anyone writing letters to schools where you haven't received an interview yet?

[pisalapel]

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someone offered this advice--if you haven't heard anything by now, write a letter to a school that you're really interested in and it might increase your chances of getting an interview. has anyone else tried this? any advice on what to say in the letter (other than please, please, please can i have an interview at your school?) other materials to include with the letter?? handwritten letter or typed?

 

[yomama'sdoctor]

I think I'm gonna do it too...handwritten with some kind of update (even if it isn't that important) just so you have something new to tell them besides iloveyouiloveyou.

 

[Haemulon]

someone offered this advice--if you haven't heard anything by now, write a letter to a school that you're really interested in and it might increase your chances of getting an interview. has anyone else tried this? any advice on what to say in the letter (other than please, please, please can i have an interview at your school?) other materials to include with the letter?? handwritten letter or typed?

I have sent some email letters. Got a rejection from one of them 2 weeks later and an interview invite from another the week after that. My guess: rarely helps, couldn't hurt. Who knows. Go for it 👍

I have however sent in a typed update letter after being waitlisted. No change yet, but I will keep sending them throughout the season to re-express interest.

 

[Darkshooter326]

I have sent a few update letters to schools without interviews, and have received no word from any of them. Obviously it doesn't hurt, but I wouldn't necessarily expect anything. 😕

 

[razzle07]

I recently asked my school counselor, if I should do this and this is what they said:
The counselor understands that it can be unnerving to simply wait to hear from
schools. However, the only time you would send an "update" is if you have something to say that is new or worth noting (e.g. published or co-published an article). If you really don't have anything new to say - don't send them anything. Carefully re-read the last communication you got from that medical school and follow their rules. Good luck!

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

I wouldn't do anything till the end of the school's interview period and when you are getting truly desperate to write letters or elicit support from docs you shadowed, PIs, bosses, advisors w connections, etc.

 

[stiffany]

Once fall grades come out (I'm in a postbac program and could use a couple nice science grades in my app) and my research team hears back about our publication that got sent out last week, I plan on sending an email and snail mail typed letter to schools that I haven't heard back from yet (12 total) letting them know what's changed in my application and also re-expressing my interest in their programs. It will make me feel better about being helpless during this long wait and I don't think it's going to hurt and it might even help a bit.

 

[ltrain]

I sent out update letters last week to all the schools I hadn't heard back from. The letters varied, based on the info I had already been able to include in secondaries for the schools, but they were strictly update, not "please give me an interview," though I did express continued interest.

Who knows if it helps. I sent most by snail mail, but called the schools first and some preferred email, so I did that for them.

The problem with snail mail is that it seems like many schools are way backed up on stuff sent into the office, so the Admissions Committee may not even end up seeing the letters in time.

 

[cbtk18]

Who knows if it helps. I sent most by snail mail, but called the schools first and some preferred email, so I did that for them.

The problem with snail mail is that it seems like many schools are way backed up on stuff sent into the office, so the Admissions Committee may not even end up seeing the letters in time.

I sent a letter last week and it then called today to follow up and she told me to just email it to her so she could just "cut/paste" into my app. Is should have called ahead too.

My letter was mainly update too (upcoming publication, two classes I'm finishing up, and talked about a good rec that I wanted them to pay close attention to) and expresseing how excited I was at the possibility of attending. Got advice from someone that pretty much said "kiss their ass."

I think the sentiment of it can't hurt is probably true.


PS--This process is killing me

 

[LifetimeDoc]

The only reason I am sending an update letter is to give the adcoms another semesters-worth of grades to counteract my pre-post bacc poor grades.

 

[ruthieblackdog]

I sent an email letter to all Texas schools I hadn't heard from 3-4 months after my application was verified. After that I got a UTH interview, which surprised me. I don't know if the letter helped or if I was already in the pile. I since sent another letter to Tech and...nothin'.

I haven't heard yet that sending a letter hurts.