Recommendation Letters

Recommendation Letters

Einstein requires letters of recommendation from each applicant.

  • APPLICANTS WHO HAVE A PRE-PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE:  Applicants who have completed their pre-medical coursework as an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate student at a college or university where there is a Pre-Professional Advisory Committee are required to submit a letter of recommendation from that Committee. Students who do not submit such a letter will be asked to explain why on their Supplemental Application. The COVID-19 Virus in the spring of 2020 may prevent some Pre-Medical Committees from writing a Committee letter. If that is the case for you, please have your Pre-Medical Advisor submit a separate statement via the AMCAS Letter Writer. Again, applicants who do not submit a Committee letter and for whom COVID-19 was not the reason, must explain why on their Supplemental Application.   
  • APPLICANTS WHO DO NOT HAVE A PRE-PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Applicants who have attended a school at which there is no Pre-Professional Advisory Committee must have at least two letters of recommendation from faculty members who have taught the applicant in the classroom setting. It is required that one of these letters be from a faculty member in the department of the applicant’s major, and the other from a science faculty member (2 science letters from 2 different faculty members in the same department are acceptable). Letters from teaching assistants will not satisfy this requirement, although TAs may co-sign letters with senior faculty.  (Up to five letters, total, may be submitted.)
  • DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS: Advisors are asked to comment on their school's disciplinary action policies and to note whether the school has a "no tolerance" policy, or has a policy to allow a certain number of warnings (please note how many) prior to the issuance of a disciplinary action.   
  • LETTERS SHOULD INCLUDE: Applicants should direct their advisors/letter writers to our website regarding competency-based admissions so that letters of recommendation can touch upon both the cognitive and non-cognitive requirements for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.   
  • LETTERS FROM CAREER SERVICES OFFICE:  If letters will be sent from a Career Services Office at an academic institution, please indicate that on the Supplemental Application form in the space provided for "Pre-Professional Advisory Committee." Letters of recommendation from commercial educational consulting firms will not be considered.   
  • LETTER OF UNDERGRADUATE GOOD STANDING FOR POST BAC/ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM STUDENTS:  Applicants whose post-baccalaureate, pre-professional advisor does not provide a statement regarding good standing (whether there is any disciplinary information in the student’s record that would impact his or her application to our school), at the undergraduate level, in their letter of recommendation, must request a letter from the Dean of Students or Registrar at their undergraduate college affirming good standing status; the letter should be uploaded to the AMCAS Letter Writer Application.    
  • OUT OF SCHOOL FOR 5 OR MORE YEARS:  Applicants who have completed all of their pre-medical requirements prior to five years from the time of application must show evidence of participation in either academic or work experience in the biological sciences. Academic experience should include at least one course in a discipline such as cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, immunology or neuroscience. Work experience may include research in the biological sciences, and a letter from the supervisor/principal investigator should be sent to the AMCAS Letter Writer Application, together with the required 2 academic letters mentioned above. 
  • ADDITIONAL LETTERS: Applicants are invited to include with their AMCAS letter packet one or two additional letters of recommendation from individuals with whom they have worked closely. These can be from faculty, employers, research mentors or volunteer directors. Applicants applying to the MSTP must submit two letters of reference from past research mentors.   
  • AMCAS LETTER WRITER: AMCAS has been authorized by Einstein to accept letters of evaluation/recommendation through the AMCAS Letter Writer Application. This service enables us to receive all letters electronically via AMCAS, and allows your references to send all letters to be considered by schools participating in this service to AMCAS rather than each school. There are several options through which your references can send their letter to AMCAS. These include using VirtualEvals, Interfolio, and sending the letter via the mail. In addition, letter writers who currently mail letters can opt to upload letters directly to AMCAS through the AMCAS Letter Writer Application.    
  • OFFICIAL LETTERHEAD AND SIGNATURE: All letters must be on official letterhead, and include signature. You will be notified if your letters have been submitted either without letterhead or signature, and you will be asked to contact your letter writers to make the appropriate corrections, and to let us know when the letters have been submitted correctly. 
  • INCOMPLETE UNTIL ALL LETTERS RECEIVED: Individuals who are requested to write letters of recommendation should be notified that applications will not be considered complete, and therefore not reviewed by the admissions committee, until all letters and supporting documentation are received. It is the responsibility of the applicant to arrange that evaluations be submitted in a timely manner – no later than December 1.

The official Einstein policy document concerning recommendation letters can be found here.