Information for Letter Writers

Thank you for agreeing to write a letter of recommendation for a prehealth applicant. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Letters of recommendation are a crucial part of an application to health profession schools. Your candid evaluation of an applicant’s abilities and potential will greatly aid in the admission process for the health profession schools.

Below are some resources that we hope will assist you in the letter writing process. If you have any additional questions, please contact our Coordinator, Amanda Sauter, at alp25@buffalo.edu.

Best Practices for Letters of Recommendation

Please see some general guidelines below:

  • The letter must be typed and on letterhead. If you are not in a position that has letterhead, please include all contact information underneath the signature of your letter.
  • The letter must be signed. Only handwritten or Adobe digital signatures will be accepted. Typed signatures are not allowed.
  • The letter must be dated.
  • The letter should be addressed to “Dear Admission Committee”.
  • The letter should recommend more generally to “medical school,” “dental school,” etc. Please do not name a specific school or program as most students apply to more than one. 

The purpose of your letter of recommendation is to share your insights regarding the applicant’s character, motivations, and specific abilities that would be of value in the professional health system. You as the writer should have a good sense as to their achievements academically, professionally and/or personally. Schools value your perspectives.

Most Helpful

  • Relationship with applicant, period of time and what capacity.
  • Applicant’s intellectual readiness and maturity for health profession schools.
  • Difficulty of coursework or experience of applicant.
  • Applicant’s special attributes and assets academically, professionally, and personally.
  • Comparison of applicant to other applicants you have recommended.
  • Specific examples or supporting circumstances.

Least Helpful

  • Repetition of grades, information on applicant’s transcript.
  • Positive recommendation without specific examples or supporting circumstances.
  • References to applicant’s appearance.
  • Referencing specific school(s) where applicant is applying (e.g. UB).

    

See also the AAMC Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant (also applicable to other health profession schools).