In this section, you will indicate who your letter writers are, what types of letters will be sent to the AMCAS® program, and which schools should receive each letter.
Print the Letter Request Form from the Main Menu of the application from within the Letters of Evaluation section. The Letter Request Form is a PDF generated by you in the AMCAS application for your designated letter authors. This form includes your mailing address, AAMC ID, the Letter ID, and information about submitting letters to the AMCAS program. The Letter ID is a unique 7-digit number assigned to each letter entry on your AMCAS application, which should be provided to each letter writer in order to properly match their letter with the correct letter entry you created in the application. The AMCAS program does not send Letter Request Form(s) to letter authors.
After you have added your medical school designations (in Section 7), you may designate letters to specific medical schools.
The AMCAS program does not need your letters of evaluation to verify your application. Therefore, you may submit your application even if your letters have not yet arrived in the AMCAS application. Your application and letters will be made available to medical schools after your application is verified. Letters that arrive after your application has been processed will be forwarded to schools on a rolling basis.
For more information about Letters of Evaluation visit the AMCAS Applicant Guide.
AMCAS Letter Service
The AMCAS Letter Service enables participating medical schools to receive all letters electronically and enables letter authors to send all letters to the AMCAS program rather than each school individually.
Letter Types
The AMCAS program accepts three different types of letters. Each letter type is equivalent to one letter entry.
- Committee Letter: A letter authored by a prehealth committee or prehealth advisor and intended to represent your institution’s evaluation of you. A Committee Letter may or may not include additional letters written in support of your application. This is sometimes called a Composite Letter.
- Letter Packet: A packet or set of letters assembled and distributed by your institution, often by the institution’s career center. A Letter Packet may include a cover sheet from your prehealth committee or advisor. However, unlike a Committee Letter, a Letter Packet does not include an evaluative letter from your prehealth committee or advisor.
- Individual Letter: A letter written by, and representing, a single letter author. If you have already included an Individual Letter within either a Committee Letter or a Letter Packet, do not add a separate entry for that letter.
AMCAS Letters of Evaluation: Frequently Asked Questions
AMCAS Letters of Evaluation: General
Find a list of frequently asked questions that help you work with your letter authors to send letters of evaluation to the AMCAS program.
Letters of Evaluation: General FAQs
Please feel free to direct letter writers to the "Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant" webpage.
If you would like to provide your letter writers with a printed resource, then access the "Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant" PDF.
AMCAS Letters of Evaluation: Reapplying
Do I need to submit new letters of evaluation if I applied with the AMCAS application previously?
The AMCAS program does not keep letters on file from applications in previous years. You must resubmit letters of evaluation for each application cycle you apply.
Can the AMCAS program give me a copy of a previously submitted letter?
Under no circumstances will the AMCAS program provide copies of letters of evaluation to applicants, letter authors, or a third party. Letters sent in support of your application will only be distributed to the medical schools you designated for that particular application cycle.
If your letter author used the AMCAS Letter Writer Application to submit a letter to the AMCAS program, they can view letters they previously submitted until that application year is closed.
Letters of Evaluation: For Your Letter Authors
How does my letter author get his/her letter to the AMCAS program?
Your letter author can forward your letter in one of the following ways:
If your institution's pre-medical advising office provides a letter of evaluation service, you may be able to arrange to have all of your letters transmitted to the AMCAS program through that office. Talk with your advisor to determine which type of system is used at your institution (i.e., Committee Letter, Letter Packet, or Individual Letters).
AMCAS Letter Writer Application
This application enables letter authors to upload PDF versions of letter(s) securely to the AMCAS application rather than send letters via the mail. Your letter writer will be required to register as a letter writer and will need your AAMC ID and AMCAS Letter ID in order to upload your letter(s).
Note: There is a new website address for the AMCAS Letter Writer Application. Please update your favorites and bookmarks to use the following NEW link to access the application: http://systems.aamc.org/letterwriter.
Interfolio
Make certain to add your AAMC ID and AMCAS Letter ID in your Interfolio account if you are an Interfolio user. These IDs must accompany your letter in order for your letter to be matched with your application.
How to use Interfolio:
Enter the letter entry/entries in the AMCAS application before you have them sent via Interfolio.
If submitting an Individual Letter to the AMCAS application, you should:
- Enter each individual letter separately in the AMCAS application.
- Create a new delivery in Interfolio.
