When did you guys ask for LORs?

[Zuerst]

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I'm thinking of asking for LORs after finals are done with since final time seems to hectic for everyone.

Is this a good plan or should I ask earlier? Later?

 

[Trail Boss]

I started getting mine junior year, and I was very glad that I did. People will write you crappy letters if they think you are desperate and not proactive. Make sure you give people good material, make an appointment if you don't know them to well. The best thing is to ask people that already know how wonderful you are--if that is indeed the case. If that is not the case, find people who will lie for you 😀

 

[chandelantern]

I got one my second year, one the beginning of my 3rd year, and the others in may of my 3rd year (i asked for them much earlier in march or so, and reminded them again in may. got my last one the first week of june, and had my committee letter interview june 5th or so.) you should give your letter writers at least a month to write your letters (but give them a "due date" too so it gets done.) Check with your pre-med advisor to see when you can get your committee interview and how long the committee letter takes to process before it's ready to go. To prevent all delays, it is best to have your committee letter ready to send by mid July so as soon as you start getting secondaries you can submit your letters.

***this is assuming you are using a committee letter service through your school. If not, you will not need your letters from professors until july or so.

 

[shantster]

I just finished running around talking to people about it. It's good to talk to people as early as possible so that they aren't already behind doing other people's letters.

 

[mountainhare]

I just asked for mine as soon as I had received a grade in that professor's class. Don't wait until right before you apply or else your professors may have forgotten who you are by then. There's nothing wrong with asking for letters as early as freshman year; if you end up not going to med school or whatever, you can just decide not to use those letters.

 

[haleyrockx]

i asked for mine a week ago. that way, they will have 6-8 weeks to write them on their own time without being pressured or inconvenienced.

 

[jsong812]

what's the standard amount of LOR's required at schools? and how many of them have to be science?

 

[mountainhare]

I'm pretty certain that no school asks for more than three. It's pretty standard to require that at least one letter be from the department in which you major, and at least one letter be science. I think I got one from my department, two science, and one humanities just to get a balance. I would have liked to get one from the professor I did research with, but I don't think he would have been happy to know that I was pre-med, so I didn't.

 

[geekOCD]

I asked for mine in early june, and one of my letter writers told me that I was the last one she was doing for the season. So, the earlier the better. That said, it worked out, I got 5 letters in total (more than you actually need, but each person was writing about a specific aspect of me) and got into med school.

 

[e_phn]

I just asked for mine as soon as I had received a grade in that professor's class. Don't wait until right before you apply or else your professors may have forgotten who you are by then. There's nothing wrong with asking for letters as early as freshman year; if you end up not going to med school or whatever, you can just decide not to use those letters.

This might be a common sense question or you might call it a stupid question. i'm new to this whole process. 😳

If you asked for all your LORs during your fresman year, does that mean you can view them?

I'm a freshman and I'm planning to ask for all my LORs this year. So can I view them at all?
I won't apply until my junior year, but just to make sure I get things done early, so I won't panick--the last minute.

thanks. 🙂

 

[mountainhare]

This might be a common sense question or you might call it a stupid question. i'm new to this whole process. 😳

If you asked for all your LORs during your fresman year, does that mean you can view them?

I'm a freshman and I'm planning to ask for all my LORs this year. So can I view them at all?
I won't apply until my junior year, but just to make sure I get things done early, so I won't panick--the last minute.

thanks. 🙂

Policies may vary, depending on what your undergrad institution is like. At my school there's a group of adults called the "pre-medical committee," and they print out a bunch a papers called "recommendation request forms." These forms include a waiver part, which the applicant signs in order to waive their right to read the LOR that they are requesting. Since I signed all my waiver forms, I didn't get to view any of my letters.

Any time that I requested a LOR from a prof, be it freshman year or junior year, I would ask the prof to mail the finished letter to the pre-med committee, who would then store it on my behalf. Then, the summer after junior year, I e-mailed the pre-med committee and told them which med schools I had decided to apply to. At that time, the committee mailed my chosen LORs to the med schools on my list.

