"In the area" emails -- when is too soon?

[sunflower18]

Hey SDN,

I just got my first interview invite today, and I'm stoked. My question is regarding "in the area" emails -- I live on the opposite side of the country from this school, so it'll take an 8 hour flight to get there. It would save me 16 hours of flying if I could pair this interview with another one on the same coast, but I feel like it's much too early to send this kind of correspondence since most places haven't started offering interviews yet. Would they just put the email in my file and just look at it when reviewing my application? Or should I wait a few weeks until the schools that I'm thinking about emailing have started sending out invites?

Also, I know that conventionally you're just supposed to say that you're in the area for schools in the same city or state. Is there an exception when you're doing coast-to-coast travel? For example, if I got an interview in NY, could I alert a school in Boston or Vermont? Again, pairing my East Coast interviews together would save me 16 hours of flying and $800-1200 in flights alone.

Thanks!

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[DoctorWhoo]

Hey SDN,

I just got my first interview invite today, and I'm stoked. My question is regarding "in the area" emails -- I live on the opposite side of the country from this school, so it'll take an 8 hour flight to get there. It would save me 16 hours of flying if I could pair this interview with another one on the same coast, but I feel like it's much too early to send this kind of correspondence since most places haven't started offering interviews yet. Would they just put the email in my file and just look at it when reviewing my application? Or should I wait a few weeks until the schools that I'm thinking about emailing have started sending out invites?

Also, I know that conventionally you're just supposed to say that you're in the area for schools in the same city or state. Is there an exception when you're doing coast-to-coast travel? For example, if I got an interview in NY, could I alert a school in Boston or Vermont? Again, pairing my East Coast interviews together would save me 16 hours of flying and $800-1200 in flights alone.

Thanks!

If you do so in a conscientious manner, I think it couldn't hurt.

 

[NickNaylor]

I would wait. It's not even August. Many schools don't really start looking at apps this early. Assuming you're able to, wait a few weeks before reaching out to them. IMO it's a bit pre-mature to play this card this early.

 

[ace12345]

I would wait at least until interview invites come out.

 

[sunflower18]

I would wait. It's not even August. Many schools don't really start looking at apps this early. Assuming you're able to, wait a few weeks before reaching out to them. IMO it's a bit pre-mature to play this card this early.

Okay, that sounds good. I definitely understand that. Just to be clear, I am not meaning to play a card or try to get an interview in some sneaky way. I just honestly would prefer to save myself an extra 16 hours of flying, $1000+, and two days of missing class -- if I am offered an interview at this other school at all, which I very well might not be. I hope that it doesn't come across as me trying to get an unfair advantage!

I would wait at least until interview invites come out.

You mean for the school I'd send the email to? Yeah, I think that's probably a good decision.

If you do so in a conscientious manner, I think it couldn't hurt.

When I do send the email, I will definitely try to be conscientious about it! Thank you

 

[NickNaylor]

Okay, that sounds good. I definitely understand that. Just to be clear, I am not meaning to play a card or try to get an interview in some sneaky way. I just honestly would prefer to save myself an extra 16 hours of flying, $1000+, and two days of missing class -- if I am offered an interview at this other school at all, which I very well might not be. I hope that it doesn't come across as me trying to get an unfair advantage!

No, I understand that, but you don't want to be perceived as an overzealous applicant (regardless of your intent) by trying to do this before the school may have even started reviewing apps.

Good luck.

 

[DoctorWhoo]

Okay, that sounds good. I definitely understand that. Just to be clear, I am not meaning to play a card or try to get an interview in some sneaky way. I just honestly would prefer to save myself an extra 16 hours of flying, $1000+, and two days of missing class -- if I am offered an interview at this other school at all, which I very well might not be. I hope that it doesn't come across as me trying to get an unfair advantage!



You mean for the school I'd send the email to? Yeah, I think that's probably a good decision.



When I do send the email, I will definitely try to be conscientious about it! Thank you

When are you interviewing?

 

[sunflower18]

When are you interviewing?

End of August.


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[DoctorWhoo]

End of August.


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An early August email would be good. In terms of ranking, approximately where do the two schools stand?

 

[sunflower18]

An early August email would be good. In terms of ranking, approximately where do the two schools stand?

I have an interview at GW, and would like to tell Georgetown. So GW is #60 and Georgetown is #43, looks like. From last year's thread, Georgetown started sending out interview invites at the end of July. So I will send them an email in the first week of August and see if they are receptive!

 

[Osteoth]

I have an interview at GW, and would like to tell Georgetown. So GW is #60 and Georgetown is #43, looks like. From last year's thread, Georgetown started sending out interview invites at the end of July. So I will send them an email in the first week of August and see if they are receptive!

Thank you for asking for all us CA residents heading to the l-EAST coast

 

[LizzyM]

Why not ask the school that invited you if you can delay your interview until later in the season in order to combine multiple interviews into a single trip...? If you haven't received a second interview by mid-Oct then go to the one. Frankly, if you are so hot that you are getting your first interview OOS in mid-July you are going to have them flooding in over the next 6 weeks.

 

[NervousNerd]

Frankly, if you are so hot that you are getting your first interview OOS in mid-July you are going to have them flooding in over the next 6 weeks.

I agree with this. You must be a top notch applicant so I would imagine that you'll be on the east coast frequently over the next year.

 

[Klyx]

Why not ask the school that invited you if you can delay your interview until later in the season in order to combine multiple interviews into a single trip...? If you haven't received a second interview by mid-Oct then go to the one. Frankly, if you are so hot that you are getting your first interview OOS in mid-July you are going to have them flooding in over the next 6 weeks.

Isn't it better to interview as soon as possible for the best chances of being accepted?

 

[TheLionheart]

I'm in the opposite scenario.. interview at Georgetown first week of September, and wondering if GW will be receptive to an in the area letter. It's so expensive to fly there from the west coast, I'd definitely appreciate some consolidation.

 

[LizzyM]

Isn't it better to interview as soon as possible for the best chances of being accepted?

I'm not sure that is true. We tend to admit the same proportion of applicants each time we sit down to make decisions.

 

[Goro]

Concur

I'm not sure that is true. We tend to admit the same proportion of applicants each time we sit down to make decisions.

 

[LizzyM]

Isn't it better to interview as soon as possible for the best chances of being accepted?

It is better to apply early to have the best chance of getting an interview but once you've gotten the interview, when that interview happens doesn't matter as much.

There are schools that are reported to "interview for the waitlist" but they wouldn't waste their time with a waitlist if they didn't think there was a chance they'd need those candidates waiting in the wings to fill seats.