Can you all see if my plans regarding my rec letters make sense?

[blinks]

Applying 2025 cycle (next June).

I have collected most of my letters, but I'm struggling to decide which letters to put in my letter packet. My school only allows 5 letters to be sent in the packet.

I currently have:

1. Science prof, likely strong
2. Science prof, probably mediocre
3. Non-science prof, probably mediocre
4. PI #1, likely strong (MD)
5. PI #2, likely strong (MD)
6. PI #3, probably strong (not sure how strong, PhD)

A few questions:

1. Does it matter which letters I put in the letter packet vs. send separately to schools? I am thinking about putting letters 1, 2, 4 and 5 into my letter packet as very few schools require a non-science letter. I would only send the non-science letter to schools who require it and letter 6 to schools who require all previous research mentors.
2. Do I need a letter from a clinical experience? Letters 4 and 5 are written by MD's who I asked to speak to my potential to be a physician but I worked with them in a research capacity, so I was wondering if I needed to get one written by the hospital volunteer supervisor as well. I hesitate though, because any letter written by a clinical work supervisor would likely be fairly generic for me.

Any other suggestions would also be GREATLY appreciated if my LORs don't make any sense as they stand.

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[Mr.Smile12]

Where are you applying, and what are the most strict letter requirements you need to meet?

 

[blinks]

Where are you applying, and what are the most strict letter requirements you need to meet?

I don't have a concrete list right now, but this is my working list heading into next cycle:

Harvard

Yale

Cornell

Columbia

Vanderbilt

Sinai

Duke

Northwestern

Stanford

BU

Dartmouth

Brown

Georgetown

Tufts

Tulane

NYU LISM

Rochester

Wake Forest

UNC Chapel

ECU

VTech

Einstein

USF

Hofstra

UMiami

Emory

Sidney Kimmel

Out of this bunch, ~Harvard~ I believe has the strictest LOR requirements. They strongly recommend 2 science, 1 non-science and all research mentors.

None of the other schools require/recommend a non-science or all research PIs, they either require 2 science professors or just individuals "who know you well".

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I don't have a concrete list right now, but this is my working list heading into next cycle:
Out of this bunch, ~Harvard~ I believe has the strictest LOR requirements. They strongly recommend 2 science, 1 non-science and all research mentors.

Well, it's up to you whether you want to put in the trouble to meet Harvard's requirements or go with a more reasonable, flexible standard that the majority of your other schools are offering you.

 

[blinks]

Well, it's up to you whether you want to put in the trouble to meet Harvard's requirements or go with a more reasonable, flexible standard that the majority of your other schools are offering you.

Do schools have a preference for which letters go in the letter packet vs. which don't?

I was thinking about just putting my strongest letters in the letter packet and then sending any additional letters individually to meet individual school requirements if necessary.

Also, should I have a letter from someone who supervised my clinical experience? Both my research PIs are MDs and I asked them to write about my potential as a future physician but I'm not sure if this will have as much weight.

My concern is that any letter I request from a clinical supervisor will likely be positive but generic as they mostly just assigned us to rooms and left us alone with the patients.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Do schools have a preference for which letters go in the letter packet vs. which don't?

You need to hit their requirements, regardless of your judgment of their "preferences."

 

[cj_cregg]

Don't put in any letters that will be "mediocre" unless you have no other choice. Don't send any letters separately from your committee letter unless a school requires it. You do not need a letter from a hospital volunteer supervisor just to have one from a hospital volunteer supervisor.

 

[blinks]

Just to make sure my non-science actually is non-science, Human Development is considered a social science and thus non-science right?

@Mr.Smile12 @cj_cregg

 

[cj_cregg]

Just to make sure my non-science actually is non-science, Human Development is considered a social science and thus non-science right?

@Mr.Smile12 @cj_cregg

What department was the course in?

 

[blinks]

What department was the course in?

The course is in the Human Development Department, entitled "Gender and Psychopathology"

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Just to make sure my non-science actually is non-science, Human Development is considered a social science and thus non-science right?

@Mr.Smile12 @cj_cregg

This is the mediocre non-science letter? I presume, but the schools should give you more assurance.

 

[blinks]

This is the mediocre non-science letter? I presume, but the schools should give you more assurance.

Yea, haha!

I emailed a few schools, but none of them gave me a straightforward answer. They just said to review their website and then some other generic response about how they strongly recommend a non-science letter :/

 

[cj_cregg]

I would classify that as non science.