So, basically, it depends on whether your school has a pre-med committee... People at schools without committees use something called Interfolio, I think (?).

 

[shantster]

This might be a common sense question or you might call it a stupid question. i'm new to this whole process. 😳

If you asked for all your LORs during your fresman year, does that mean you can view them?

I'm a freshman and I'm planning to ask for all my LORs this year. So can I view them at all?
I won't apply until my junior year, but just to make sure I get things done early, so I won't panick--the last minute.

thanks. 🙂

Even if given the option, I wouldn't view them. The letters carry more weight if you waive your rights to view them. Just make sure that you only ask people that you know would be giving you a good LOR.

 

[tch001]

So I'm kind of confused, I thought the pre-med committee letter kind of took the place of getting 3 individual letters. Do I need to get both the committee letter and three additional letters?? And should the additional letters all be form profs at my shcool? I ask because I have one from and NIH doctor I did research with and was wondering if I should include it...

 

[Writer1985]

You probably can't view the letters unless you retain your right of access (the Powers-that-Be usually recommend that you waive it so that the letter can be written in confidence). If you built a good relationship with your professors this year, there's no harm in asking for letters now. But make sure you get at least some from 2nd/3rd year (upper level) profs as well. Adcoms might look askance if all your letters are 2+ years old.

 

[Dr. Giggles]

I'm pretty certain that no school asks for more than three. It's pretty standard to require that at least one letter be from the department in which you major, and at least one letter be science. I think I got one from my department, two science, and one humanities just to get a balance. I would have liked to get one from the professor I did research with, but I don't think he would have been happy to know that I was pre-med, so I didn't.

I know Duke wanted 4, which completely blindsided me. Can't think of any others that required more than 3.

 

[juiceman311]

Had all mine lined up by mid-April

 

[j-med]

I'm pretty certain that no school asks for more than three. It's pretty standard to require that at least one letter be from the department in which you major, and at least one letter be science. I think I got one from my department, two science, and one humanities just to get a balance. I would have liked to get one from the professor I did research with, but I don't think he would have been happy to know that I was pre-med, so I didn't.

totally know what you mean. when i told my prof I'm applying to med school, i think i caught a glimpse of change in his expression, and he immediately asked me if i'm thinking about md/phd..

 

[j-med]

I know Duke wanted 4, which completely blindsided me. Can't think of any others that required more than 3.

my health committee recommended five for their own composite letter!!
i totally would have only had four from school, at least good ones anyways
but good i'm going home this summer, i'm definitely gonna try and ask one or two more ppl whom i worked with/going to work for it

 

[jackieMD2007]

Hey,

I started emailing professors in Feb (I graduated '03), the three that I knew really well. One I TA'ed for.

😀

I talked to them on the phone a few times and then last weekend I flew out to my undergrad college and visited with them in person and dropped off the envelopes.

My school doesn't have a committee letter.

 

[tch001]

I guess I'll ask again...

If you are having a committee letter written, how many OTHER letters do you need to get?

A quick response would be most appreciated since apparently I am behind 😱

 

[Mr. Tee]

my health committee recommended five for their own composite letter!!

Ya, my premed committee wants 5 faculty letters too.

 

[Zuerst]

Asking professors from earlier semesters early in the applying semester seems reasonable but for professors whose class you took this semester wouldn't it make more sense to ask for LORs after the final and once you recieved a grade for the class? (besides when you know the professor really really well.)

 

[geekOCD]

No matter what you need letters from a certain # of science profs, other profs, etc. (depends on the school). Your committee may require these letters in order to write their letter, and then they will forward those letters and their letters to the school.

 

[haleyrockx]

This might be a common sense question or you might call it a stupid question. i'm new to this whole process. 😳

If you asked for all your LORs during your fresman year, does that mean you can view them?

