I’m a bit confused regarding whether I need or can even receive a committee letter…I completed about half of my premed requs (biology, inorganic chem and calculus) in undergrad. I am now completing the other half (organic chem, physics, possibly biochem) while finishing my grad degree (which is unrelated to any of these topics). Both schools are large and have many premed students at any given time. My initial instinct was that because I split the requs, I probably can’t get a committee letter. Does this leave me at a disadvantage? Also, am I shooting myself in the foot by not trying to get one? I just don’t want my application to be flagged one way or the other.
Thanks!
Here are the two options for letters of rec:
If the school where you are taking the second half of your pre-reqs offers the committee letter, it is my understanding that you have to use this service (some schools you do and some you don’t. If you don’t, you have to explain the reason).
If the school that you are attending doesn’t offer the committee, you have to get at least three letters of rec from science faculty.
I am sure that more people will add to this thread, but this is the jist.
Two quick followup questions: So you’re suggesting that I approach the premed office of my graduate school to see if they would be open to giving me a committee letter?
And, if I do not get the committee letter, is it ok if some of my three letters of recommendation come from science faculty in my undergrad college? I can probably get one from my physics professor from the school where I’m getting my grad degree, but it’ll be difficult to get any others.
If the grad program offers a committee letter, then you can get your committee letter from the school.
Next, the letters of rec can come from science faculty from your undergrad as well as the grad faculty.
I hope that this helps…
Check and see if your school does a committee letter first. Neither my undergrad school nor my premed school did committee letter so I did the three professors route and it worked just fine for me.
- bapassey Said:
Check and see if your school does a committee letter first. Neither my undergrad school nor my premed school did committee letter so I did the three professors route and it worked just fine for me.
I would say hope/pray that your school doesn't do committe letters. I hear they are a pain.
Thanks, everyone. My undergrad does write committee letters, but I didn’t complete all of my premed requirements there. My graduate school has a post-bac program, but I am not a part of it. I am taking classes while completing Ph.D. requirements in history, so I have nothing to do with the post-bac office. And I will only be completing some of my premed requirements in this school. So both schools do write letters, but it seems like I’m not really fit for either of them, right? Does that mean that I have sufficient grounds for going the three letters of recommendation route without somehow damaging my application? Thanks!
I would think you are just fine to go with letters from professors. They would probably be more personal anyway. No school that I applied to cared one bit that I didn’t have a committee letter.
Most med schools require three professorial letters (total), but not three specifically science letters. Often the requirement is two science letters plus another letter (sometime stipulated as non-science, but variable for non-trads).
Cheers,
Judy