calls to admissions office post-interview?

[runfast13]

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Hello,

I interviewed at my top choice last week and was told by a doctor whom I work with on the board of admissions of said medical school that I should call the office of admissions to reiterate my interest. I've already sent thank you notes to my interviewers through the office of admissions stating just that, and I know that admissions offices are incredibly busy this time of year and don't want them to perceive my call as a waste of their time.

My question for you all: is a phone call like this appropriate/potentially helpful?

 

[Microglia]

I'm not sure. If he's on the admissions board he may know things we don't. Under normal circumstances I would send an LoI again, but I wouldn't call to explain my interest. Likely you would just get an administrator who would reply "ok.. Great." Haha.

If he knows something we don't about admissions at that school though, then maybe he's right. I think the best strategy is to call and ask the office what the best way to express continued interest in the school is.

 

[armybound]

At my medical school it wouldn't make one bit of difference. Other schools might be different.

 

[wiloghby]

I would trust the AdComm member in this situation. I have learned things from former adcomms about their schools' processes that I would never have guessed. Of course, they waited until after I had finished my interview or gotten my acceptance to tell me so as not to confer an unfair advantage, but still. What they said ended up being absolutely the case and I wouldn't have believed them beforehand anyway.

If the advice is coming from a committee member directly, then take it. If you are afraid a record of your call will not get to the committee, send another LoI and then do the phone call as a follow-up to be sure the letter was received, and again reiterate you interest in that phone call. That way, at the very least, the letter will reach your folder in case the phone call doesn't.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

LOIs can be extremely important at some schools. I interviewed at a school last week where during a dinner with an adcom member they mentioned that the school typically waitlists almost everyone except the absolutely stellar applicants and then waits to see who sends in an LOI before deciding who to take off the waitlist. It's all about yield protection. If the school is your top choice and an adcom member told you to send in an LOI, I'd do it.

 

[tantacles]

I would trust the AdComm member in this situation. I have learned things from former adcomms about their schools' processes that I would never have guessed. Of course, they waited until after I had finished my interview or gotten my acceptance to tell me so as not to confer an unfair advantage, but still. What they said ended up being absolutely the case and I wouldn't have believed them beforehand anyway.

If the advice is coming from a committee member directly, then take it. If you are afraid a record of your call will not get to the committee, send another LoI and then do the phone call as a follow-up to be sure the letter was received, and again reiterate you interest in that phone call. That way, at the very least, the letter will reach your folder in case the phone call doesn't.

+1. He works on the admissions committee, and he essentially just told you what you need to do.