Applying to Schools that Participate in the VirtualEvals System

If you are applying to Medical Schools (either MD and D.O. or both) and/or Schools of Optometry, then you will be following these directions since these schools use the VirtualEvals system for accessing your letters of recommendation. We participate in this system because it is designed to make the letter of recommendation process streamlined, efficient, and fast. 

According to their web site, VirtualEvals is a secure, web-based system through which health professions advisors can transmit letters of evaluation to health professions schools.

New for 2009 Applications, 20 schools (including The U of A) are participating in an AMCAS pilot program for letters of evaluation/recommentation. Link here for more information about the pilot program and how it may affect you.

Here is how it works for most schools:

• Register to use our service by:
  1. completing the ONLINE REGISTRATION and
  2. Waive your right of access to the letters electronically.
• You will request that letter writers send your letters to the Pre-Health Professions Advising Center in hard copy. A hard copy of each letter will be put into a paper file that is kept in our office.
• You will notify us (through your online account) when:
  1. All of your expected letters have been received by our office (you may check the status of your letters at any time through your account) and
  2. You have received at least one secondary application.

• Your letterswill be scanned into a single PDF file which will be uploaded to an account that we create for you with VirtualEvals (Please note : YOU DO NOT create this account yourself).
• The professional schools to which you apply will request your letters directly from VirtualEvals.

This five-step process is considerably faster and more secure than our old system using land-based delivery services.  It is important for you to note that most medical programs use VirtualEvals.  The cost to use this service is a $10.00 fee for each career path. For example, if you are applying to both medical and optometry schools (no, this doesn't happen often, but it's just an example), you will need two VirtualEvals files and the cost would be $20.00 because you are applying with two career paths and therefore two PDF files.

Please send us a check or money order for $10.00 per career path made out to the University of Arizona.  Please send your check or money order to us by JULY 1 in the year you will submit your application.  We cannot accept cash or credit cards.  You can bring your check or money order to our office if you are in Tucson or mail it to: Letter of Recommendation Service, University College, Pre-Health Professions Advising Center, P.O. Box 210070, Tucson, AZ   85721-0070

For many of you, the $10.00 fee will cost much less than the postage you would have had to provide to us using our old system.

• Please see the Letter of Recommendation Service FAQ page for additional explanation.
• You may also look at the VirtualEvals web site: www.virtualevals.org  for more information.

Return to Letter of Recommendation Overview Page