PPA Letter Service

Writing Letters for Medical & Dental School Applicants

What to Include in Letters

• Provide information on how long you have known the applicant and in what context.
• Provide as much detail as possible so that schools can understand the context in which you know the applicant and the characteristics and skills you have observed.
• The letter must be on professional letterhead. (Some schools will not use letters without this.)
• The letter must include a date.
• The letter must include your signature. (Some schools will not use letters without this.)
• The letter must include your contact information.
• Consider discussing one or more of the Core Competencies originally developed by the American Association of Medical Colleges but it applicable to all healthcare fields.
• Discuss characteristics and behaviors you have observed.
• Consider addressing unique contributions the applicant could bring to an incoming class. This could include obstacles the applicant has overcome or how they could contribute to the diversity (broadly defined) of the class.

Additional Notes

• If you are not comfortable with writing a letter for the applicant, it is best to refuse to write a letter rather than providing a letter that has little useful information about the applicant.
• We have suggested to applicants that they request letters early. We suggest at least 2 months. 
• Applicants should inform you if they are waiving or keeping access to their letters. If they want to view letters and did not waive their access, they must submit a request to view educational records through the Purdue Office of Legal Counsel. If their request is approved, that office will obtain the students letter file from Pre-Professional Advising. The student will then be allowed to view the materials in the Office of Legal Counsel.
• Professional schools frown on the practice of asking students to write their own letters. We respectfully request that you avoid putting students in this awkward position.

Questions about Writing and Submitting Letters

• If you have questions about writing a letter, feel free to contact the Pre-Professional Advising office at preprofessional@purdue.edu or 765-494-3981.

Letter Writing Resoures

• Association of American Medical Colleges Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation
• Association of American Medical Colleges The Premed Competencies and What They Mean
• American Dental Education Association Tips for Writing an Effective Letter of Evaluation
• Purdue's Center for Instructional Excellence Recommendation Letter Tips
• Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service Podcast on the Role Letters of Evaluation Play in the Admissions Process
• Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service Evaluator Information

Quick reminders when using the Letter Service and/or asking for Letters:

• Talk to your letter writers BEFORE emailing the official request through the Letter Service system
• Do not use your Purdue email when signing up for the letter service. If you want to maintain your letters for several years and still have access through the system, you need to use an alternative email as you will lose access to your Purdue email after graduation.
• If you run into problems or have questions, please email preprofessional@purdue.edu

Requesting Letters

• Ask for letters well in advance (ideally 2 months).
• Be prepared to provide your letter writers with information to help them with writing your letters should they ask for it such as a draft of your personal statement and resume.
• What strengths have you shown to the letter writer that they were in the position to observe?
• Share the AAMC competencies with your letter writers.

Create & Manage Your Account

• To access the letter service portal, go to https://www.cco.purdue.edu/ppa
• Please refer to the User Guide as you create and manage your account.

PPA Letter Service Agreement

• I agree to regularly check the email address I used to participate in the Letter Service for communication from Pre-Professional Advising.
• I agree to read the information provided in the Useful Resources section of the Letter Service portal. There, I will find instructions for completing the letter of evaluation section of my medical or dental school application.
• It is my responsibility to know the type and number of letters each of my application schools require.
• I can only read my letters if I retain access to the letters according to FERPA laws. I recognize that to do this, I would have to file a request for records access with the Purdue Office of Legal Counsel. If this request is approved, they would obtain files from our office and you will be allowed to read them in their office. Pre-Professional Advising does not share letters with applicants directly.
• The letter packet uploaded to AMCAS, AACOMAS and/or TMDSAS is not required to be the same - a different set of letters may be chosen for each service's packet. The AMCAS letter packet may contain up to 6 letters. The AACOMAS letter packet may contain up to 7 letters, if the 7th letter is from a physician. The TMDSAS letter packet may contain up to 4 letters. The ADEA AADSAS letter packet may contain up to 4 letters.
• Only a single, complete letter packet is uploaded to the application service. All schools applied to through the service have access to the packet. Multiple letter packets tailored to individual schools are not created nor uploaded to an application service.
• Letter packets will be distributed only if
  • 1.) all my letters have been submitted
  • 2.) I have provided my applicant ID and AMCAS Letter Request form (if applicable)
  • 3.) I have provided the date of application submission through the Letter Service portal.
• New letters cannot be added to my packet after it has been uploaded to an application service.
• Letters can be used for their original purpose only - medical or dental school applications. Ask your letter writers to save a more general, digital copy of your letter in case you decide to apply to other types of programs in the future such as a graduate degree program or post-baccalaureate programs. Pre-Professional Advising will not submit your medical or dental school letter packet to those types of programs. Consider opening an account with a service such as Interfolio to distribute letters to other programs or for job applications if you want to retain the option of using your letters for other purposes. 

