Guest Ian Wong Posted March 24, 2001 Report Share Posted March 24, 2001 Author:*Anon John Date:***11/10/2000 9:44 am*PST * I must say that in this time of my application process, the last thing I should be worried about is Canada Post delivering my reference letters in time. For instance, my last letter to X medical school was lost, not once, but TWICE. (I had to buy ANOTHER Xpresspost envelope and ask my reference again, feeling rather awkward and embarassed despite my reference's eagerness to help me in this application process.) It was an Xpresspost delivery, which, they "guarantee delivery". Unfortunately, this does not seem to be true. It seems that I am venting my frustration here, but for those of you planning on applying to meds, dentistry, law, or anything that requirse references and have never went through this chaotic mess of an "admissions process," please be aware that something as trivial as sending the reference letters can be your major downfall of not getting in. (We're not even talking about FINDING references... which, presumably, may be a more difficult aspect!) Good luck to everyone and use FedEx... PS, Did anyone else have this problem or was I the only one struck with lightning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted March 24, 2001 Report Share Posted March 24, 2001 Author:*Ian Wong, MS2 Date:***11/11/2000 6:38 pm*PST * Hi, I used XPresspost exclusively when applying, and found it perfectly adequate. Did you track the letters? One of my three reference letters to UBC were lost (I got a warning letter from UBC Med Admissions inquiring when my third reference letter would be sent), but on tracking it, it had been delivered to UBC well before the deadline. Somehow it had been lost after it was delivered, and before it had a chance to be filed with my application. I agree with you, FedEx is an even more reliable way to send your reference letters. However, at three letters per school, plus a fourth package for your application, that's a lot of bucks if you are applying to a decent number of schools. In my case, FedEx wouldn't have helped, but for the truly paranoid, send your materials via courier. I think one thing we agree on is: Don't send anything via conventional mail! Get something with a tracking number. Ian Can, MS2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted March 24, 2001 Report Share Posted March 24, 2001 Author:*Anon John Date:***11/11/2000 7:58 pm*PST * Both of the times Canada Post lost my letters, it had tracking numbers AND required signature on delivery (an extra $1.00). Many people do not have "good" applications (ie. bad grades, no reference letters, no extra curricular, does not meet minimum MCATs), and, as a result, are disqualified in the application process. To lose an application like this simply is not worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted March 24, 2001 Report Share Posted March 24, 2001 Author:*Ian Wong, MS2 Date:***11/12/2000 3:10 pm*PST * AJ, Man, that sucks. I feel for you. You're right. For those of you out there who haven't gone through the exhausting chore of applying to med school, be warned. It's an immensely draining time to gather up addresses, hound referees, write essays, obtain transcripts and MCAT scores, all the while dealing with the normal chaos of school/work and home life. To jump through all these hoops, and then to hit an immense brick wall because your application materials were lost through someone else's fault just plain sucks. Make sure that the medical school knows that the materials were scheduled to be delivered ahead of time. Most schools are pretty understanding about this. I hope that your venting helps others to avoid this predicament. Good luck on your apps! Ian Can, MS2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted March 24, 2001 Report Share Posted March 24, 2001 Author:*gopyu Date:***11/23/2000 12:45 am*PST * My daughter sent in her application package to a top school in the US via registered mail on Canada Post 2 years ago. Then she found out too late that the school never received it. Inside were letters of reference, audition taps (she's in music) and application form. It's a good thing she kept her registration number and after much tracing, we got a letter of apology from Canada Post and a refund of $120 months later. This was only after I faxed in a note with a breakdown of postage fees and the cost of the package. She never got admitted. We've been using FEDEX ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted March 24, 2001 Report Share Posted March 24, 2001 Author:*Dismayed CP user Date:***12/8/2000 1:28 pm*PST * I'm with you on the Canada Post critique. I chose the ExpressPost route, but was disappointed in that, even after receiving confirmation from my references that all letters were sent, and likewise, from some of the medical schools, when taking a peek at the Canada Post ExpressPost tracking site, the envelopes were still floating in the ether. Additionally, regarding my UBC application, I chose to apply very early in order to receive their confirmation letter. After September had passed (the confirmation letter was supposed to have been sent at the beginning of Sept.) I called UBC, inquiring as to the status of my application. They stated that the letter had been sent out, as prescribed and that all was well with the application. Confused, the confusion cleared in November, when I finally received the letter from UBC upon which the following Canada Post sticker was affixed: "Excuse the delay in delivery; we had a collision problem with one of our vans." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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