The Application Process
The Brandeis University Board of Premedical Advisors, The Board Interview, and the Composite Letter of Recommendation
The Board of Premedical Advisors is composed of members of the faculty and administrators. The Board assists Brandeis University students and alumni who are ready to apply to medical or other health professions schools in two important ways. First, students are assigned an advisor from the Board. Advisors work with students individually as they develop the various aspects of their applications, and helps students assess the strengths and weaknesses of their candidacies. Second, the Board provides a letter of recommendation for students applying to medical or other health professions schools. Almost every health professions school requires such a letter of recommendation.
In order to receive a letter from the Board, applicants are required to take the following steps:
Sessions are held throughout the fall semester on various days of the week. Check the premed/prehealth website at for a complete schedule (note that you need only attend one session!). A supplementary booklet of information about the Board Interview and the composite letter of recommendation is distributed at these information sessions.
Assignments are usually made in November. You must attend an information session if you wish to have an advisor assigned to you.
At this meeting, you will become acquainted with your advisor, and you will begin to talk about the various aspects of your application and about your prospects for admission. Your advisor will also help you prepare for your interview.
There are a number of forms that you must fill out in order to have a composite letter written for you. You must also have a draft of your personal statement completed, and a copy of your list of activities -- these will also aid you in completing your standardized application (e.g. AMCAS, AADSAS).
Your interview will be with a panel of four or five members of the Board. The interview allows the Board to become familiar with each student applying to medical or other health professions schools, and becomes the basis for the Board’s recommendation. Interviews are approximately twenty minutes long. They are held during the spring semester of each year, though a small number of students are interviewed in the fall semester as well.
The interview is not meant to be stressful. Rather, it is designed to help students better understand the strengths and weaknesses of their candidacy. It also provides students an opportunity to prepare for interviews at medical and other health professions schools.
Many students have questions or may want further clarification about issues that were raised in the interview. The follow-up meeting is the best opportunity for students to receive the additional feedback they need. This is also a good opportunity for students to convey additional information about themselves that may not have been brought forward in the interview. If appropriate, such information can be included in the student's letter of recommendation from the Board.
The Composite Letter of Recommendation from the Board of Premedical Advisors
The letter of recommendation from the Board is often called a composite letter since it incorporates information from several different sources. Besides the Board interview, these sources include letters of recommendation from faculty and other individuals, the applicant's personal statement, a list of activities that the applicant has been involved in, and the applicant's academic transcript. Typically the Board's letters of recommendation are prepared and sent out during the summer. Some letters are also prepared and sent out in the fall semester. The complete letters of recommendation from individuals who have written on the applicant's behalf are either incorporated or attached to the composite letter from the Board. Payment of a non-refundable $50 administration fee and completion of all forms and the interview are required of all individuals who wish to have a composite letter of recommendation from the Board of Premedical Advisors.