- In Interfolio select "AMCAS" as your designation.
- Select the corresponding Individual Letter(s).
- You will then be asked for the AAMC ID and AMCAS Letter ID found on the AMCAS Letter Request Form for each Individual Letter.
- Complete the delivery.
If submitting a Committee Letter or Letter Packet to the AMCAS application through Interfolio, you should:
- Enter it once in the AMCAS application.
- Create a new delivery in Interfolio.
- In Interfolio select "AMCAS" as your designation.
- Select the corresponding letter(s) that belong to the Letter Packet or Committee Letter.
- Input the AAMC ID and AMCAS Letter ID found on the AMCAS Letter Request Form for each letter (please note: If the letter(s) are complied within Interfolio to make one Committee Letter or Letter Packet you will need to enter the same AMCAS Letter ID for all letters that belong in one Committee Letter or Letter Packet).
- Complete the delivery.
Do letters need to be on official letterhead and signed?
Medical schools may require that your letters are written on official letterhead and include the author's signature. Research the letter requirements at the schools you plan to apply to in order to determine whether they request this formality.
Visit the AMCAS Letter Author Guidelines page for more details.
Letters of Evaluation: Timing
When will the AMCAS program begin accepting letters of evaluation?
The AMCAS program will begin accepting letters of evaluation on the same day that the AMCAS application opens.
When does my letter information have to be complete in the AMCAS application? Does it have to be complete before I can submit?
You may assign your letters before and/or after you submit your application. Letters do not have to be assigned to the letter entries in your AMCAS application before you can submit, although you have the option to add this information before submitting. Please note that after you submit your application, you can add letter entries, but you cannot delete or change existing letter entries.
How long does it take for the AMCAS program to process my letters and mark them received?
Letters sent through Interfolio can take up to 3 business days to be marked as received within the AMCAS application. Letters uploaded through the AMCAS Letter Writer Application are immediately marked as received. If your letter writer uploaded a letter through the Letter Writer Application and the status of your letter is still "Not Received," advise your letter writer to try again.
Will all my letters be sent to the medical school at the same time?
The AMCAS program does not hold letters until all are received. Any of your letters that arrive while your application is being processed will be sent to your designated medical schools along with your application once your application has been processed. Letters that get to the AMCAS program after your application has been processed will be made available to your designated schools as soon as they are received.
My letters are uploaded but the medical school has not received them. What should I do?
Make sure your application is processed, as letters will not be sent until your application completes processing. Check the Letters of Evaluation or Medical School Summary screen in your AMCAS application and make sure the letters were added to that specific school. Finally, if it has been over a week since your application was processed and your letters were uploaded and submitted to the medical school, contact the medical school directly.
Letters of Evaluation: Postsubmission
Can I change my letter information after my application has been submitted to the AMCAS program?
You may add a new letter after your application has been submitted, but you cannot delete or change existing letter entries.
However, your letter writer can update the actual letter document linked to a letter entry by uploading a new version of the letter using the same Letter ID number as the original entry. Medical schools will be able to review the most recent version of the letter. These updates may be necessary if your letter writer needs to make a change to your letter, or if the original letter was not signed or on official letterhead. Do not make a new letter entry in your application for an updated letter.
How do I add a letter after my application has been submitted?
To add additional letters of evaluation, log back into your AMCAS application and select the Letters of Evaluation tab.
You can add more letters only if you have not already entered 10 letters. If you would like to assign a letter to a medical school that you've already applied to, select the "Medical School" tab, select "Edit" for the school you'd like to receive the new letter, and select the new letter. If you would like to send your application and letters to a new medical school, you will be prompted to select the letters you would like sent to the new school after adding the school.
Please note: Each time you select a new school and add letters, you must officially update your application by clicking on the "Resubmit Application" button on the Main Menu of your application.
What should I do if my letter has been uploaded incorrectly or assigned to the wrong medical school?
Incorrectly Uploaded Letter
Ask your letter writer re-upload your letter of evaluation, making sure to use the correct letter ID number. Once your new letter of evaluation is received it will pre-pended any existing letters since the original cannot be completely removed once it has been received by the AMCAS program.
Letter Assigned to the Wrong School
Ask your letter writer to re-upload your letter of evaluation, making sure to use the correct letter ID number. After you have contacted your letter writer, please contact the medical school(s) that have received the incorrect letter of evaluation and ask them to please discard the letter.