Letters+of Recommendation

=The Basics= toc Medical schools place great weight on the recommendations submitted in support of your candidacy for admission, and they scrutinize them when they review your dossier. There are three kinds: • Faculty Recommendations • Recommendations from employers • Recommendations from volunteer project supervisors

A form to request a letter of recommendation can be downloaded here

Faculty Recommendations
The job of the Admissions Committee at any health professional school is to determine whether you possess the academic ability to succeed in their curriculum. For this reason, substantial weight is placed on the recommendations of your instructors. Most schools expect several references from science faculty (see medical/ dental distribution requirements below) and some ask that these be distributed across the pre-medical science curriculum. = = =Waivers of Confidentiality= Each recommendation you request should be accompanied by a statement of its status as confidential or non-confidential evaluation. These waivers are available at the Pre-health Office. You should supply one to each of your referees when you request their support. In addition, at your Pre-health Committee interview, you will be asked to sign a separate waiver with the same declaration regarding your Pre-health Committee letter.
 * Do this immediately upon completion of each course.
 * Request your faculty letters from Yeshiva College faculty (and from faculty elsewhere if you took courses elsewhere).
 * Requesting letters of recommendation at the last minute will delay your professional school applications and may unduly annoy your referees.
 * Some faculty members have specific requirements about the letters. They may not write if you took the course in the summer, if you don't achieve a minimum grade they have set, or they may require you to submit a resume and a transcript when you submit the request forms.
 * Ask faculty who know you well. It is important that at least one, and preferably all, of your letters come from faculty who know you beyond your grade earned in the course. Professors in large chemistry or biology lectures will obtain information from teaching assistants or evaluate students in the context of the particular class. These recommendations are important and helpful as well.
 * Send a written request to the professor accompanied by a copy of your transcript, a copy of your resume, a headshot photo, and the Recommendation Request Form, which details the courses you took, when you took them, and the grades you earned. If it is a non-science course, submit a copy of the paper you wrote. The experience may be clear in your memory, but may have become very cloudy in theirs. Rather than have the person glance at your name, not be able to conjure up your face and deny your request, do all you can to remind them even if the experience took place just this past summer. It is a courtesy recommender’s value.

=**Do's and Don'ts **= **Do**

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">• H <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">ave the referee submit the letter on letterhead <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">• Date and sign the letter <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">• Address it to "Dear Members of the Admissions Committee"

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">• Send the letter via e-mail <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">• Handwrite the letter
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Don't **

=<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Guidelines = <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Here are the qualities you would want highlighted by any recommender. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">• The letter should make it clear that they know you well; <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">• That they’ve known you long enough to write with authority; That they are confident that they know the caliber of your work; They can describe your work positively; <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">• They have a high opinion of you; <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">• They know where you are applying; <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">• They know your educational and career goals; <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">• They should be able to favorably compare you with your peers; Letters should be on letterhead, signed, and dated; <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">• NO email letters can be accepted.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">**Tips for Getting Good Letters** = <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Start requesting letters of recommendations early! <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The first step is to obtain a waiver form from the Pre-Health Office or download one from the Pre-Health website (www.yu.edu/prehealth).The same form is used for both faculty or off-campus volunteer or research. It is best to waive the right to view the letters since most Admissions Committee prefer a totally confidential and unbiased assessment. =**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Use Your Legal Name **= <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Do not use a nickname. If you've used a nickname at Yeshiva that your teachers or employers know you by, use your legal name in asking for letters of recommendation. Point out to the referees that you're known as Avi but your name is Jonathan Abraham Green, not Avi Green. You should use your legal name for your Yeshiva College transcript and diploma, and it will go on your professional school diploma and licenses. If you don't use your legal name, letters could be misfiled in admissions offices and your application could be delayed. It will also be difficult to straighten this out later, which the professional schools will require you to do. If you want to change your legal name, arrange to do so now through the courts.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sooner the Better **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Stand out in the crowd! Admissions Committee read thousands of letters a year. Try to request your letters from a professor or supervisor who knows you well and can describe something unique about you; an in-depth research project, a special show of commitment, or any time you went "above and beyond" expectations. This is your chance to "put a face" on your application. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">However... Admissions Committees are only interested in letters from people whom you have studied with or worked for. Character references, letters from the family physician or dentist, letters from congregational rabbis, or from government officials, however well known to the public or to you, do not carry much weight with these committees. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Whenever possible, request more than the minimum amount of recommendations listed below. This allows the Pre-Health Advisor the most options when finalizing the best packet to send on your behalf to the schools.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Personalizing Your Application **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">More is Better **