Letter Packet
What is a Letter Packet?
A Letter Packet consists of a Cover Letter from the Hunter College Pre-Health Committee, followed by the full content of all recommendation letters held in the student's Pre-Health File or in the Pre-Health database.
The Pre-Health Office will upload the Letter Packet to the student's appropriate application platform.
How is a Letter Packet different from a Committee Letter?
The Cover Letter is not a Committee Letter and does not summarize the candidate's qualifications, nor does the Cover Letter provide a level of endorsement of the candidate.
Why should I apply for a Letter Packet?
A Pre-Health student who does not qualify for a Committee Letter or is applying to a health professions graduate school that does not accept Committee Letters, may be eligible to receive a Letter Packet if they are completing a degree at Hunter College.
The health professions programs that do not accept Committee Letters are:
- Podiatric medical schools
- Pharmacy schools
- Physical Therapy programs
- Occupational Therapy programs
- Physician Associate programs
- Veterinary Medical schools
How do I qualify for a Letter Packet?
Letter Packet Requirements:
- Attend a Letter Packet Application seminar. NOTE: Students applying for Special Master's, Post-Bacc, or EAP programs are not required to attend.
- Submit the Letter Packet Application to the Pre-Health Advising Office.
- Letter Packet Application seminars are offered only in November and February.
- Have a science and overall 3.0 GPA
- NOTE: If you're applying to post bacc or special masters programs, there is no GPA requirement to receive a Letter Packet.
- Have an MCAT score of 498 or above, a DAT score of 19 or above, or an OAT score of 310 or above
- Have all requisite letters of recommendation uploaded by the Letter Packet Application deadline in the year in which you are applying.
Letter Requirements:
- 2 letters from science professors (physics, chemistry or biology)
- 1 letter from a practicing clinician in the area of healthcare to which you are applying (preferred) OR 1 letter from a clinical supervisor
- 1 letter from a research supervisor, if applicable
- 1 letter from a community service supervisor
All letters of recommendation must include a letterhead and the signature of the letter writer.
Provide a Letter of Good Standing from each academic institution attended since high school by the deadline for the Letter Packet Application.
You are responsible for making certain that all letters of recommendation have been received by the Pre-Health Office. Please check with our office to ensure that the letters have been received, are on letterhead, and are signed.
NOTE: Letter Packet applications do not roll over from cycle to cycle. Accordingly, if you decide to postpone for the cycle in which you applied for a letter packet, you will need to submit a new letter packet application the following cycle.
All applicants receiving Letter Packets have been certified as students in good standing at Hunter College and at any other academic institution attended since high school graduation. In addition, each student receiving a Letter Packet must agree to waive their right, under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Acts (FERPA) of 1974, to view the Letter Packet, including the cover letter and the contents of their letters of recommendation on file with the Pre-Health Advising Office.
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