Letter of intent

emoney182 · Dec 18, 2006

So i read somewhere about a letter of intent, but i am not exactly sure what that entails. Can someone give me an example of one and/or tell me the process about doing one? Thank you

jkhamlin · Dec 18, 2006

emoney182 said:
So i read somewhere about a letter of intent, but i am not exactly sure what that entails. Can someone give me an example of one and/or tell me the process about doing one? Thank you

A letter of intent is to get you off the wait list at a school that is your top choice.

From what I have read, you should try to contact your interviewers and get their advice on writing one.

I am in the middle of this process with OSU. Generally, you want to write an upbeat professional letter explaining that you will definitely go to their school if accepted, no matter what other schools you've applied to. You should also explain why they are your top choice, and why you will fit in with their school's culture. Above all, be honest with your intentions, both with yourself and the school.

DoctorMom78 · Dec 18, 2006

A letter of intent is just a letter that expresses your interest in attending their school exclusively. It should state that you will absolutely attend their school if accepted, you will withdraw all other applications, etc. From what I understand, it is consider to be a legally binding contract, so make sure you really consider all your options before sending it. In theory, the advantage is that it is supposed to carry a lot of weight with the schools and improve your chances of getting accepted. Good luck!😀 :luck:

emoney182 · Dec 18, 2006

so do you send it before you know if you are rejected/accepted/waitlisted or after? i just interviewed there today and i won't know for a while

Dr JPH · Dec 18, 2006

DoctorMom78 said:
From what I understand, it is consider to be a legally binding contract, so make sure you really consider all your options before sending it.

It is not legally binding but youre right, it should only be written if it is true.

Remember...a school cannot ask you "where do we fit in your rank list of schools?"

You can tell them but they cannot ask, so this may be a good opportunity to let them know.

MaximusD · Dec 18, 2006

JPHazelton said:
It is not legally binding but youre right, it should only be written if it is true.

Remember...a school cannot ask you "where do we fit in your rank list of schools?"

You can tell them but they cannot ask, so this may be a good opportunity to let them know.

I've been asked in each interview what other DO school I'm applying to and whether I've had interviews... Is that different than what you're discussing?

Do you mean that them asking, "are we your first choice" is not allowed? 😕

lincolnparadox · Dec 20, 2006

So, it's a wait-list breaker?

How often does it work?

jkhamlin · Dec 20, 2006

lincolnparadox said:
So, it's a wait-list breaker?

How often does it work?

It's a wait list breaker if the school is your top choice. I don't know if anyone could tell you how often it works, but it definitely works better than sitting around and doing nothing.

Of course, it can backfire, too, if you contact them to the point of annoyance. Search around the internet, there are schools that have information about this. Here is one example:

http://career.berkeley.edu/Article/050318a-pm.stm

Letter of intent

emoney182

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jkhamlin

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DoctorMom78

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emoney182

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Dr JPH

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MaximusD

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lincolnparadox

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jkhamlin

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