Some of your letters should be from professors you have taken courses with recently. Your file should be complete no later than August 1st. If you wait any longer, the delay in the receipt of the evaluations may delay consideration of your application, seriously reducing your chances of admission. Request your letters early, as some have arrived in our office months after being requested. You should choose faculty who know you well, have had you in their courses, and are favorably impressed by you.
Many students are uncertain as to how to get to know faculty members.
Not only will you become known to your faculty, which may help you obtain better letters of recommendation, but you may improve your understanding of and performance in the class. You could even develop a mentor relationship with a faculty member. Keep in touch with the faculty with whom you feel you have made a connection. When you ask a faculty member to write you a letter, ask if the letter will be a favorable one. In addition, offer as much information about yourself as possible - copies of your transcript, a resume, a statement describing your motivation for medicine, and a personal meeting to answer the faculty members' questions.