Reference letters

[Guest AK444]

Hello people,

 

I have noticed that those of you who apply to American schools apply to dozens of them. How do you manage to get your referees to send dozens of recommendation letters for you?

 

If you use services like ReferenceNow, don't those schools find it unusual? Is it commonly used by American applicants?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Guest McCarey007]

Nope, when I applied last year, there were no problems with using reference collecting agencies such as the one you named.

 

I actually encourage you to do this if you are applying to more than 5 schools in the states. It really reduces the hassle for your referees. More hassle for you though and it costs a little bit more, but I think this is mulah well spent.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

I used one of these services this year for my US applications, as well as the Canadian applications for which additional reference letters could be sent, e.g., Toronto. Truly, document management services are a lifesaver during these types of application processes. Your reference letter writers upload one letter and then you can send it to multiple locations. I was very pleased with the service that I received... and all trackable too.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest thesaug]

Hi,

 

I would highly recommend you use one of those letter services. I decided to handle the whole thing on my own. I gave each of my referees 20-25 envelopes, and asked if they could seal them for me, after writing the letters and then I would pick up the sealed envelopes. Two of my referees gave me sealed letters themselves, which was very nice of them. All in all, it was a big headache keeping track of how many references I had sent out to each school, and which ones were left. If I had used the service, I would have been a much easier time.

 

Good luck with the process!

 

thesaug

[Guest AK444]

Thank you all for the responses.

 

I understand that using ReferenceNow makes my life a lot easier. But how do schools view this? Isn't it strange for them to receive a letter that is not an original and not specifically addressed to them?

 

Thanks. Your experience is very valuable to me.

[Guest moo]

No, in the US, these letter services are very common. Most undergraduate colleges have a "pre-med" department where a counsellor will actually write a composite letter for you, based on letters submitted by faculty. They will also forward these letters to the actual schools for a small fee. So it's not uncommon at all.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there AK444,

 

As moo mentioned above, these sorts of document-inventorying services are not uncommon in the US. The US schools have no problem with them at all. I was a little worried as to the perception of these companies here, at the Canadian Admissions Offices. However, when I contacted the Canadian schools, they said that it would be no problem at all. I suppose they receive applications from US candidates too, who may also use these services.

 

Also, FYI, when you use a company such as ReferenceNow, you have the option of specifying whether the document to be uploaded will be confidential or non-confidential. This is noted by ReferenceNow during the uploading process and during document dissemination. Therefore, your reference writers (and the medical schools presumably) have confidence that they are submitting and receiving documents that accord with admissions policies.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest McCarey007]

I would also like to add that you should get your references to MAIL their letters in and not fax. The latter option is available but the letters usually become crooked. Not a big deal, but i just think crooked letters look bad.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

To add to the above, I'd recommend having your reference writers electronically upload their letters. This is the quickest method and it results in a lovely, well-aligned letter.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen