Letters of recommendation are required to have the following:

1. Letterhead: This can be an official letterhead from the writer’s employer or a self-created one. If the writer creates their own letterhead, it should contain their name, contact information, the name of their employer, and their title/position.
2. Signature: This can be an electronic signature (ex., Adobe Reader with signature capability), a JPG/PNG of your signature copied/pasted to a Word document, or a handwritten then scanned signature.
3. Date: Should be at the top of the letter after the writer’s letterhead.
4. Correct Name and Spelling: Writers – especially those who may be writing multiple letters – should make sure they include the correct name and spelling of the applicant they are writing for.
   • It’s okay to use the applicant’s nickname if that is what they commonly go by. Ex. using “Nick” or “Ali” instead of “Nicholas” or “Alison.”
   • It’s okay to use Ms./Mrs./Miss or Mr. to refer to the applicant if you prefer to be more formal.
5. Salutations: Make sure to start your letter with typical salutations such as “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Admissions Committee.”

Yes! The letter of recommendation is confidential. The applicant waives their right to view their letters of recommendation. Do not share your letter with the applicant!

Additional note about sharing an applicant’s personal information: If you know personal information (i.e., challenges due to background, personal or family health issues, mental health, financial status, etc.) about the applicant that you believe is relevant to your evaluation and gives valuable context to their application, please make sure to get the applicant’s permission before sharing!

Who will see my letter?

Please note that each of the following entities will have access to your letter on a need-to-know basis; however, they will keep your letter confidential from the applicant.

1. The Applicant’s Composite Writer: The composite writer is the applicant’s “head writer,” who is charged with writing a summative letter called the Dartmouth Composite Letter of Evaluation. They will read your letter and incorporate information and quotes from your letter into their evaluation of the applicant. Please note that your letter will still be included in the final letter packet that is sent to medical or dental schools.
2. Health Professions Program Staff: HPP reviews and edits composite letters (not letters of recommendation) to ensure quality and integrity. This may involve reading your letter to make sure essential information was not left out of the composite letter. HPP also creates the final Dartmouth Composite Letter of Evaluation Packet, which contains a cover letter from HPP describing unique aspects of Dartmouth, the composite letter, and the applicant’s letters of recommendation.
3. Medical or Dental Schools: Including admissions staff, admissions committee members, and interviewers.
4. Administrative Staff from Application Services: For medical schools, the common application services are AMCAS (MD schools), AACOMAS (Osteopathic schools), and TMDSAS (for Texas medical schools). For dental schools, the common application services are AADSAS and TMDSAS (for Texas dental schools). 

We advise applicant’s to establish deadlines with you. Our ideal target date for submitting support letters is March 25th. If this can't be met, our final suggested deadline is May 30th. A deadline within this suggested timeframe is ideal. Deadlines are crucial because students need their support letters before their composite writer can begin to write. The composite writer requires sufficient time to draft the letter, submit it to HPP, address any feedback, and resubmit. Afterwards, our office compiles a composite packet to upload to the student’s application. There are many steps in this process, and any delays could impact the applicant’s application timeline. Since medical schools have rolling admissions, the timing of their application is a critical factor.
 

We use a service called PrivateFolio to collect letters of recommendation. Applicants are responsible for creating a PrivateFolio account and submitting a PrivateFolio Letter of Recommendation Request addressed to each of their writers. When an applicant submits a letter request, it will prompt PrivateFolio to send you an upload link to submit your letter.

Please note: It’s not unusual for the upload link to end up in writers’ spam or junk folders. If you cannot find the upload link in your inbox, check there first. If you’re still unable to find the upload link, reach out directly to PrivateFolio for assistance. Oftentimes, PrivateFolio is able to upload the letter on the writer’s behalf. PrivateFolio can be reached at (855) 976-1245 or help@privatefolio.com. 

We highly recommend keeping the letter to 1 – 2 pages. At most, do not write more than 3 pages. Medical and dental schools read hundreds of letters each year, so being concise and “straight to the point” is valuable.

Tips for Keeping the Letter Concise

Based on feedback we’ve received from medical schools, we recommend avoiding details about the structure of your course or your research, unless it’s necessary context for the reader to understand the applicant’s performance or qualities, strengths, competencies, etc. that they demonstrated. Even then details should be kept brief. Beyond stating your position and possibly how long you’ve been in your role, medical and dental schools don’t need to know anything about your background. 

When reflecting on your experiences with and direct observations of the applicant, provide specific examples and consider the following:

1. Qualities in the classroom, rather than grades. Medical and dental schools can see the applicant’s performance metrics (i.e., grades, GPA, MCAT or DAT scores). What they don’t know is the context, such as how the applicant acted in the classroom, lab, or office hours, or if you were delighted to have them in class. There’s also no need to rehash class standing or grades, unless there is important context about it.
   • Speaking to the applicant’s intellectual engagement is highly valuable. It is also great to talk about how the applicant led a lab team or navigated a tricky group conflict or consistently had unusually perceptive or creative comments or was particularly good at incorporating feedback, etc.

