BATES COLLEGE MEDICAL STUDIES COMMITTEE
GUIDELINES FOR REFERENCE WRITERS
The Office of Career Services requests that your letter of reference be written on;
- Departmental stationery or
- Letterhead with the Medical Studies Reference Form attached,
- or you may write directly on the Medical Studies Reference Form.
Your signed letter will be sent via the secure Virtual Evals to all schools to which the student/alum has applied.
It is difficult to overemphasize the importance of your letter. Because most applicants to medical school are well prepared academically, admissions decisions may rely heavily on your letter of recommendation.
The following suggestions regarding letters of reference have been made by medical school admissions officers. Perhaps you will find these comments useful.
- Indicate the length and context of your association with the applicant. The context of your
association is important, but does not need to be science or medically related.
- It is important that what you write is consistent with the applicant’s academic record.
Try to use superlatives judiciously.
- Be sure to write enough—a short letter may be taken by an admissions committee to mean that the applicant is shallow or that little can be said about the applicant.
- Try to be specific—generalizations are not very helpful.
Please check the Medical Studies Reference Form to determine whether or not the applicant has waived his or her right to review the letter you are writing, and whether or not the applicant has given you permission to discuss matters related to the applicant’s GPA or academic record.
Please forward your letter with the Medical Studies Reference Form to:
The Office of Career Services
Bates College
31 Frye Street
Lewiston, ME 04240
Sue Cook maintains the applicants’ files.
Revised August 2007 (kp)
