Same letter from one guy to different programs?

[meaningless]

Hello all,

 

I heard that when you are applying to different programs in same school and you choose the same referral, some of those will just upload the exact same letter to the system. Some of my friends said that is not good as even if the programs are not the same, the AdCom is most probably the same group of people and they will consider the referral to be "not willing to talk to them and not bother to twist a bit for their letter for different programs" and this turns out to be a flag to the applicant. Is that true? If so then I will be a bit screwed as I know two of my referrals do this to me, and when I ask one of them said it is fine for two programs, but not to three or so, where I am applying to at most two programs for the same school.

 

Thanks for your two cents!

[TakeruK]

The AdComm would not be the same group of people for two separate programs, unless the two programs are close enough that a large fraction of the profs in one program are adjuncts in another etc.

 

But it's perfectly normal for profs to submit the exact same LOR over and over again. Most profs will "personalise" it by changing the school name but that's kind of a meaningless change. It would be best if the prof could write specifically about why you would be great for each program, but that only works when the prof intimately knows how that program works. Most profs won't be familiar with all the programs out there. So I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[fuzzylogician]

It's common practice for professors to basically write one letter and then tweak it to fit different schools. No one on the adcoms will expect each of your letter writers to write a new letter from scratch just for their program. It is also quite unlikely that there will be professors who serve on the admissions committees at both programs, though it's possible that at some point the finalist shortlist (and perhaps their files) will be sent around to all the faculty at both programs, and if these professors are affiliated with the other program, they might see your name on both lists. Even so, everybody knows that applicants apply to multiple schools and there's nothing wrong with that. So -- I wouldn't worry about any of this at all. 

[meaningless]

Hello TakeruK and fuzzylogician, 

 

thank you very much for the opinion, such a relief! Since my first referral is a good people, I mean she actually helps to improve my PS and all sort by correct them for me while I am not under her anymore for years, so at the same time I worried if I apply to multiple programs will terribly increase her workload. I think my friend who told me this is just too paranoid and I shouldn't worry about that.

 

Thanks again!

 

mls