Interesting situation - one school sent a II with a specific date and no options to change or choices. One more just came out on the same day but is a much a higher ranked school where early interviews matter in an outcome as early as mid October.
^ My D called one school that assigned her a specific date and asked if it was possible to reschedule. They offered her another slot. It definitely was worth the call for her and she did end up with an acceptance at this school.
Interestingly enough, they agreed to move it via email despite stating that no such move requests will be entertained. So D will be interviewing with 3 surrounding schools while home on break. One more has not said anything yet.
Glad it worked out for your DD Texaspg. Can’t believe it was two years ago when DS got his first mid October acceptance.
Sending good vibes to all your kiddos!
a quick question regarding reference letters for med school applications: In general (I’m sure there are variations), how many professors will my son need to request for most med school apps? Two? I believe there will be some sort of letter from the pre-health committee at his undergrad institution…just wondering how many otherwise…
There is a single committee letter expected and the committee gets input from the sources the student provides. The committee may limit the number.
If someone is taking non-committee route (some students who are not happy also can bypass the school committee but that can lead to more questions) AMCAS allows upto 10 recommendations. Whether 2 of them need to be professors is a guideline provided by each school as well as the maximum they will accept.
If someone is applying in Texas, they require only 2 letters and only allow one more.
Every med school will have its own specific requirements about the number of LOEs it requires and/or allows and from whom.
In general, med schools will ask for 3 LOEs, 2 from science professors and 1 from a non-science professor.
The pre-health committee at your son’s school will have its own requirements for LOEs. (how many and from whom) He needs to check the specifics for his school–which should be on the pre-health committee webpage or at the career placement office.
When should one start asking for those letters? Not sure of the timeline.
Probably very early in spring term of the year you plan to apply. (Don’t ask right before winter break. It’ll annoy the profs.)
Every undergrad pre-health committee will have its own deadline for receiving LOEs required for a committee letter. Most undergrads require letters to be turned in well before the end of the spring term. Usually sometime between March 15 - May 15, depending on the school.
If you’re using individual letters instead of a committee letter, it doesn’t matter when you ask so long as you have your LOEs uploaded to AMCAS by the time your application is verified. (Because everything in your app is downloaded at once to med schools. If you add a later LOE you need to notify each med school so each one can request the new LOE from AMCAS.)
Almost all med schools participate in AMCAS Letter Service (Texas??) and if they do participate, you must send in LORs through them. Usually at college’s career services you open an account (i.e. Interfolio). This is an electronic service that will store and submit LORs when you’re ready. If individual LORs, you want people, usually profs (typically 2 science, 1 non science) that will write you a strong LOR. Don’t be bashful, ask prof “do you know me well enough to write me a strong LOR.” If yes, give prof what they ask for (eg CV, transcript, PS, etc) and your Interfolio info. When they have written LOR, they submit it to your Interfolio acct. A good time to ask is when you finish a course. You can check your Interfolio acct periodically to see what LORs they’ve received. Make sure you check and if necessary gently nudge any prof who is slow to submit. Don’t wait until Aug/Sept of app year to be a nudge. Med schools don’t review a file until it’s complete including LORs.
Even with a committee letter, some schools want to see certain things. Our state wants the committee letter, but they also want a “personal” letter from someone that is not a professor. DS got one from a fraternity advisor (he had a significant story to tell) and his boss at the clinic. Every year people scramble for those extra letters, but luckily the school allows up to two weeks after interviewing to send the extra letter.
One caution about asking for a LOE very early in your academic career.
LOEs must have a date on them so it will look “odd” (read: potentially a red flag) to adcomm readers if your LOE isn’t recent (written within the past year).
To circumvent this, if there is prof who you think you want to write you a LOE, have them write a LOE, upload it to Interfolio, store it, then when it’s your application year, send the old LOE to the prof ask him/her to “freshen” your LOE with updated info and a new date and resubmit it to Interfolio or to AMCAS. Then use the more recent letter.
I believe TMDSAS has it's own letter delivery service and doesn't used AMCAS. Yes, TMDSAS allows people to load letters same as AMCAS except for the number limitation of 2 (required) plus 1 (optional).
Thanks for the info. She will need to ask for them this semester I think, because she will be doing a study abroad spring semester. One of her profs just had to write a petition letter and he did a smashing job for her, so he’s definitely on the list! She is supposed to be finding out about committee letters and such. This whole process makes me a nervous wreck especially since she is not interested in having any sort of parental help.
Since she is asking early, create and Interfolio account so they can load them while she is studying abroad. It is particularly helpful is she may be doing DO and needs a physician letter. DS didn’t really use it much this time around, but if he needs a second cycle he can pull the letters, or at least send them back to his professors to update.
@Walker1194 D started asking for hers January-Feb of her application year (senior year). She had them all ready before her committee interview, which was in April. Committee interviews were Feb-April at my D’s school.
D also asked her profs for LOR in late Jan/early Feb in order to apply in June (no committee at her school). She had been advised to ask very early in the spring semester before the profs were overwhelmed with requests. Doing so, she had all LOR in by the end of March, IIRC. Less stress doing it early.
D is down to last 2 secondaries left and one which has not been issued yet. I feel lot less pressure. 
Hang in there PG! Just get through interview season. Then you have 4 years or so til residency, then it gets really crazy.
Kat
Are candidates told how long interviews will last? D just lined up her first interview today, she told me when it starts but not if there is an ending time. I guess that is sort of crucial if I am to help her set up transportation. She is not answering her phone now, so I don’t know if she knows.