Will schools consider me for an interview without recommendations

[softmed]

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I have one recommendation and I'm waiting on another letter. Will this effect whether they're going to consider me for an interview or not? I need to know how urgent it is so I know how much to bother the letter-writer (which is a committee letter). Generally speaking, will they consider me for an interview?

 

[RaginRajon]

I would check with the individual medical schools, but it seems like the majority of schools only interview applicants who have a complete application (primary, secondary, AND LOR's).

 

[ygree001]

I have one recommendation and I'm waiting on another letter. Will this effect whether they're going to consider me for an interview or not? I need to know how urgent it is so I know how much to bother the letter-writer (which is a committee letter). Generally speaking, will they consider me for an interview?

They will not look at you or even put you in line until you are complete, which will be when they have everything in your application. That includes verified AMCAS, secondary, all MCAT scores, and all the letters you tell them to expect. A committee letter fulfills the requirements at most (if not all) schools, but one letter does not. You need that letter.

 

[softmed]

This is just extremely frustrating because I don't want to bother the guy (who said he'd have the letter out around this week) yet I want to make sure he's remembering it.

 

[DrWookie]

This is just extremely frustrating because I don't want to bother the guy (who said he'd have the letter out around this week) yet I want to make sure he's remembering it.

It's still early enough so you don't have to freak out. If he said he will have it out this week, just email/talk to him at the end of the week and just say you'd like to confirm, so you know when schools should expect it to arrive.

In general when I have letters written and sent I always tell the writer to email me when they have sent it out. It is important to know when it was mailed because if it gets mailed and 2 weeks go by without a school receiving it...it got lost and you need to know that ASAP. (It happened to me with one of my letter...I found out in August it didn't arrive at the schools it was supposed to go to).

Don't freak out right now, just give him the time he said he needed and then politely ask to confirm that it was sent.

 

[acridknight]

typical LOR requirements are 2 science professors, 1 physician, and/or 1 character reference

2 letters (including 1 comittee) may not suffice. if you don't meet the requirements for your schools, your will not even be read. check with your schools to see what they require.

eventhough you could get away with your 1 comittee letter, be sure you have the science profs, physician rec, and character recs available. having these will be a big help (as they can elaborate on how good you are in the sciences, seeing patients/ clinical demeanor, and your personal demeanor).

 

[STXGregor]

I think it all really depends on the school, so you may want to contact those schools you're wanting to apply to. If I remember right, I heard of a school or two that didn't even look at your letters of rec. until after you had been interviewed. I could be wrong though.

I would recommend, though, to just try and get them in as soon as possible. And about what types of letters you need, I got away with only a committe packet, though it included letters from 5 professors that I had asked for letters. I didn't have any outside sources or a letter from a physician (because they never got around to writing my letter).

 

[ygree001]

typical LOR requirements are 2 science professors, 1 physician, and/or 1 character reference

2 letters (including 1 comittee) may not suffice. if you don't meet the requirements for your schools, your will not even be read. check with your schools to see what they require.

eventhough you could get away with your 1 comittee letter, be sure you have the science profs, physician rec, and character recs available. having these will be a big help (as they can elaborate on how good you are in the sciences, seeing patients/ clinical demeanor, and your personal demeanor).

I have not seen a school that didn't accept a committee letter to fulfill all requirements, besides a rare character letter.