How Many LoRs Can I Upload to AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS?
Individual schools may have their own LoR limits, but the primary 3 application services have these limits on how many LoRs you can upload:
- AMCAS (for MD programs) — as many as 10 medical school recommendation letters
- AACOMAS (for DO schools) — as many as 6 LoRs
- TMDSAS (for Texas MD schools) — a Health Professions Committee Packet or 3 letters of evaluation; an optional fourth letter may be submitted if you prefer
Three Formats for TMDSAS LoRs:
For the TMDSAS, there are 3 formats for LoRs you can choose between:
- Committee Letter Packet: A committee letter from a pre-medical committee or pre-health advisor with an attached supporting set of individual letters of recommendation.
- Letter Packet: A committee letter that pulls quotes from various evaluators. This letter may have additional supporting letters attached.
- Individual Letters: A collection of individual letters that includes a cover letter from a central collection service for the applicant, usually an advising office or school letter service. They do not make additional assessments of the candidate; the letter packet will contain the only recommendations.
How Many Letters of Recommendation for Medical School Are Too Many?
While 6 is the maximum number of LoRs you can submit, most AdComs and interviewers recommend submitting no more than 4. Check with the schools you are applying to for any additional instructions or restrictions on the number of letters they’d like you to submit.
Who to Ask
Request letters from a professor or mentor that will be able to speak to you and your abilities. Outside of the 3 required letters of recommendation from science and non-science professors, we recommend requesting additional letters such as the following:
- LoR from a community leader or somewhere you volunteered
- LoR from a physician you have shadowed or that has been a mentor
- LoR from your school’s pre-med advising committee
- LoR from a research mentor or principal investigator
Ask if they will vouch for you in a strong letter of recommendation. Have your materials, such as your resume, ready to go. Your letter writer should have a good sense of why you are interested in medicine and the topics and strengths that you want covered in the letter.
Consider asking someone who can write a LoR that addresses a concern on your application. For example, one letter might explain a semester of bad grades for which there was a particular reason, such as a loss in the family.
Feel free to send this PDF to your letter writers to help them write letters of evaluation by AAMC guidelines.
How Many Pages Should a Letter of Recommendation Be for Medical School?
Your letter writer should write an LoR at least one page long and no more than three pages long. There’s typically no limit, but we recommend a 500-word target.
When to Ask
Ask for your letters early, at least two months ahead of your primary application deadlines.
Your letters of evaluation aren’t technically due until the due date for secondary applications. However, if you wait to submit until the due date, you’ll be perceived as late.Â
Instead, I recommend asking letter writers with enough time to submit letters of recommendation by the date primary applications open. This way, you don’t risk delays while your application is being processed.
Asking early and shortly after your class or interaction with the letter writer gives them time to thoughtfully craft their opinions while everything is fresh on their mind. It also gives you one less thing to stress about if they are taking longer than usual.
Can You Add Letters of Recommendation After Submitting AMCAS?
Yes, you can add letters of recommendation after submitting AMCAS as long as you haven’t already submitted 10 letters. However, you are unable to delete or change any letters that have already been sent.
Can My Letter Writers Submit Recommendations Before AMCAS Opens?
No, it is not possible for letter writers to submit recommendations before AMCAS opens. AMCAS letters of recommendation requirements include deadlines, yes, but also dates before which you cannot submit.
How To Ask
Have a conversation with your professor or supervisor before asking for a letter of recommendation to ensure your request doesn’t appear disingenuous. If an in-person meeting is not possible, sending a polite and well-crafted email is the next best option.
Developing relationships with your professors and supervisors as a premed is a helpful prelude to asking for letters of recommendation. Attending classes regularly, participating in extracurriculars, and visiting during office hours allow them to get to know you.
Here’s What to Provide Your Letter Writers
Be prepared to provide your letter writers with any information they may need, such as the following:
- Contact info
- Resume
- Transcript
- Personal statement
- List of achievements, honors, and recognitions
- Instructions for submission, including letterhead and deadlines
- Consent forms, if required by the school
- Any relevant details about the school to which you’re applying
- Any other relevant documents
You want letter writers to paint a holistic picture of your motivation, determination, and personality for medical school. Gladly offer necessary supporting documents to each letter writer so that they can achieve this. Some letter writers may request to meet with you in-person to gather more info.
How to Remind Your Writers to Submit Their LettersÂ
Always consider the individual circumstances and relationship with your letter writer when reminding your writers to submit letters. We recommend a gentle email reminder if you are coming close to a few weeks before submission dates.Â
You can use this template to send your reminder: