Letters of Recommendation

Letter requirements can vary from school to school, so research the schools you want to apply to and make sure you know in advance what they are asking for! Letter packets submitted through the Prehealth office can override maximum limits from a school, but NOT required letters. 

Here are some common requirements, but don't be surprised if you see others: 

• 3-5 letters.
• At least one letter from a PhD level faculty member who has taught you in a natural science course. Many schools will ask for two of these letters so we would strongly recommend requesting at least two. 
• At least one letter from a clinically based experience in the profession you are applying for. 
• For anyone applying to a combined PhD program, a research letter is required. A research letter is recommended for other applicants who participated in research. 
• Some DO medical schools may recommend a letter from a DO physician, but it is not often required. 
• Some schools may recommend a faculty letter from a non-science course (humanities and/or social sciences). Please note the non-science letter does not need to be from a PhD level instructor.
• Other letters would depend on what other activities you participate in and could include areas like community service, athletics, leadership positions, and other professional positions. Consider who knows you best in an academic or professional capacity.
• Letters from family or close friends are strongly advised against.

• Give people a reasonable amount of time to write and submit. Three to four weeks would be a minimum. You don’t want your recommenders feeling pressured.
• Have a meeting with the individual. Give them a resume and even a draft of your personal statement. Make it easy for them to write a comprehensive letter.
• Follow up the request a few days later with a thank you note.
• If letters have not been submitted, please contact the recommender politely, but promptly alert them to any pending deadlines. 
• You can refer your recommenders to our Information for Letter Writers if they would like some additional guidance. 

Letters submitted to Prehealth can only be requested starting in the spring semester leading up to when you plan to apply. We are unable to collect early letters for you. Please keep in mind that it is preferred to have letters dated closer to when you plan to apply so it is not at all necessary to get letters early, and we would encourage you to have a conversation with your potential recommenders about your application timeline. Most are willing to write a letter and keep it on file until the time you will need it for your application. If you have a concern about this, please contact a Prehealth Advisor to discuss it further. 

Our letter collection vendor, PrivateFolio, is available for use with different categories of applicants so please read carefully to determine how you should access it.

Previous Prehealth Committee Applicants (2020-2023): For those who previously completed the Prehealth Committee process and plan to seek out an addendum to your packet, please refer to the Prehealth Committee Reapplicant page and follow all directions there.

EOPIM Nominees: For those interested in applying for EOPIM, please refer to the EOPIM page and follow all directions there.

Previous Self-Assessment Participants (starting in 2024): For those who previously completed the Prehealth Guided Self-Assessment, you must first complete a Self-Assessment Update. Please see the self-assessment page for more details. Once that is completed, you will receive a special link to access a UB PrivateFolio account and you should use the directions on this page.

All Others: For all other applicants, you must first come through our guided self-assessment process. Please see the self-assessment page for more details. Once that is completed, we will send you a link to pay the one-time fee of $40. Within a week of your fee payment, you will receive a special link to access a UB PrivateFolio account and you should use the directions on this page.

• We will send you the link to the UB PrivateFolio account.
• Enter your information, choose your password, and press Submit to create your account.
• You will receive a confirmation email. Click on the confirmation link in this email and then log into your account using your email address and password.
• !!! IMPORTANT !!! You will be asked to choose your account term. Choose the option for one free year. We will subsidize your account for additional years if you need it, but we can only renew accounts one year at a time. If you pay PrivateFolio directly, we cannot refund you.  

• Under the Recommendation Letters section, click on Request a Letter.
• Fill in the name and email address for your letter writer.
• You will provide a Document Title for this letter. Please title it with the recommender’s name and the year you are requesting it. For example, Dr. Jane Doe 2025 or John Doe 2025.
• You have the option of putting in a due date. Should you choose to do so, please make sure you are choosing a reasonable date that you have previously discussed with your letter writer.
• You have the option of modifying the text of the request that will go to your letter writer. We recommend personalizing it. This is also a good place to remind recommenders that letters should be signed, dated, and either on letterhead or include all contact information. Additionally, you can add the link to our web page with information for letter writers.
• Check off the box indicating that the letter must be signed.
• Check off the box indicating that you are waiving your right to access the confidential letter. Professional schools strongly prefer confidential letters.
• When everything is ready, click submit and your letter writer will receive the request in their email.
• !!! IMPORTANT !!! If we already have letters on file for you from a previous cycle that were submitted either through veCollect or via email, we can add them to your PrivateFolio account. Please contact Amanda at alp25@buffalo.edu for additional information. 

• Once your recommender successfully uploads their letter to PrivateFolio, you will receive a confirmation email.
• However, consider your letter to be in “quarantine” for a week so we can screen it to make sure it meets all guidelines.
• If the letter is missing anything, we will contact you so that you can ask your letter writer to resubmit it.
• If you don’t hear from us after a week, you can assume your letter was acceptable. Please understand that we are unable to send confirmation for every letter. 

• ONLY DO THIS STEP AFTER ALL OF YOUR LETTERS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AND YOU ARE CERTAIN OF WHICH LETTERS YOU WANT INCLUDED IN YOUR LETTER PACKET.
• After all of your letters have been submitted, you will confirm the recommendations you want included in your letter packet by creating a Word document of your final list.
• Please include each recommender’s full name and the year the letter was submitted.
• In PrivateFolio, click on Upload Documents under Manage Dossier.
• Click on the Add Document button.
• Please title it with your full name and the year. For example, Judy Smith 2025.
• In the drop down menu, choose Letter Writer List.
• Click the Choose Document button and attach your file. 

• You do not need to use any other functionalities in PrivateFolio (deliveries, portfolio, referrals, etc).
• We will handle letter packet deliveries to applications.
• Do not request delivery through PrivateFolio or they will charge you. We are unable to refund any money paid directly to PrivateFolio.
• Once you have uploaded your final letter list, your final step will be to fill out our release form for each application you are submitting.