letters of rec
This is another part of the application that can really boost your application if you get really good letters. Honestly I hate the process of obtaining letters of recommendation. I'm someone that likes having full control over getting my things done, and this is one of those things that is just out of your hands in terms of when it can be completed and submitted. Therefore, I would recommend asking your letter writers for these very early (ideally in September) and give them ample time to work on it. And even with that, you will probably still have to chase some of them down the weeks (hopefully not days) leading up to the deadline.
So how many? - I would say quality over quantity here. Most schools will say 3-5 letters of rec. I know it's tempting to always submit the maximum, but only do that if you actually have 5 strong letters of rec. A mediocre letter won't help your application and that's just more work and chasing down deadlines for you to do. Some schools actually only let you submit 3 max.
And who to ask? - I tried to select an array of mentors that could talk about different strengths and experiences of mine.
I ended up with the following letter writers:
1. Stanford Internship Professor - for obvious reasons, and to really talk about my research experience
2. Department Chair of my MPH program - he advised my master's thesis, I TAed his course, and was an part-time research assistance in his lab, and we were also just good friends
3. My MPH Academic Advisor - I took his class and did well in it too
(4. Assistant Dead of Yale College - I was a Graduate Assistant in under her for the Office of Gender and Campus Culture) *I only added this letter if I was allowed the space for it!
I was lucky in that none of my letters writers asked for me to draft the letter for them or outline or anything (which is how I think it should be!), but be prepared to possibly have to do that. They only asked for my CV and personal statement draft, and they did the rest!
