Letters of Recommendation

How should I ask for letters of recommendation?

Be professional in asking your professors/recommenders for letters and give plenty of notice. Offer to meet with them to refresh their memory about you or help them put you in the context of the type of program to which you are applying and present them with the following:
 
• Personal Statement or a paragraph about why you think this program is right for you and how you have prepared yourself for it;
• Resume
• Transcript
• Letter of Recommendation Waiver Form

What is the Letter of Recommendation Waiver Form?
 
HPAO includes a notation in your Committee Letter that indicates whether or not you have waived your FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) right to view your letters.  While professional schools prefer letters to be marked confidential, it is your decision as to whether or not you retain or waive your right to view the letters.

The Waiver Form indicates to the writer whether or not you waive your right to view your letters of recommendation.  Students utilizing the Committee Process will check a box marking their entire packet confidential or non-confidential on the Student Information Inventory.  This check box overrides the waiver form and is the information regarding your FERPA rights that HPAO uses in deciding how to report the confidentiality of your file to the professional schools.

When can I start asking for letters of recommendation?

Students entering the current application cycle are expected to have all letters submitted by the June 1 deadline.  Authors should be given plenty of notice in order to meet this deadline.  Letters from summer experiences may be included but are expected to be in before you request your credentials to be forwarded to schools.  Letters will not be mailed out piece by piece.

You may ask for letters at any time.  Often, it is wise to ask for a letter from a faculty member soon after the course is completed and when you are still fresh in their mind.  A letter that is a year old is still effective, provided the overall collection includes more current letters.  If a letter is older than one year, it is a good idea to ask the author if they would mind updating it for you; you can provide them with a current resume or brief statement of what you have been doing since they wrote the letter for them to include.

When must my letters be in by?

June 1 is the deadline to submit individual letters of recommendation to the HPAO.  Letters received after this date will be accepted up until the point that the first credentials mailing form is submitted.  All letters must be received by September 30 in order to be included in packet.

A minimum of two letters of recommendation must be received before a Pre-Health Packet is considered complete and before it will be reviewed by an HPAO advisor.

What are appropriate letters of recommendation?

Most professional schools request that you submit three to five (3-5) letters of recommendation. Submitting more than five letters is strongly discouraged, as many admissions officials feel overburdened by having to read more than five letters.

We strongly recommend that you obtain the following:

• Consider carefully who you will ask for a letter of recommendation and how strongly they will be able to support your application to professional school.  Family relatives are highly discouraged!

• You should seek authors for your letters from among professors, supervisors, employers, coaches and/or individuals with whom you have developed a solid working relationship.

• Please remember that you are encouraged to develop a relationship with faculty by visiting them during their office hours and using that time to explore your common interests beyond what is normally done in the classroom.

• Your letters are a reflection of your intellectual curiosity and exposure to the profession. They should highlight your interests, relevant activities, leadership, and academic abilities for the profession.  This is why it is helpful to provide your recommenders with a copy of your resume, transcript and personal statement.

• If you feel uncertain about whom to ask for letters of recommendation, check with a Pre-Health Advisor for guidance.

 Can my letters be forwarded to a summer employer?

No.  Letters submitted to HPAO are for professional school applications only and cannot be used for any other purpose.

Updated February 10, 2009

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