According to FERPA laws (the privacy act for student information), you technically have the right to maintain access to your letters.

What do I need to know about maintaining my access to letters?

• Your letter writer needs to know that you want the option of seeing your letter in the future. Your letter writer may be more forthcoming with information if they know you will not see the letter (that does not mean they will include negative information--only that they may censor themselves more if they know you will see it).
• Professional programs tend to think that letters written when access is waived will better reflect the student as the letter writer will not censor what they are writing.
• PPA will not show you the letters if you maintain your access to them. In order to review your letters, you will need to file a request to view educational documents with the Purdue Office of Legal Counsel. If your request is approved, they will request your file from PPA and allow you to review your letters in their office.
• Negative letters are exceedingly rare.

What do I need to know about waiving my access to letters?

• If you ask people who know you well (and you should), then you can probably anticipate the things they might say. If you asked the letter writer in person and they didn't hedge about writing it, then you will be fine with what they wrote.
• Professional programs typically believe that letters written when student access is waived will be more forthright and honest--something they rely on when reading the letters.
• PPA will read your letters. In some instances we may suggest that you consider obtaining a letter from additional letter writer.
• Negative letters are exceedingly rare.

My letter writer showed me the letter even though I waived my access. What should I do?

This is unfortunate when it happens. We recommend that you do not read the letter. If we are aware that you have read the letter, we are required to stamp it with "Not Confidential" before we submit your letter.

My letter writer asked me to write my own letter. What should I do?

First, be sure to supply information about your strengths that your letter writer would have been in the position to observe, a draft of your personal statement, and a resume. If, after providing this information, your letter writer still asks you to write your own letter, politely explain that professional programs prefer that students have not handled their letters. If the letter writer does not have time to write a letter, offer to find another letter writer.

MD Program Applicants

Overview:

• All letters are submitted to allopathic medical schools through AMCAS.
• On the AMCAS letter page, you need to obtain ONE letter ID number.
• Obtain your AMCAS Letter Request form which shows your AMCAS ID and your Letter ID number.
• Submit your AMCAS Letter Request form to the PPA Letter Service. 

Set up your letter packet in AMCAS:

• Click on Letters of Evaluation
• Add a Letter of Evaluation/Recommendation
• Select Letter Packet, and enter an optional Letter Title (this will be visible to medical schools)
• Select Purdue University from the drop down box.

Enter this contact information:

• Primary Contact/Author: Dr. Amy Terstriep (even if you have not worked with her).
• Contact information: Young Hall, Room 132, 155 S. Grant St, West Lafayette IN 47907-2114, phone: 765-494-3981
• Contact email: preprofessional@purdue.edu

Additional steps

• Research all schools to which you are applying to ensure you have letters that will cover their requirements
• You do not need to list your individual letter writers.
• Remember to attach your AMCAS Letter Request form to the PPA Letter Service.
• Please click "Yes" on the Advisor Release question. This provides PPA with some limited information to help us advise you better. 
• Review allopathic program admissions data.

