When does your school submit committee letters?

[lexswift]

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I am applying next cycle and I am seeing that a lot of schools are submitting the committee letter as late as late August/early September. I am not exactly sure when my school submits ours but my guess is late late July at the earliest and early August at the latest...

I feel like this is a major drawback for schools that send out IIs like mid July?

My individual letters would all be ready but those need to be submitted to a committee. I could submit individual lors and then submit the committee letter when it's ready but I feel like I am going to piss off some adcoms by doing that. I also probably risk coming off "impatient."

When does your school submit letters?

 

[RunawayGrape]

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[lexswift]

My school decides when to release each applicant's committee letter based on the date that the AMCAS application was submitted. However, for applicants who submitted on the same day, their letters are released in random order.

This year, the earliest letter from my school was released mid-July and the last letter was released sometime this week. It is important to note, however, that letters for first-day submissions (June 7) were released as late as early August. For comparison, a friend of mine (from another institution) submitted his AMCAS application in early July and his letter of evaluation still isn't released.

I think a committee letter released by early August will only be a very slight disadvantage, if any.

I hope you are right! I hate being at the mercy of my premed committee...

 

[lexswift]

Are there any schools where you are allowed to be considered complete without the committee letter or is the committee letter a must have before they review the application?

 

[Pusheen]

My school does August-September. I was in the September batch. I wouldn't do the separate LOR's on your own, you need the committee letter anyway to get anywhere since it is an important component of your package. I don't think most schools would send you an ii you until all letters are received.

August is totally fine. Just because you don't get the very first interviews doesn't mean you won't get any from that school

 

[rolliespring]

My school does them in batches, so technically it depended on how soon my other recommenders got their letter to the committee. Try to get them in as early as possible but committee letters that come in August or September are still fine. October might be a bit late.

 

[lexswift]

My school does August-September. I was in the September batch. I wouldn't do the separate LOR's on your own, you need the committee letter anyway to get anywhere since it is an important component of your package. I don't think most schools would send you an ii you until all letters are received.

August is totally fine. Just because you don't get the very first interviews doesn't mean you won't get any from that school

Thanks, I really hope so. I know schools aren't done sending IIs in July but is it harder to get one after July?

https://medicine.umich.edu/medschoo...ool/files/field/docs/5YearAdmSnapshot16_1.pdf
^I saw this recently and it seems like most IIs are given out in June/July. I really hope this is just specific to University of Michigan and not representative at all.

I mean a lot of schools don't even send out IIs until September, right?

 

[Pusheen]

Thanks, I really hope so. I know schools aren't done sending IIs in July but is it harder to get one after July?

https://medicine.umich.edu/medschoo...ool/files/field/docs/5YearAdmSnapshot16_1.pdf
^I saw this recently and it seems like most IIs are given out in June/July. I really hope this is just specific to University of Michigan and not representative at all.

I mean a lot of schools don't even send out IIs until September, right?

Umich is I think the only school that does that. Fun fact, I decided not to apply there because my letter would be late. Turns out they can send II's without letters, so I could have applied.
And no, I really don't think it's harder to get one after July. Being not early doesn't make you late, it makes you on time.

 

[Pusheen]

Also, I did all my secondaries long before my committee letter went out, and got 2 II's within about 2 weeks of being complete. I think getting those secondaries in early helps

 

[featherdelights]

I believe my school sends the committee letter as soon as all the professor letters are in.