As part of your application to professional school you will be required to submit recommendation letters written by your professors. Please consult the information in this section and the Guidebook section for your professional area of interest.
The HPPLA/Interfolio recommendation service partnership #
HPPLA has partnered with Interfolio to provide recommendation services for Indiana University students.
What is Interfolio? #
Interfolio allows you to create an electronic recommendation letter account that can be self-managed 24/7 from any smart phone, tablet, or computer. You can immediately see which letters have arrived, and which have not. You can specify which letters to send for each delivery and the order in which your documents are packaged. For complete information, see www.interfolio.com.
If you choose to use Interfolio, you can affiliate your account with the HPPLA office — then HPPLA advisors can access your account (only if requested by you) and provide assistance and guidance on your letters!
Who should consider using Interfolio? #
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Future applicants to MEDICAL and DENTAL schools are likely to find it highly beneficial to use Interfolio.
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For most other health professions, services such as Interfolio are not currently compatible with the central application services (OPTOMCAS, OTCAS, PHARMCAS, PTCAS, and CASPA). However, some future applicants may still find Interfolio useful to keep their letters in one place prior to applying. Please consult the Guidebook information for your professional area for further advice on recommendation letters.
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If you plan to apply to law school, services like Interfolio are not compatible with the Law School Admission Council Credential Assembly Service (CAS). For more advice, please consult the Guidebook Law section.
Opening an Interfolio account #
To open an account with Interfolio that will be affiliated with IU/HPPLA visit Interfolio's Dossier Account sign up page. Follow the prompts to create an account.
If you've already opened an account with Interfolio that is not affiliated with HPPLA, you can still affiliate. Simply send email to help@interfolio.com, give them your Interfolio username, and say: “I’d like to affiliate my account with Indiana University Prelaw/PreHealth. Thank you.”
Interfolio problems and questions #
Call Interfolio’s quick, helpful support service toll free at (877) 997-8807 [9–6 Eastern Time M–F] or email help@interfolio.com.
Need instructions on how your letter writer should submit the letter to Interfolio? #
HPPLA has created an instruction sheet you can provide to your letter writer about how to submit your recommendation letter to Interfolio.
I saw that a medical school asked for a Prehealth Committee Letter or Prehealth Advisor's Letter. What is that and do I need to get one?
Indiana University does not have a prehealth faculty committee, so medical schools will not expect you to submit a Prehealth Committee or Prehealth Advisor’s letter. Advisors at HPPLA do not write letters on behalf of students and we do not issue Prehealth Committee Letters; instead, we feel it is most appropriate that you select the recommenders you believe know you the best and can speak most knowledgeably on your behalf. Check the medical school websites to find out what letters each school will require for applicants that attend an undergraduate institution that does not provide a Prehealth Committee or Prehealth Advisor’s letter.