DO Program Applicants

Overview:

All letters are submitted to osteopathic medical schools through AACOMAS

Set up your AACOMAS letter packet:

• Click on Supporting Information then Evaluations
• Click on Create Evaluation Request

Enter this contact information in the Evaluator's Information section:

• Answer "Yes" to the committee evaluation questions
• First name: Amy
• Last Name: Terstriep (even if you have not worked with Amy Terstriep, enter her name)
• Email Address: preprofessional@purdue.edu
• Due Date: 12/31/2024 (we will submit letters when we have all of them and you have notified us you have submitted your application--this is typically long before this deadline)
• Personal Message/Notes comment box: type "Letter packet"
• Respond to the Waiver of Evaluation statement
• Acknowledge the Permission to Contact Reference statement
• Acknowledge the Permission for Schools to Contact Reference statement
• Click on Save This Evaluation Request

Additional Steps

• Research all schools to which you are applying to ensure you have letters that will cover their requirements.
• Submit your AACOM ID number to the PPA Letter Service.
• Don't forget that you will need to log into the MCAT score reporting system at AAMC.org to have your MCAT scores released to AACOMAS.
• Please click "Yes" on the Advisor Release question. This provides PPA with some limited information to help us advise you better. 
• Review Osteopathic Program Admissions Data

TMDSAS (for both MD and DO programs in Texas)

Overview

• Your letters are submitted to schools by TMDSAS
• List of participating schools
• For TMDSAS, you should have 3 letters. They do allow more through the packet, but you should consider carefully who your best choices would be.

Set up your letter packet

• Answer "Yes" to the following question in the Colleges Attended Questions section:
  • Would you like to release your information to the health professions advisor at any school(s)?
  • This enables Pre-Professional Advising to upload your letter packet using the TMDSAS Advisor Portal.
• In the Letters of Evaluation section, select Health Professions Committee Packet
• Indicate that the packet will come from Purdue University

Additional steps

• Research all schools to which you are applying to ensure you have letters that will cover their requirements.
• Add your TMDSAS ID number to the PPA Letter Service.
• Please click "Yes" on the Advisor Release question. This provides PPA with some limited information to help us advise you better. It is also necessary for our ability to submit your letters.
• Review TMDSAS Admission Data

Applications through AADSAS

Overview

• All letters are submitted to dental schools through ADEA AADSAS
• You may have up to 4 letters in your letter packet.
• AADSAS does allow up to 3 additional letters to be submitted directly to AADSAS by the letter writers, but schools typically expect only 4 letters so think carefully about what additional information could be shared by the inclusion of more letters.

Set up your letter information in AADSAS

• Click on Supporting Information
• Click on Evaluations
• Click on Create Evaluation Request

Set up contact information

• In Evaluator's Information section
• Answer "Yes" to the committee evaluation question
• First Name: Amy
• Last Name: Terstriep (even if you have not worked with Amy Terstriep)
• Email Address: preprofessional@purdue.edu
• Due Date: 12/31/2024 (we will send letters as soon as we have all of your letters and you have told us you submitted your application--typically long before this date)
• Respond to the Waiver of Evaluation statement
• Acknowledge the Permission to Contact Reference statement
• Acknowledge the Permission for Schools to Contact Reference statement
• Click on Save This Evaluation Request

Additional Steps

• Research all schools to which you are applying to ensure you have letters that will cover their requirements.
• Please click "Yes" on the question to provide Advisor Release. This provides us some limited information which can help us with providing assistance to you.
• Review Dental School Admissions Data

Applications through TMDSAS (ONLY use this if you are a Texas resident)

Overview:

• TMDSAS is used for people who are residents of Texas and applying to dental school. If you are NOT a Texas resident, you will find the programs in Texas in AADSAS.
• All letters are submitted to Texas programs through TMDSAS
• Participating schools

Setting up your letter information in TMDSAS:

• Answer "Yes" to the following question in the Colleges Attended Questions section
  • Would you like to release your information to the health professions advisor at any school(s)?
  • This enables Pre-Professional Advising to upload your letter packet using the TMDSAS Advisor Portal
• In the Letters of Evaluation section, select Health Professions Committee Packet
• Indicate that the packet will come from Purdue University

Additional Steps

• Research all schools to which you are applying to ensure you have letters that will cover their requirements.
• Add your TMDSAS ID number to the PPA Letter Service.
• Please click "Yes" on the Advisor Release question. This provides PPA with some limited information to help us advise you better. It is also necessary for our ability to submit your letters.
• Review TMDSAS Admission Data

Applying through a common application (such VMCAS, CASPA, PTCAS, etc)

