, I'm curious to know which schools accept and consider additional LORs and which do not...

 

[DVMorBust]

I was going to have one LOR written by the same person... in fact, they insisted. Should I really be worried about this? I waived my rights to read the LORs, but I'm pretty sure that they were good! I'll have two different ones next time...

On a similar topic, I'm curious to know which schools accept and consider additional LORs and which do not...

If they insisted, I'm sure they wrote a good letter. I don't think ANYONE is mean enough to actively try and write a letter for someone they're not completely rooting for.

 

[twelvetigers]

Lol I sure hope so! They're faculty too, so that would be downright cruel. 😀

I figure it will be okay.

 

[DocDVMD]

Tufts has an option for you to use the same LORs.

 

[Pandacinny]

I reused two letter writers all three times I applied. I thought they provided me with really good recs, I was still very close to one, and the other was the only professor I'd ever been really close with at undergrad. I couldn't really ask anyone else from college - it just wouldn't have been a good letter. Especially after I'd been gone for two or three years. For the third LOR, I switched it up every year depending on who I'd worked with. This year, it was a lab animal vet, which went well for me because I'm interested in lab animal work.

I haven't had anyone comment on using the other two over and over before. Personally, I'd be concerned about GOOD or GREAT LORs before worrying about repeats. If you can get good or great ones without repeating a LOR, do that. If not, go ahead and repeat. Better to repeat a great LOR talking about how hard you've worked in the past year to improve your app than to get a brand new but mediocre one, right?

You have to get your LOR writter to re-submit every time. Like, you have to re-invite them every year through VMCAS, then they have to go online and fill out the form all over again. So I'd inform anyone you might be reusing of that upfront. Otherwise, they could get a little frustrated being asked every year. Like everyone else said, varying your LORs is probably a good idea, but in the end we all need to go with the ones that will look best for us.

 

[ri23]

Hey GellaBella,
This is my 2nd app cycle and I was told to never send the same LOR twice. One of the advantages of this is that different LOR reflect how much breadth of experience you have accumulated and/or academic improvement. Additionally, your previous app is kept on file, so during the 2nd app review, they're still able to read your previous LOR.
Hope this make sense/helps!

If your LORs weren't the issue feel free to reread them. While the app may be on file - the LORs might not necessarily be read the following year.

 

[CBRGrl]

Additionally, your previous app is kept on file, so during the 2nd app review, they're still able to read your previous LOR.
Hope this make sense/helps!

At least for CSU this is defiantly not true. The admissions committee discards all the applications at the end of each cycle...that includes your LORS. I applied twice and used (mostly) the same LORs each time. I swapped one out for a different professor, but the other two I had the same professors send in their LORs (I assume they just sent in the ones they had previously drafted but Im not sure). At least at CSU, the only way they have of knowing you applied before is the box on the VMCAS that asks you how many times you've applied. Just my 2 cents!

 

[JKIM02]

so... I applied this past cycle and unfortunately I didnt get in 🙁
I am on good terms with the vet that I used to work for (3yrs ago) HOWEVER he is extremely busy and the only way to contact him is through the office manager who is a *Ahem* Witch... I dealt w/ her **ahem** witchiness last year and I will not do it again...
Basically the only "vet" LOR I am going to get is from a professor that just happens to be a DVM... Anyone else get in to vet school in this type of situation? I dont really have anyone to ask for right now and I am scared that this is going to hurt my chances on getting in to VS...