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Letters of Recommendation

ALL recommendations are due by September 18 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time.
The following tips are designed to supplement and not replace the VMCAS application instructions.

Tips for Applicants

  • Carefully read all instructions in the VMCAS application. 
  • All VMCAS recommendation requests are to be completed electronically in the Recommendation section of the VMCAS application.
  • Recommendations are submitted by the recommenders themselves through Letters by Liaison (recommendation portal). The recommender will:
    • Complete questions and evaluate the applicant on multiple criteria using a Likert scale.
    • Upload a letter of recommendation in the recommendation portal.
  • Committee letters can be submitted by entering the committee chair (or their alternate) as the recommender. A committee letter only counts as one recommendation and individuals who contributed to the letter may not be used as additional recommenders.
  • Recommendation requirements vary by institution; please review the Veterinary Medical School Admissions Requirements website and the schools’ website prior to sending the VMCAS recommendation request to your recommenders for specific requirements. Some schools DO NOT ACCEPT COMMITTEE or COMPOSITE recommendations. 
  • Recommenders will find the eLOR portal simple to use — filling out the recommendation form is quick, straightforward, and secure. Letters of recommendation are easily uploaded into the online form.
  • Track the progress of your recommendation letter by going to the “Check Status” tab of your VMCAS application.
  • Recommendation Rules
    • You are required to request at least 3 and may request a maximum of 6 recommendations.
    • Applicants cannot complete or submit the evaluation.
    • VMCAS will not notify applicants about missing evaluations.
    • Paper and emailed evaluations are not accepted.
    • All programs will receive the same set of recommendations, regardless of requirements.

NOTE:  Beginning with VMCAS 2016, VMCAS no longer accepts individual letters of recommendation in paper form. They MUST be submitted electronically (eLOR).

Tips for Recommendation Letter Writers

  • The applicant will send a request for a recommendation through their VMCAS application. You will receive an email containing a link to the recommendation portal.
  • You will need to accept the request and complete the required components of the Recommendation, including assessing the applicant on a number of criteria on a Likert Scale. View the VMCAS Likert Criteria.
  • Review the VMCAS Guidelines for Recommendation Letter Writers.
  • Reference the Letters by Liaison Help Center for more information about the recommendation letter portal.
  • You and the applicant will receive a confirmation email of the submitted recommendation.
  • Submit your Recommendation letter no later than September 18, 2023.

Letters by Liaison Portal link: https://recommendations.liaisoncas.com/recommendation/ui/login

Questions? Please call the Student and Advisor Hotline 617-612-2884  or send an email to vmcasinfo@vmcas.org.

Here is a quick FAQ about eLOR:

What is eLOR ?

eLOR stands for electronic Letters of Recommendation. It gives applicants and recommenders the opportunity to complete the recommendation process online. Best of all it is simple and fast.

All applicants must register their recommender’s information into the eLOR section of the web application.

How does eLOR work?

Enter your recommender’s information into the spaces provided. The recommender will then receive an email requesting them to log into the secure eLOR service and complete your recommendation. Recommenders have the option of denying your request.

Recommenders log into the eLOR system using the information provided in the email request, fill out the required sections, and submit at a time of their choosing up to the VMCAS application deadline. All recommendations must be completed by the application deadline. A comprehensive help section is provided and questions can be answered by a VMCAS professional by contacting us at vmcasinfo@vmcas.org or by calling the Student and Advisor Hotline at 617-612-2884.

Can I submit my application before the status has changed to “Completed” ? 

Yes. As long as you have registered your minimum three recommenders in the eLOR section, you will be allowed to submit your application before the recommendations have been submitted.

What is a committee recommendation letter? 

VMCAS defines a committee recommendation letter as a single recommendation letter signed by multiple recommenders. This counts as only one recommendation.

Some schools have additional policies on this type of recommendation; check with each school to which you are applying for further details. 

How do I send out electronic committee letters? 

Committee letters can be submitted by entering the committee chair (or their alternate) as the recommender. A committee letter only counts as one recommendation and individuals who contributed to the letter may not be used as additional recommenders.

Where does the recommender place my personal letter of recommendation on the electronic form? 

At the end of the electronic recommendation form, there is a free text field provided for recommenders to cut and paste their personal letter of recommendation.

My recommendation letter writer did not receive the email request. What happened? 

Assuming the email address was entered correctly, the most likely reason is that the email address that you entered has spam filtering which is blocking our messages. Have your recommender check their spam folder within a week or two of registering them. They can also disable the filter, or use a different email address.

If the recommender continues to have difficulty, please call the Student and Advisor Hotline 617-612-2884 or send an email to vmcasinfo@vmcas.org 

My recommender can’t login with the username and password? What should they do now? 

  • First, make sure they are at the correct login page. It should say “VMCAS Recommendation for 2024 Enrollment” near the top of the page. 
  • Have the recommender copy and paste the username and password directly from the email into the login screen.  
  • Make sure there are no extra spaces at the beginning or end of their username and password.
  • If the recommender continues to have difficulty, please call the Student and Advisor Hotline 617-612-2884  or send an email to vmcasinfo@vmcas.org.

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