Composite Letter
A Composite Letter is a summative and evaluative review of an Emory undergraduate student's experiences, including academic and extracurricular experiences.
As a snapshot of the undergraduate experience, the Composite Letter places Emory students in context with their peers. The Composite Letter is a component of the application process for students applying to medical, dental, optometry, or podiatry school.
The Composite Letter Writer compiles information from the following sources to create the entire Composite Letter (any information provided in the sources listed below may be used in the Composite Letter):
- Student application (includes transcripts and test scores, if available)
- Student Activities List
- Student Short Essays and Personal Statement
- 3-4 Letters of Recommendation
- Composite Letter Interview
Current students may read more about the Composite Letter and gaining access to the application through our Composite Letter SharePoint site. Alumni with questions about the process may email prehealth@emory.edu.
Composite Letter Process
To be eligible to apply for a Composite Letter, all individuals must complete three required meetings: the Group Mandatory Check-Up, Peer Mentor 1:1 Follow-Up, and Advisor 1:1 Follow Up.
The Group Mandatory Check-Up and 1:1 Follow-Up meetings are meant to be completed in the sophomore year. Students/alumni who did not complete these meetings in their sophomore year should contact their advisor as soon as possible to discuss their options for applying for a Composite Letter.
Requests to complete these meetings after sophomore year are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Students/alumni who are unsure if they completed the Group Mandatory Check-Up or 1:1 Follow-Up should contact phaletters@emory.edu to confirm.
For more, current students can visit the PHA SharePoint. Alumni may email phaletters@emory.edu.
Reapplicants and the Composite Letter
Alumniwho applied to a healthcare professional program in the past using a Composite Letter, and are reapplying to the same type of program, may apply with their previously written Composite Letter. The Composite Letter speaks to the Emory experience. Alumni are encouraged to collect additional letters of recommendation that speak to new experiences since the Composite Letter was written. Letters of recommendation can be submitted directly to the centralized application service (CAS) by the letter writer, in addition to the Composite Letter.
Those applying with a previous Composite Letter may apply for the PHA LOR Hub, which opens in early May, to request delivery of a previous Composite Letter. Click here to join the PHA LOR Hub contact list.
Seniors who are reapplying may request to add updates to their original Composite Letter. This request is ONLY for individuals who are reapplying to the same type of program for which the original Composite Letter was written, e.g. Medical or Dental. If you are changing career paths, a Senior CL Update is not appropriate. Click here to add yourself to the Senior CL Update contact list.
Alumni Policy
Alumni are not eligible to apply for a new Composite Letter. Students must apply for a Composite Letter in either their junior or senior year.
Alumni within 3 years of graduation with an existing Composite Letter on file with PHA may elect to have their Composite Letter delivered to health professional programs or Centralized Application Services by submitting a request through the PHA LOR Hub. To add yourself to our contact list, please fill out our form here. We will send news and information about the LOR Hub application in the year that you intend to apply to programs.
Alumni past 3 years of graduation with an existing Composite Letter and/or recommendation letters may elect to have their letters delivered to Interfolio, an online dossier service. Read more about transferring letters to Interfolio here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should apply for a Composite Letter?
Current Emory juniors and seniors planning to apply to medical, dental, optometry, or podiatry school are eligible to apply for a Composite Letter.
Are Composite Letters required?
Composite Letters are typically not required by individual medical, dental, optometry, or podiatry schools, however they are held in high esteem by admission boards.
When should I apply for a Composite Letter?
Students will begin the process of applying for a Composite Letter during the Fall semester preceding the summer in which they plan to apply for healthcare professional programs. For example, if a student plans to begin health professional school in the Fall of 2024, they will apply to programs in the Summer of 2023, and apply for a Composite Letter in the Fall of 2022.
Starting Fall 2022, alumni will no longer be eligible to apply for a Composite Letter but may still apply to health professional schools with individual letters of recommendation. Students must apply for a Composite Letter in their junior or senior year.
What requirements do I need to fulfill in order to be eligible to apply for a Composite Letter?
Students must attend a Group Mandatory Check-Up and the corresponding 1:1 Follow-Ups in their Sophomore year in order to maintain eligibility for a Composite Letter. We encourage all students who are considering careers in medicine, dentistry, optometry, or podiatry to complete the required meetings in their Sophomore year, even if they have not made a final decision on their career path. Students who did not complete the Group Mandatory Check-Up and 1:1 Follow-Ups in their Sophomore year, should contact Pre-Health Advising to discuss their options.