It has come to my attention that many applicants this year are sending supplemental letters of recommendation to medical schools.  This is foolish and will ultimately harm your application!  Medical schools are already complaining about how many letters they are getting and the service just opened up in June!  Please let me assure you that if you have letters in your file with us we are sending those letters to the schools.  Sometimes we send the complete letter –sometimes, especially if the letter is long on the author and what their project/program looks like and short on you and your accomplishments, we quote from the letter and don’t send the entire letter as part of your Committee package.  We have several people on the Committee who have served on medical school admissions committees (including myself) and we are all very knowledgeable about what “works”.  You should not “pad” our letter with additional reams of paper from others who in all probability will say exactly what three or four others have already said about you.  This is NOT the time to show off how many influencial people you may know.  It is a time to get some solid advise from those who have been doing this successfully for more years than most of you have graced the Earth! 

Please, I do not want admissions officers calling me and asking why Mr. So and So has 14 additional letters!  IF you have some additional letters that you feel will make you a stronger candidate PLEASE send them to your Committee letter writer (or to Woldine if your letter is already completed) and be assured that the entire Committee reviews, offers constructive criticism, and oversees any oversights or errors that any one of us who write your letters might make. 

Thank you so much.  If you have questions or concerns feel free to contact me. 


L.Wood-Hill
Director, Prehealth Professions Advising Programs
Hunter College of CUNY
695 Park Ave, E812
NY, NY 10065
212-772-5121
FAX: 212-772-5138
http://studentservices.hunter.cuny.edu/prehealth.htm

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