• Including statistical comparisons, can be helpful (but not necessary), as they show clearly how the applicant’s performance stands out among their peers. For example: “Based on my 10 years of teaching, I would place Maria in the top 2% of students I have taught.” If you decide to include a statistical comparison, make sure to back that comparison up with specific examples.
• Context for a grade can be helpful. For example: His final grade does not reflect his success. He actually failed his first exam but then he put in every effort into fully engaging with the class and material—office hours with me, tutoring, shifting study strategies and as he gained confidence he asked increasingly meaningful questions with genuine curiosity. These are the qualities I would value in my physician)

2. Personal qualities based on your observations. Write about if they’re notably patient, empathetic, extra-prepared, go above and beyond, etc. You can also include information from Teaching Assistants, Graduate Research Assistants, or others who worked closely with the applicant. You can also include information from evaluation forms. It’s OK to co-write with a grad student or TA. You can also include snippets of feedback, if the applicant received peer feedback or worked as a TA themself.
   • Please note: We do not recommend asking the applicant to draft their own letter, as this would undermine the integrity of the process. Instead, you could ask the applicant to provide you with an autobiographical sketch, request that they draft bullet points on what they would like you to focus on, a list of roles and responsibilities they had in your lab/job, or on their achievements directly observed by you, etc. It can also be helpful to set up a meeting with them to talk through ideas!
3. Talk about the applicant’s growth!  Applicants who learn how to learn/study in a new way, how to take feedback, or how to move beyond setbacks, are great for medical and dental schools to know about, and much more telling than someone who sailed right through the class.
4. Share personal information about the applicant that helps medical and dental schools contextualize their performance. Again, please make sure it’s okay with the applicant if you are sharing their personal information that might otherwise be considered confidential such information about their physical or mental health, or a Title IX experience. An applicant who communicated professionally about challenging circumstances and still won your endorsement could be the rising star they’re looking for. Similarly, your personal reaction to the applicant can be helpful. For example, “I’d be delighted to have them in my lab as a graduate applicant” or “I would eagerly send my family members to her as a physician” is meaningful.
5. Discuss the applicant’s experiences if you have direct knowledge. For instance, you were the applicant’s supervisor, coach, PI, etc., and got to see the applicant in action, and therefore, can speak directly to their experience. By discussing the applicant’s experiences (ex., research and other scholarly pursuits, volunteer or service work, Greek life, athletics, professional or clinical experiences, etc.), you can provide a comprehensive view of the applicant beyond just their grades and test scores. You can discuss how these experiences have shaped the applicant and their journey, the skills and abilities they developed, or demonstrate how they interact with others in various settings. If you have not seen the applicant in these experiences directly, it is not as helpful to provide an overview of their resume, as medical schools will already have access to this.
6. Reflect on the applicant’s motivations. Medical and dental schools want to know the applicant’s motivations for pursuing a career in healthcare. As a writer, you can give insight into how the applicant’s motivations are reflected in their academic journey; in their extracurricular or professional pursuits; and how they worked to develop the personal qualities necessary to be a good healthcare professional, such as compassion and empathy, interpersonal skills, communication skills, leadership, and advocacy, etc.

Focus on the applicant, not the research itself! Most medical school admissions professionals will not have the background to understand detailed or technical descriptions of research, and moreover, they are not particularly concerned about the actual research. Instead, they want to know about the applicant and their performance in participating in or conducting research. What were their roles and responsibilities? How did they learn or grow? How did they interact with others on the research team? If the applicant interacted with patients, what were those interactions like? What skills or abilities did they demonstrate? While some description of the research may be necessary to provide context for the applicant’s performance, these descriptions are most valuable if they are brief and written in layman’s terms. 

Consider using bold text strategically. While not required, strategically bolding sentences, phrases, or words can be a useful method for highlighting important aspects or points about an applicant to medical or dental schools. Just make sure not to overuse bolding so as not to diminish its impact.

Set up a meeting with the applicant.  It may be helpful to arrange a meeting with the applicant (they may even request one with you!) to discuss their goals, ideas for content, expectations, and to agree on a deadline that works for both of you! Also, applicants will likely provide you with supportive materials, such as an autobiographical sketch and their transcript, but if you need more, do not hesitate to ask them.

Be honest with the student. If you do not feel you know the applicant well enough, or if you have had a negative experience with them, it is okay to say no. While this can be difficult, it is truly an act of kindness, as it allows the student to find someone else. Only say yes if you can write a supportive letter of recommendation.

Consistent Communication is KEY! Make sure to update the applicant if your personal timeline for writing the letter of recommendation has changed. We also recommend letting the applicant know whether there is a preferred way for them to contact you and/or whether you will be unavailable for any specific period of time!  This can help the applicant immensely during what is often a high-stress time for them!