Letters of Evaluation

Letters of Evaluation, or Letters of Recommendation, provide an opportunity for individuals familiar with your academic, professional, or personal background to endorse your application. These letters offer insight into the qualities and experiences that can contribute to your success in a health graduate program and future health career, while highlighting key professional, interpersonal, scientific, and critical thinking and reasoning competencies. 

Health graduate programs require Letters of Evaluation or Recommendation as part of the admissions process. There are several types of letters used across health graduate programs, which we explore below. Keep in mind that each school establishes its own letter requirements and policies, so it is important to review these carefully when researching and selecting programs. 

 

Letter Options for NU Applicants

The Northeastern University PreMed and PreHealth Advising Program supports applicants using either individual letters of evaluation or a Northeastern University Letter Packet. 

Each applicant is responsible for selecting the letter type that aligns with their program requirements and personal circumstances. 

To learn more about each option, view the video and subsections below: 

 

About the letter packet

A letter packet is a collection of letters that are assembled and sent to schools as part of your application. They are typically compiled by a pre-health advising office but the requirements for Letter Packets are standardized by each individual institution and may vary from school to school. 

A Northeastern University Letter Packet includes all evaluations requested via your Medical Applicant Portal, plus an institutional cover sheet from the PreMed and PreHealth Advising Program. The PreMed and PreHealth Advising Program’s institutional cover sheet provides context to your academic and experiential preparation at Northeastern.  

 

 

LETTER PACKET Eligibility​

You are eligible to utilize the NU Letter Packet service if you are an applicant to allopathic (MD), osteopathic (DO), dental, or podiatric* medical schools, AND you are either: 

  • Within three years post-completion of an NU undergraduate degree, or 
  • Within one-year post-completion of the NU Pre-Medical Studies Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program. 

Applicants to optometry, physician assistant, or veterinary programs, as well as undergraduate alumni who graduated more than three years ago or post-bacc students who completed their studies more than one year ago, must apply with individual letters of evaluation. 

Students and alumni of the Northeastern University Pre-Medical Studies, Post-Baccalaureate Undergraduate Certificate program must complete at least 8 lecture-based courses at Northeastern (transfer credit not accepted), earning a minimum grade of C in each. These courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester in the application year to qualify for a Letter Packet. 

Letter Packets are not guaranteed and are only available to applicants who meet all outlined policies, requirements, and deadlines listed below. Our program strictly adheres to this process with no exceptions. 

*Candidates applying to podiatry programs should consult their PreHealth Advisor for guidance on the Letter Packet process, as podiatry applicants may have different requirements and timelines. 

Letter Packet Policies

  • Northeastern University’s Letter Packet service is available exclusively for applicants to medical (MD/DO), dental, and podiatry programs. The PreMed and PreHealth Advising Program does not create Letter Packets for other program types, such as medical master’s or post-baccalaureate programs, nor do we forward letters submitted to MAP to other programs or external letter-storage services. 
  • Applicants may receive a Northeastern Letter Packet a maximum of two times.  
  • Letter Packets are valid for one application cycle only.  
  • Letter Packet eligibility, deadlines, and requirements apply to each application cycle independently. Applicants who defer or withdraw their application, or who reapply in a future cycle, must meet all Letter Packet deadlines and requirements for that new cycle.* 
    • *Exception: letters of evaluation submitted to the Medical Applicant Portal can be retained for use in future application cycles.

Letter PACket requirements & DEADLINES

To learn more about the Northeastern University Application Readiness program, which is a required component of the Northeastern University Letter Packet service, please visit our Application Readiness Program webpage.

LETTER PACKET EVALUATIONS

The following letters of evaluation must be requested and submitted through the Medical Applicant Portal (MAP) by the applicable deadlines to remain eligible for a Northeastern University Letter Packet. 

While the components of the Northeastern University Letter Packet generally fulfill letter requirements for most health graduate programs, applicants are responsible for reviewing the specific letter requirements for each school they are applying to, as these can vary.

To view the list of Approved Internal Science letters, please visit: Internal Science Letters

ABOUT INDIVIDUAL LETTERS

Applicants to optometry, physician assistant, or veterinary programs, as well as undergraduate alumni who graduated more than three years ago or post-bacc students who completed their studies more than one year ago, must apply with individual letters of evaluation. 

If you are an applicant eligible for a Northeastern Letter Packet you may choose to apply with individual letters of evaluation. 

Applying with individual letters means you are requesting letters from individuals you have personally selected. These letters are sent directly to your application by the letter writer. Because you are individually selecting these letters, you typically have more flexibility in both the types of letters you choose and the timing of their submission.

Individual Letter process

It is common to request between 3-5 individual letters of evaluation for your application(s). Be aware of any limit to the number of individual letters you can request within the application service you will be utilizing before requesting letters. Letters of evaluation that are most effective at demonstrating your readiness for a health graduate program, and are often required, are academic (faculty), professional (clinical, research, etc.), and personal (coaches, mentors, etc.) references. 

Candidates applying with individual letters should begin asking for letters of evaluation at least 2-3 months in advance of their health graduate program applications opening for submission to give their evaluators ample time to draft the letters of recommendation. 

Consult with your individual PreHealth Advisor if you have any questions about applying with individual letters of evaluation. 

Requesting Letters of Evaluation

Here are the best practices for requesting letters of evaluation. Please review this information thoroughly as you begin the process. To stay organized, try using the LOE Request Tracking Sheet! 

The video below provides guidance on requesting letters of evaluation for health graduate school applications, including when to request letters, how to identify strong potential evaluators, and how to thoughtfully approach someone with your request. It also covers what to provide your evaluator to help them write an effective letter, expectations around requesting and using letters, how to respond if an evaluator declines, and the importance of expressing gratitude throughout the process. 

Once an evaluator has agreed to write a letter on your behalf, you will need to formally request the letter and provide them with instructions for submission. The process differs depending on whether you are using a Northeastern University Letter Packet or submitting individual letters, as well as the application service you are using. Review the steps below to request, submit, and manage your letters. 

For a detailed overview of the process outlined above, review the video below. 

If your application plans change or you apply again in a future cycle, how your letters are handled depends on the letter type you selected. 

Letter Packet Candidates: Letters of Evaluation submitted to MAP are retained and may be used in a future application cycle if you defer, withdraw, or reapply. However, your Letter Packet is valid for one application cycle only, and you must meet all Letter Packet eligibility requirements and deadlines for the new cycle. Letters may also need to be updated before reuse. 

Individual Letter Candidates: Stay in contact with your evaluators so you can request new or updated letters for your future application cycle. You may also choose to use an external letter-storage service, such as Interfolio, to retain letters for future use. 

Please Note: Letters submitted to MAP may only be used for the health graduate program type for which they were originally requested. The PreMed and PreHealth Advising Program cannot forward letters to other program types (e.g., medical master’s, post-baccalaureate, PA, or nursing programs) or to external letter-storage services such as Interfolio. If you need a letter for another program type, contact your evaluator directly.