Medical School Admissions: Recommendation Calls to Admissions Committees (2011 - 2012)

Many clients come to me for help formulating a waitlist strategy. In addition to writing a letter of intent to the top choice school and update letters to other waitlisted schools, clients often ask if calls from recommenders or school alumni to the admissions office on their behalf are beneficial. In general, any glowing recommendations will help your case. But calls should only be from recommenders who know you well. A call from your uncle’s cousin’s wife who has met you once but happened to graduate from your waitlisted school will not be of much help and might even hurt you. So be smart. Don’t inundate the admissions staff with calls. A glowing phone call, or even unsolicited written recommendation, can improve your application.

For step-by-step advice on how to get into medical school, check out The Medical School Admissions Guide: A Harvard MD’s Week-by-Week Admissions Handbook. If you’d like personalized help from Dr. Miller, please visit www.MDadmit.com/solutions, e-mail info@MDadmit.com, or call 415.939.5251.