• Your common application will ask you to provide the name and contact information of each of your letter writers.
• Be sure you have discussed writing a letter with your letter writers BEFORE you add their name to your application.
• Your letter writers will receive an email from the application stating that you are requesting a letter and providing information for the writer about how to login and submit the letter.
• When in the system to add their letter, the writer will be prompted to respond to some questions about you as an applicant. This is a Likert Scale and will ask them to rate you on things like your writing skills on a 1-5 scale.
• The letter writer can then upload the letter to your application directly.
• Always follow up to make sure all your letters have been received.
• It is polite to send them a thank you note for submitting the letter and to let them know when you are admitted.

Additional Resources

Requesting Letters

You may want to provide your letter writer with more information about what to include in the letter and how the process works. PPA has created a document that you can use (Letter Writer Guide, below).

If you need suggestions on who to ask for letters or how to get to know your letter writers, PPA can help

Letter Writer Guide

Provide this information to your letter writer for fields other than medical and dental school.

General Letter Information

• The letters you collect through the PPA Letter Service can only be used for their original purpose--applying to medical or dental school. The use of these letters for any other purpose, including application to post-baccalaureate programs, is not allowed.
• If you want the option of using these letters for something else, you can create an account in a web service for housing and sending letters such as Interfolio. Ask your letter writer to create a more general version of the letter to be used for other graduate programs or for jobs.

Asking for Letters

• Ask for letters in person. It is not polite to have a request for a letter emailed to them if you have not spoken to them first.
• Start early when reaching out to faculty/staff/other letter writers. These are busy people. We recommend asking 2 months in advance if you can. Spring break is a good time frame to think about.
• Do your research on schools to ensure that you are asking for letters that will be appropriate for all the schools at which you are applying.
• More tips on asking for letters.

Letter Types

• Most schools classify letters by the writer's position.
• Science faculty letters--someone who has graded you in a science course. Some schools specify that they prefer these be from biology, chemistry or physics professors.
• Non-Science faculty letters--generally these are intended to show that you perform well outside of science classes. These are typically faculty who graded you in a social science or humanities course.
• Personal letter--these are written by someone who supervised you in a non-classroom setting (for example, research, volunteer work, a supervisor from your job, etc).
• Engineering majors--if you want to use an engineering faculty letter as a science letter, you cannot also use an engineering professor as your non-science letter writer.
• Schools are fairly evenly split on whether they consider science-adjacent courses as science. This means that letters from engineering, kinesiology, nutrition science, or health science faculty may not be considered science at all schools.
• Psychology is considered a social science by professional programs.
• Purdue does not offer committee letters or advisor letters. Admissions websites will indicate an acceptable substitute letter, if needed. Most schools are happy to accept a letter packet.
• Advisor letters are a particular type of of health professions letter--generally not a letter from your academic letter (there are some exceptions). Purdue does not offer this service. Your individual letters will be fine--it will not hurt your application. Do not ask your academic advisor for one of these letters as it is not what schools are looking for unless this is what they specifically requested.

The Letter Packet

• Your letter packet will consist of a cover letter that PPA creates that displays your application ID numbers and discusses the high standards of grades at Purdue.
• We attach the letters from the writers you indicate for us.
• We create a single PDF to submit to your application. We must have all of your indicated letters before we can create your packet.
• We will require your application ID number and an alert that you have submitted your application before we will send your letters.
• Your online application will go through processing without your letters. Thus, there is no immediate rush to send letters. We do, however, attempt to submit packets as quickly as we can.
• Do not wait to submit your application because you are waiting for your letter packet to be sent
• Once we submit your letters, we cannot add new letters to your packet.

Waiving Access to Letters

• If you do not waive your right to view the letters and wish to view them, you must request access to your educational records through the Purdue Office of Legal Counsel. If this request is approved, they will ask PPA for your file and allow you to view the letters in their office.
• Pre-Professional Advising does not share letters with applicants.
• If you know the people writing your letters, you should have a good sense of the information they can provide that will enhance and support your application.

