Application Update?

[RamsFan1991]

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Hi all,

I was recently waitlisted at the only school I interviewed at for this cycle. I am currently waiting on 5 schools for interviews (NYU, VCU, Temple, BU, and Howard) and haven't heard a peep from them since July. This school I interviewed at has asked me to send an application update, but I was wondering if it would be a good idea to e-mail the other 5 schools' admission offices as well an update on my application explaining what I've been doing since I submitted back in July. So I had a couple questions:

1. Would sending an application update to the schools that have been quiet be a bad idea?

2. Regardless, I will be sending one to my waitlisted school. Should I do bullet points or write a pretty formal letter in paragraph form explaining what I've been doing since submitting?

3. I neglected to write down some community service hours I had (be it small, like 50 hours total) but I want to inform these schools in my application update in case my lack of community service hours has been a large reason why my application has been overlooked (Kentucky rejected me and told me although I put my time, 1500+ hours, into research, my lack of community service was solely the reason why I was rejected without an interview). Not only do I want to include these hours from 2011-2013, but the hundreds of hours of volunteering I've accrued since July 2014 as well and the Mission of Mercy (MOM Project) I recently signed up for for the end of February. My question is, would it be a bad idea to include PAST hours of community service/volunteer in this application update that I basically neglected to include in my primary application? My worry is they will think I made these hours up.

Thank you all in advance for taking the time to read and reply.

 

[RamsFan1991]

Bump! Really need to get something out to these schools by the end of the week, just need a little guidance.

 

[bc1002]

I would definitely send updates to all 6 schools. At least, it tells them that you are still interested in their programs. From what I learn here, showing interests to schools would never hurt your application. At my interview, the admission dean told us that any updates could be helpful for those who has been waitlisted because there was no ranking in the list. In terms of how to write the letter, I would write it in a professional way yet still make a list about things that you have done since application was submitted to help adcom easily find information you want them to see. I hope it helps!

 

[jlee110]

1. i would suggest sending an application update to all your schools. You could probably send it to the general admissions email for each school and they would likely update your file.
2. i would do a formal letter, but like how bc1002 suggests
3. i would still include the past hours of community service you did.
good luck

 

[RamsFan1991]

Thank you guys!