Committee Letter
It is your responsibility to identify faculty members (ideally three STEM and two non-STEM) who can write meaningful, positive letters of recommendation for your application to medical school. Click here for an information sheet for students requesting a committee letter of recommendation. The letter must be submitted to the Prehealth Advising Program Office. Once all of the letters that you have requested have been received, the Director of the Prehealth Advising Program writes a composite letter of evaluation that includes the faculty letters in their entirety. If you are applying to other types of health-related professional programs, you may not need a committee letter. Check with the individual schools to which you are applying to determine whether they prefer a committee letter or separate individual letters.
Here is a list of things to keep in mind when soliciting letters of recommendation:
- Get to know your faculty instructors. This may mean consulting them outside of class if you have questions, or simply making an appointment with them to talk about your career goals and personal aspirations. If the faculty do not know you, they cannot write anything that will help medical schools determine what kind of person you are and what your personal strengths and skills are. Make sure the faculty knows more than what grade you received in their course; if the letter focuses only on your academic credentials, it may not reveal much beyond what your GPA or MCAT scores already indicate. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has prepared “Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant,” which also includes “The Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students.” You should discuss these guidelines and competencies with the faculty who will be writing letters for you. The AAMC has developed a “Premed Competencies Self-Assessment” worksheet that you can fill out and provide to each faculty instructor from whom you are requesting an evaluation so that they will have more information about your “readiness for medical school.” If you do laboratory research, it is especially important for you to get a letter from your research mentor. This should be one of the five individual faculty recommendations. If you cite research experience on our application, but do not include a letter from your mentor, the medical schools may become concerned.
- Ask for positive recommendations. If the faculty member is not willing to commit to a positive letter, then thank them for their time, but do not ask them to write a recommendation for you.
- Ask the instructor to write a letter soon after you have finished the course, assuming you will not be taking any additional courses with that faculty member. If you wait until your junior year to ask your first-year chemistry professor, chances are they will not remember enough about you to write a meaningful letter. The letters will be kept on file in the Prehealth Advising Program Office until you are ready to apply.
- The official written request for a letter of recommendation is sent to the faculty instructor by the Prehealth Advising Program Office. You should request the forms as soon as you identify professors who are willing to write positive letters. You will be asked to sign a form for each letter writer indicating whether or not you waive your right to see the individual letters of recommendation. You do not have to waive your right to see the letters, but if you do not do so, this fact will be conveyed in the committee letter to the medical schools. Some schools may then be concerned that the nonconfidential letters were not written with full candor. The forms, once signed by you, will be distributed to faculty by our office; do not distribute the forms yourself.
- It is preferred that all letters are received by the Prehealth Advising Program Office ideally by March, but at the latest by May. The office will update you when each letter is received and send reminders to writers who have not yet completed their letters.
- If you are a student athlete or have an on-campus job, you should also ask your coach or job supervisor to write a letter, especially if you have made significant contributions. It should now be apparent that simply showing up for such activities is not enough; you should strive for leaving a legacy of accomplishment to which a reputable supervisor can attest. This can be a very powerful and persuasive part of your application. A letter from a coach or job supervisor should be in addition to the five faculty letters and not as replacements for faculty letters.
AAMC Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant
AMCAS Letters of Evaluation
Choosing the Right Recommendation Letter Writers
Getting Great Recommendations
Med School Letters of Recommendation
Medical School Recommendation Letters Q & A
Requesting Medical School Letters of Recommendation After a Gap Year
Who Should Write Letters of Recommendation
The Cover Letter
Categories for Evaluated Students
- Superior Candidate:
We have great confidence that the student has the academic and personal qualifications for studying medicine and becoming a respected member of the profession. - Highly Qualified Candidate:
We believe that the student will succeed in medical school and in the practice of medicine. - Qualified Candidate:
We believe that the student is able to do acceptable work in medical school and in the profession. - Candidate Presented for Consideration:
We think this student should be considered but are uncertain of the chances for success for reasons indicated in our letter. - Special Letter:
We write a special letter when unusual circumstances make it difficult to assign an applicant to one of the above categories.
2026-2027 Supplementary Information
Because Clark University does not publish class ranks and because knowing the distribution of grades helps in evaluating the significance of each transcript, the Premedical and Predental Advisory Committee maintains the current grade distribution. The average GPA for all courses across the university in the 2025-26 academic year is 3.49. The GPA for all BCPM courses (biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics) is 3.32. Thus, in terms of percent, the GPA of students with a heavy concentration of science courses should be raised almost one level in the following table.
Students Who Have Completed Three Years of Work
and Have Cumulative Grade Point Average
| Above | Percent |
|---|---|
| 3.80 | 24.7 |
| 3.60 | 48.2 |
| 3.40 | 71.1 |
| 3.20 | 81.3 |
| 3.00 | 88.1 |
Evaluation Procedure
The Committee evaluates candidates on the basis of their academic record, extracurricular activities and interests, character, and suitability for medicine based on factors such as emotional stability, maturity, motivation, judgment, integrity, and social responsibility. The Committee consults instructors in premedical courses, advisors, and other faculty members designated by the students as knowing them particularly well. Students are also urged to solicit letters of recommendation for us from coaches, employers, or supervisors having significant information to offer. Our committee letter cites the entire content of letters we receive (excluding non-relevant portions such as biographical introductions). Original letters are available upon request. Unless otherwise indicated, students have chosen not to see their evaluations, and both these letters and individual references on which they are based have been, and should be, kept confidential.
Our evaluation is made after comparison with the performance of recent Clark graduates in medical school. The Committee decides on the level of recommendation and the degree of enthusiasm within that level. The letter is then composed by the Chair, reviewed by the Committee, and finally edited and signed by the Chair; significant comments and divergent opinions are included and attributed to their source. Sanctions stemming from academic or social transgressions range from a letter of warning to expulsion. Students are advised to fully disclose on their application to medical school any sanction they have received. Our letter will note any probation, suspension, or dismissal from the University.