I'm a freshman and I'm planning to ask for all my LORs this year. So can I view them at all?
I won't apply until my junior year, but just to make sure I get things done early, so I won't panick--the last minute.

thanks. 🙂

I actually checked the box to retain my right to view the letter. Then, the professor that is going to complete it brought to my attention a true, but hard fact. She stated that most medical schools admissions people, including regular 'ol university admissions committees, will not take the LOR as seriously if they know the student can read them at some point. They figure that the writer may not be totally honest for fear/concern that the student will read what he/she wrote. With that said, I waived my right. I don't want something that minor to even remotely hinder my chances. Besides, how many of us are actually going to read them anyway. Just be sure to pick someone that will be good to you. 😉

 

[haleyrockx]

I guess I'll ask again...

If you are having a committee letter written, how many OTHER letters do you need to get?

A quick response would be most appreciated since apparently I am behind 😱

From what I have read, you actually only NEED the committee letter. They will compile all your letters into one with their recommendation. If you don't have a committee letter, that is when you need 3 or more, depending on the school.

 

[haleyrockx]

🙂

 

[xylem29]

From what I have read, you actually only NEED the committee letter. They will compile all your letters into one with their recommendation. If you don't have a committee letter, that is when you need 3 or more, depending on the school.

I have a good question:

When asking for your LORs, do you tell the professor that it is for medical school and give them an example to work from? So when schools ask for 3 letters, you are allowed to send in more than 3 and they will actually count them all?

This is new to me b/c when applying to ontario schools using OMSAS, you print out these Confiential Assessment forms and the referee checks numbers off that rank you in a given aspect (ex. maturity, academics, leadership, etc.) and then they have to write, on official university paper with the logo and everything, a paragraph or two - but they're given the instructions to comment on "the student's maturity, integrity, strengths as a person etc..also, comment on any weaknesses you think they have"...it also asks the referee to state how long they've known us....

 

[DoctaJay]

I got mine a month before finals, to beat the rush. After finals if fine, but unless you are using a program like interfolio.com, you darn well better be there in the teacher's faces after finals week to remind them. Cause by that time, they are thinking of vacation.

 

[geekOCD]

I have a good question:

When asking for your LORs, do you tell the professor that it is for medical school and give them an example to work from? So when schools ask for 3 letters, you are allowed to send in more than 3 and they will actually count them all?

This is new to me b/c when applying to ontario schools using OMSAS, you print out these Confiential Assessment forms and the referee checks numbers off that rank you in a given aspect (ex. maturity, academics, leadership, etc.) and then they have to write, on official university paper with the logo and everything, a paragraph or two - but they're given the instructions to comment on "the student's maturity, integrity, strengths as a person etc..also, comment on any weaknesses you think they have"...it also asks the referee to state how long they've known us....

You definitely tell the prof you're applying to med school and you give them your resume/CV and they might even ask you what you'd like them to say. If you send in more than 3 they will count them all, but be very careful with this...most schools state VERY clearly that if you're sending in more than 3, you better have a damn good reason. They do NOT want obsessive pre-meds just sending in as many letters as possible.

 

[tch001]

You definitely tell the prof you're applying to med school and you give them your resume/CV and they might even ask you what you'd like them to say. If you send in more than 3 they will count them all, but be very careful with this...most schools state VERY clearly that if you're sending in more than 3, you better have a damn good reason. They do NOT want obsessive pre-meds just sending in as many letters as possible.

Ok, so how about

1 pre-med committee letter

1 letter from a doctor I did research with at NIH

1 letter from a prof I did research with on campus


Is this good, or since the pre-med committee letter kinda counts as 3, will my state schoold count this as 5 and get mad at me?? 😕

 

[Rafa]

When did you guys ask for LORs?

When I rolled out of bed with my o-chem professor.

/confessions of a pre-med pimp.

 

[mountainhare]

Ok, so how about

1 pre-med committee letter

1 letter from a doctor I did research with at NIH

1 letter from a prof I did research with on campus


Is this good, or since the pre-med committee letter kinda counts as 3, will my state schoold count this as 5 and get mad at me?? 😕

I think my school ended up sending 4 letters in addition to my committee letter. I don't see why your school would get mad at you. I don't think it hurts to err on the side of sending too many letters.