When should I be asking for LOR's if I were applying this upcoming cycle? Should my personal statement be finished and polished before asking so that they can read it?
When to ask for LOR?
- Thread starter frodo25
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One of my letter writers requested my personal statement and I kind of threw me off. It wouldn't hurt to have it prepared in case it is requested though. Some also requested a curriculum vitae so it wouldn't hurt to put one together.
The most important thing is to request letters with PLENTY of time to spare. Like months. You really don't want to depend on the actions of someone else in order for your app to be complete.
At this point, as soon as you know you'd like someone to write a letter, ask them in person or email. Also have backups as some may not remember you well enough and you may never hear back from some.
The most important thing is to request letters with PLENTY of time to spare. Like months. You really don't want to depend on the actions of someone else in order for your app to be complete.
At this point, as soon as you know you'd like someone to write a letter, ask them in person or email. Also have backups as some may not remember you well enough and you may never hear back from some.
I asked around this time, and I think it's ideal to ask now. It's pretty early, but I figured in the next few months my letter writers might be inundated with requests for med school apps and other things. In reality most letter writers won't start writing until a couple of weeks or even days before the deadline you give them, but asking early also has the benefit of making you look well-prepared (assuming you are, since you're already thinking about this).
You don't need to have a finished, polished personal statement to show at this point, but a draft can be very helpful. I emailed my letter writers to ask for a rec because I wasn't currently in contact with any of them, and then I set a time to meet up and give each person a folder with my resume, preliminary list of schools (not necessary, but just to give them an idea of where I was aiming for), and a short letter with the actual letter request containing submission details and deadline. One of my recommenders asked if I had a draft of my personal statement she could read over, so I worked on that a little more and then sent her a rough draft. You could also ask now and let them know that you'll provide them with more information (e.g. the personal statement) later on.
You don't need to have a finished, polished personal statement to show at this point, but a draft can be very helpful. I emailed my letter writers to ask for a rec because I wasn't currently in contact with any of them, and then I set a time to meet up and give each person a folder with my resume, preliminary list of schools (not necessary, but just to give them an idea of where I was aiming for), and a short letter with the actual letter request containing submission details and deadline. One of my recommenders asked if I had a draft of my personal statement she could read over, so I worked on that a little more and then sent her a rough draft. You could also ask now and let them know that you'll provide them with more information (e.g. the personal statement) later on.
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I would email now and have a first draft of a PS ready to go. Remember that you don't have to send the same PS to amcas that you give them. My letter writers saw a very different essay. However, it discussed similar material. What a letter writer needs out of a PS is what have you done to stand out so they can remember you/laud you. What med schools need is why you want to be a doctor and should be chosen over others. They sound only slightly different but can vary greatly.
