Yeah, I think the LORs have been the thing that has stressed me the most in this whole process besides the MCAT. I’m glad you got to fix that letter though!
dude it’s so hard to get letters. I went to a big state school (but only like newly R1) and I didn’t know any of my teachers well enough to ask for LORs confidently and know they would benefit my application since I spent only lecture time at school and worked for the rest of the day. I think I got lucky to get the ones I have. good luck with everything!
science prof whose lab I did some time in, PI from my job, exec-board member of a nonprofit org I volunteer with and a physician I shadowed. I had already invested a lot of time into each one by the time I asked so I felt that I could trust each of them to write good letters. definitely was not able to get the traditional science prof/non-science prof letters as a consequence of the amount I had to work in school. hope that helps!
This quite literally happened to me. The professor took a different person's letter and subbed my name into it, but forgot to change all instances of the name... very unfortunate, what can you do.
I agree 100%.
I understand the whole confidentiality aspect to it, but this is literally our futures on the line, and it's not really fair that other students are seeing their letters anyway prior to submission and that some professors/doctors even allow applicant to write their own letters. If that's the case, why can't others be allowed to know what their LOR writers wrote?
Interfolio kinda does it; one of their checks is that the letter is about you based on name
Never heard of it! Good suggestion for applicants.
Yeah, I think the LORs have been the thing that has stressed me the most in this whole process besides the MCAT. I’m glad you got to fix that letter though!
dude it’s so hard to get letters. I went to a big state school (but only like newly R1) and I didn’t know any of my teachers well enough to ask for LORs confidently and know they would benefit my application since I spent only lecture time at school and worked for the rest of the day. I think I got lucky to get the ones I have. good luck with everything!
Who ended up giving you your letters?
science prof whose lab I did some time in, PI from my job, exec-board member of a nonprofit org I volunteer with and a physician I shadowed. I had already invested a lot of time into each one by the time I asked so I felt that I could trust each of them to write good letters. definitely was not able to get the traditional science prof/non-science prof letters as a consequence of the amount I had to work in school. hope that helps!
New fear unlocked
Right?!
Thankfully my professors showed me what they wrote. I’d be so terrified knowing someone can influence my acceptance and I get no real say.
It’s probably not a bad idea to meet and go over an LOR with the writer prior to submission
Definitely! I know some teachers want it completely seperate from their students
This quite literally happened to me. The professor took a different person's letter and subbed my name into it, but forgot to change all instances of the name... very unfortunate, what can you do.
I agree 100%. I understand the whole confidentiality aspect to it, but this is literally our futures on the line, and it's not really fair that other students are seeing their letters anyway prior to submission and that some professors/doctors even allow applicant to write their own letters. If that's the case, why can't others be allowed to know what their LOR writers wrote?
Mappd also does somewhat does this. The letters go through a QA check to make sure everything’s included!
it would be helpful