When to have LORs in

[mstpgrind]

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Can someone confirm the information here, which says that we only need LORs in by the time secondaries are being sent out, and that they are not needed to verify our primary?

This makes sense to me, because I don't see why anything except a transcript is needed to verify the primary, but I'd just like some confirmation that I can have my LORs in by the time application transmission ocurrs (late June) and still have submitted as early as possible. Thanks!

 

[Myxococcus-Xanthus]

Yeah that's generally the case. Your AMCAS file isn't complete until you have your secondary and LORs submitted to a school. Generally the earlier the better so it's one less thing you have to worry about while drowning in secondaries but as long as the LORs are in when you send the secondaries in you're fine.

 

[KnightDoc]

Can someone confirm the information here, which says that we only need LORs in by the time secondaries are being sent out, and that they are not needed to verify our primary?

This makes sense to me, because I don't see why anything except a transcript is needed to verify the primary, but I'd just like some confirmation that I can have my LORs in by the time application transmission ocurrs (late June) and still have submitted as early as possible. Thanks!

Correct. Transcripts are all that is verified. There is no other "verification" of anything else in your primary. You will not be marked "complete" anywhere until your primary, secondary, LORs and MCAT are received, other than the very few schools (like UCSF last cycle) that sent out IIs without MCAT scores.

As long as your LORs are received on or before the date you submit secondaries, you will be fine. The schools that screen for secondaries do so on the basis of GPA and MCAT, not LORs.

TLDR - Yes, having LORs in by late June will not hold you up by even a nanosecond, anywhere.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yes, get them in as soon as you can by the time secondaries are reviewed. There is usually an allowance for prehealth committee letters coming in later than end of June. Some schools won't even look at letters until after interviews are done for a full file deliberation.