Composite Letter

A Composite Letter (CL) is a summative and evaluative cover letter (for 3-4 individual letters of recommendation) that provides a holistic overview of Emory undergraduate experiences. The CL can be utilized for medical, dental, podiatry, and optometry programs and provides a snapshot of a student’s undergraduate career at Emory, summarizing and rating experiences in the following categories:

Academic Accomplishment
Community Service Experience
Leadership Experience
Clinical Experience
Research Experience (if completed)
Demonstration of the Emory Mission: to create, preserve, teach, and apply knowledge in the service of humanity.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for a Composite Letter (CL) and gain access to the CL Application, junior/senior students 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 should be completed in the sophomore year. Students who did not complete these in the sophomore year should contact their advisor as soon as possible to discuss options for applying for a CL. 

Alumni and Students who are unsure if they completed the Group Mandatory Check-Up, Peer Mentor 1:1, and Advisor 1:1 Follow-Up should contact phaletters@emory.edu to confirm.

Alumni are not eligible to apply for a new CL. Students must apply for a CL in either their junior or senior year. Alumni with an existing CL are eligible to request delivery of their existing CL through the LOR Hub application.

Application Process

Juniors and Seniors who have completed eligibility requirements and intend to apply for a Composite Letter (CL) should submit an Intent to Apply Formthe Fall semester prior to CAS applications. Intent to Apply Form registrants will receive access to the CL SharePoint site and CL 101 modules, where they can learn about the various components and deadlines in the CL process as well as how to craft a strong application.

Students must adhere to all CL deadlines throughout the application process (January-July of the application year) to receive a final CL.

Timeline

Students must apply for a CL in either their junior or senior year.Your individual CL application timeline is dependent on whether or not a prospective applicant plans to take any gap years. You should plan to apply for a CL during your junior year if you do not plan to take a gap year and plan to apply to a professional program during the summer between your junior and senior year. You should plan to apply for a CL your senior year if you plan to use a CL and apply to a professional program with at least one gap year (apply to a program the summer after your senior year or later). Alumni are not eligible to apply for a CL.

Letter Delivery

Current Cycle Composite Letters

Letters are traditionally completed and ready for delivery in early July. Students in the current Composite Letter cohort will receive an e-mail with a Status Update in early July with the next steps for delivery. For detailed instructions, click How to Request Composite Letter Delivery.

Adding Letters to Applications

Information on entering CL information on Centralized Application Services (CAS’) can be found below. This information is updated in April/May of each year and can be entered into CAS applications before CLs are ready for delivery in July.

Student CAS Reapplicants

Senior reapplicants should apply for the Senior Update Application if possible. Click here to learn more about eligibility and the application process.

Alumni Existing Composite Letters and CAS Reapplicants:

The information below applies to:
- Alumni (within 3 years of graduation) who have an existing Composite Letter on file (applied for a Composite Letter as a student/CL Future Applicant) and are applying to a healthcare professional program for the first time.
- Alumni (within 3 years of graduation) who applied to a healthcare professional program in the past using a Composite Letter and are reapplying to the same type of program, e.g., medical programs, dental programs, etc.
Alumni with an existing Composite Letter on file may elect to have their Composite Letter delivered to Centralized Application Services by submitting a request through the PHA LOR Hub.
- If you have an active netID, please Click here to join the PHA LOR Hub contact list to receive information about delivering your Composite Letter.
- If you do not have an active netID, please complete the form through the ECAS Alumni Connect Service Portal. Are you new to the ECAS Service Portal, click here to sign up.

PHA will e-mail you instructions to send your existing Composite Letter, through the LOR Hub, in the year you intend to apply to programs.
The Composite Letter encapsulates the Emory undergraduate 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.

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.

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 2025, they will apply to programs in the Summer of 2024, and apply for a Composite Letter in the Fall of 2023.

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, Peer Mentor 1:1 Follow-Up, and/or Advisor 1:1 Follow-Up in their Sophomore year, should contact Pre-Health Advising to discuss their options.

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.

Is it always best to use a Composite Letter?

Not always. The benefit of the Composite Letter is often in the preparation spent in obtaining one, which is meant to prepare you for your application cycle, and the convenience of sending your letters of recommendation in one entry.

If you are applying as an Emory undergraduate or applying immediately after graduation, a Composite Letter is the best letter service to utilize as it captures your immediate candidacy and the snapshot of your undergraduate experiences.

If you did not prepare holistically and/or if you are considering applying with multiple gap years, it may be best to consider other alternatives in regards to collecting and sending letters of recommendation.

What other options do I have outside of the Composite Letter?

For those who prefer an alternative to the Composite Letter, and have graduated within the last two years, PHA offers a Letter Packet service through the PHA LOR Hub application. Alternatively, applicants can apply to programs with individual letters of recommendation.

If you have an existing Composite Letter on file from a previous cycle, consider sending your previous Composite Letter as-is, and ask for new or updated letters from your recommenders to be sent directly to the application services in which you are applying.