Case Western Reserve University undergraduate students and recent alumni applying to medical or dental schools have the option to apply for a Composite Letter Packet to be submitted by a healthcare careers advisor. The packet consists of individual letters of recommendation submitted to the Career Center from faculty, professional mentors and supervisors, and a letter of evaluation from a healthcare careers advisor.
Applicants who are eligible to receive a composite letter packet per the guidelines below AND who meet all required deadlines will receive it.
The composite letter packet is an optional service that is offered by the Career Center. It is not a requirement to apply to medical or dental school. Anyone who applies to medical or dental school without a composite letter packet is encouraged to continue working with a healthcare careers advisor to receive advising support.
Eligibility for a Composite Letter Packet
Only current CWRU undergraduate students and alumni who received their undergraduate degree from CWRU less than three years ago are eligible to apply for a Composite Letter Packet. Applicants are required to have been at CWRU for at least four semesters and have completed a minimum of four prerequisite courses at CWRU for a letter grade.
Those who meet that criteria must have a cumulative undergraduate and BCPM GPA of 3.25 or higher at CWRU, OR have completed an academic enhancer post-baccalaureate or specialized masters program with a GPA of 3.5 or higher after graduation from CWRU to be eligible to apply for a Composite Letter Packet.
Anyone who does not meet these guidelines is ineligible to apply for a Composite Letter Packet.
Required Letters of Recommendation
The Composite Letter Packet requires three letters of recommendation from CWRU faculty. Two faculty letters must come from the areas of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Mathematics. At least one of these two letters must come from a faculty member who has taught a course in which you were enrolled. The third faculty letter must come from a non-BCPM area, such as the arts, humanities, social sciences, or business.
Up to two additional letters may be submitted for inclusion in the letter packet. These optional letters may come from additional faculty members (CWRU or non-CWRU), primary investigators and research mentors, health professionals you have shadowed, or supervisors.
First-Time Applicants that completed the Medical School Application and Preparation Canvas Course by the posted deadline and Re-Applicants for Composite Letter Packets will collect letters of recommendation through PrivateFolio.
Create Your PrivateFolio Account
- Use the CWRU referral link to create your PrivateFolio account: privatefolio.com/auth/webUser/signup?invitedReferralCode=Case-Western-Pre-Health
- Enter your information, choose a password, and press "Submit" to create your account.
- You will receive a confirmation email. Click on the confirmation link in this email, and then log in to your account using your email address and password.
- You will be asked to choose an account term. The cost for one year of access to PrivateFolio is $9.99; they also offer three years of access for $24.99, and five years of access for $37.99.
Request Confidential Letters of Recommendation
- Log in to your PrivateFolio account.
- Under "Recommendation Letters", click on "Request a Letter."
- Fill in your letter writer's name and contact information, as well as a title for the document (e.g., BCPM Letter #1). This title will be visible to the writer and any institution you send deliveries to.
- You have the option of modifying the text of the request that will be sent to your letter writer. We highly recommend that you specify a due date for the letter and that it should be signed, dated, and on official letterhead.
- Check the box indicating that you waive rights of access (this is required to ensure the confidentiality of letters).
- Click on "Submit."
- Your letter writer will receive an email with the details of your request and a link through which they can upload the letter.
- You will receive a confirmation email once the letter writer has submitted their letter to PrivateFolio and it is available. Our Healthcare Careers staff will also be able to view the letter.
For additional guidance, visit the "Collecting Letters of Recommendation for Composite Letter Packets" page in the Canvas course.
Application Requirements
First-Time Applicants, including students who previously applied for a Composite Letter Packet but did not submit their primary application to medical or dental school:
- Complete the Canvas Course (Attend live or watch recording of Composite Letter Info Session, Submit Pre-Application Self-Assessment, and get 80% or better on each quiz) by Jan. 3, 2025
- Submit application by Feb. 7, 2025
- Complete Composite Letter Interview appointment after application submission by May 23, 2025
Re-Applicants who applied to medical or dental school with a completed Composite Letter Packet in a previous cycle:
- Submit application by May 23, 2025
- If desired, complete optional Composite Letter Interview appointment by June 20, 2025
Any students that fail to satisfy the above requirements will be ineligible to receive a Composite Letter Packet, but are strongly encouraged to proceed with the application process by requesting individual letters of recommendation through their respective application systems.
Submission Timeline
To guarantee that the composite letter packet is submitted by the priority deadline of August 10, 2025, First-Time and Re-Applicants must satisfy all of the outlined requirements and release their most recent admissions test score to our office by May 28, 2025. If all other requirements are met, but an applicant fails to release their most recent test score by the priority deadline, they will still be eligible to receive a composite letter packet, however, the submission date will not be guaranteed.
Summary of Dates and Deadlines
- Dec. 2, 2024: Application cycle opens at 9:00am
- Jan. 3, 2025: Last day for First-Time Applicants to complete the Canvas Course by 11:59pm (Includes: Pre-Application Self-Assessment, five quizzes, and viewing Composite Letter Info Session)
- Feb. 7, 2025: Last day for First-Time Applicants to submit their applications by 11:59pm
- May 23, 2025: Last day for Re-Applicants to submit their applications by 11:59pm AND Last day for First-Time Applicants to complete their Composite Letter Interview
- May 28, 2025: Deadline to release most recent admissions test score to Healthcare Careers team
- June 2, 2025: Letters of Recommendation for First-Time Applicants due
- June 20, 2025: Last day for Re-Applicants to complete optional Composite Letter Interview
- June 27, 2025: Letters of Recommendation for Re-Applicants due
- Aug. 10, 2025: Guaranteed Date for eligible Composite Letter Packets to be submitted