Number of Letters

• Research your applicant schools. They may say 3 letters which defines a number for you, but some schools have requirements about the type of letter. Other schools just tell you to ask people who know you well. If you can only have 4 letters, for example, and one of those must be a chemistry faculty letter--you need to be sure you have that.
• You may find that some schools include in their applicant materials a statement saying that they will only accept X number of letters or that they prefer a committee letter. This is not a problem. They know that they may receive more letters than they ask for if you have a letter packet.
  • Some programs will ask you to choose which letters you want them to use as part of the secondary application process.
  • Some schools will categorize your letters themselves and assign the number of letters they are willing to use.
  • Some schools will look at all of your letters even if they said they only wanted X number of letters.

Online Application Tips

• Do NOT wait for letters to submit your application. The most time-intensive part of an application is having it processed once you submit your application. Your application can go through processing without letters. The letters can be sent AFTER you apply and will be forwarded to schools.
• If you are applying to a combined degree such as MD/PhD or DO/PhD, please let us know.
• Your letters can only be used for their original purpose--applying to medical or dental school. The use of these letters for any other purpose, including application to post-baccalaureate programs, is not allowed.
• If you want the option of using these letters for something else, you can create an account in a web service for housing and sending letters such as Interfolio. Ask your letter writer to create a more general version of the letter to be used for other graduate programs or for jobs.

Sending Transcripts

• Purdue University does not use the third party companies (such as Parchment) that application services use to accept electronic transcripts. You will need to request an official PAPER transcript from the Registrar's Office. Details about sending transcripts.

Advisor Information Release--All Applicants

PLEASE authorize your online application to release limited information about your application to Pre-Professional Advising. This helps us with advising you and to track information to help future applicants. Pre-Professional Advising staff will be the only people able to see your information (we can't see your whole application). We do not share any information that can be personally identified as belonging to a particular student.

To authorize release of information to advisors in Pre-Professional Advising:

AMCAS (MD): select "YES" to the Advisor Release question found in the Schools Attended section where you enter "Purdue University"

AACOMAS (DO): select "YES" to the Advisor Release statement found in the Personal Information section of the application

AADSAS (Dental): select "YES" to the Advisor Release question found in the Personal Information section of the application

TMDSAS (Texas Schools): select "YES" to the Advisor Release question in the Colleges Attended section where you enter "Purdue University

Other fields (PA, PT, Vet Med, etc): while there is some variations between the online applications, typically providing access will be similar to the AACOMAS and AADSAS applications

Dean of Student Forms

• Some schools will request that you have a form filled out by the Dean of Students Office. This is to verify that you were in good social and academic standing while at Purdue.
• You will take this step only if and when a schools asks for one (usually part of a secondary/supplemental application).
• There will be a portion of the form that you must fill out. Do this before taking your form to the Dean's office or it will be returned to you.
• The Dean's office will send the completed form directly to the school that requested the information.

Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities

• Schleman Hall, Suite 216
• 656 Oval Drive
• West Lafayette IN 47907-2050
• Email: osrr@purdue.edu

Details about requesting this service and about Disciplinary Records

Indiana Program Letter Preferences

• When in doubt about your letters, contact your application schools for guidance.

Indiana University School of Medicine Letter Preferences

• 1 science faculty letter (preferably biology, chemistry or physics).
• 1 non-science faculty letter (social science or humanities is preferred).
• 1 personal letter from someone who supervised you in a non-classroom setting.
• The academic letters must be from instructors who have given you a grade in a class.
• The personal letter is meant to provide a non-academic perspective and should come from someone who did not teach you in a class or give you a grade.
• If you are applying early decision at IU, consider having 2 science letters in case you later need to broaden your search.
• When in doubt about your letters, contact your application schools for guidance.

Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine Letter Preferences

• MU-COM requires a minimum of 3 letters.
• 1 letter from a physician (MD or DO).
• At least 1 letter from a science professor who gave you a grade in a science course.
• The other letter can be from another faculty member or from someone who knows you in a professional or service-related capacity.

Indiana University School of Dentistry Letter Preferences

• 1 letter from a science faculty member or research faculty member.
• 1 additional letter from any academic area of study or a dentist who you have shadowed within the last 12 months prior to application.