Letters of Recommendation
To learn more about submitting medical and dental letters of recommendation click HERE
Letter Packet Service Retiring
Letter Tracker, the BYU service for sending letters to medical and dental schools, will be retired beginning in the 2023-2024 application cycle. First-time students applying this cycle and beyond will no longer be able to utilize this service (see alternative options below). Our office will not accept or send any letters of recommendation we receive for first-time applicants. Reapplicants who used letter tracker for the 2022-2023 application cycle or before, will be granted limited usage of the service for the 2023-2024 application cycle.
Any questions about the changes can be directed to healthprosec@byu.edu.
Letter Service Alternatives
1. INTERFOLIO
Interfolio is a letter service that collects, curates, and delivers academic materials to your applications. Students looking for a similar letter-holding service can take advantage of Interfolio to submit letters of recommendation to their application services. For information about Interfolio services, contact them at www.interfolio.com/products/dossier or call 877-997-8807. Youtube and your application services provide helpful tutorials on how to use Interfolio.
To use the Interfolio Dossier Service:
- Create a free Dossier account to hold letters of recommendations
- Upgrade to a Dossier Deliver account to send out letters of recommendations
- Annual subscription fee is $48.00
- Dossier Deliver account allows 50 deliveries in an academic year. They can send letters to your application services (AMCAS, TMDSAS, AACOMAS, AADSAS), and other programs you may be applying to (i.e. Military).
2. SUBMIT DIRECTLY TO THE APPLICATION
Students may also request that letter writers upload the letters directly to the application services. If you are applying to more than one application service or program (AMCAS/TMDSAS/AACOMAS or AADSAS), keep in mind that your letter writer will be required to submit their letter to each application separately, this may become a time inconvenience for letter writers. Use judgment to determine if submitting letters through Interfolio (or a similar service) would be more convenient for your letter writers, you may even ask your letter writers what they would prefer.
*Because your letter writer will not receive information from letter tracker regarding how to write a letter of recommendation, we have provided some resources below:
AAMC Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Recommendation for Med or PDF version
Using Letter Tracker for Reapplicants
Reapplicants that used letter tracker previously will have the option to use letter tracker for the 2023-2024 application cycle. For these individuals, letter tracker will function as it did during the 2023 and before cycles, with some exceptions.
Schools prefer that at least half of your letters are dated with the current calendar year. Letter writers who previously uploaded letters will have access to upload a more current copy through the account they previously created. Any letter writers who did not previously upload a letter of recommendation for you may experience issues creating an account. The letter writer may reach out to the letter secretary in this case.
Please be aware that beginning on July 15th, your letter packets may take longer than 5 business days to process. To avoid delay, please plan to submit your letters before then. If you are needing to send letters after August, please contact the letter secretary once you have created the packet request.
After the 2023-2024 application cycle. Letter tracker will completely retire, and reapplicants will no longer be able to use its services. Letters of recommendation cannot be sent to you or transferred to other letter services. To retrieve your letters out of letter tracker, we must use your letter writer. For more information, contact healthprosec@byu.edu
For tutorials or questions about using letter tracker as a reapplicant, see the resources below.
Tutorials for Reapplicants
LETTER SECRETARY CONTACT INFORMATION
Sarah Carter
Quick Questions: Drop-in Zoom Room HERE (will begin as applications open)
Email: healthprosec@byu.edu or sarah.barnes@byu.edu
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND SERVICES
Letter Writer Tutorial
Email your letter writer will receive