Can I send a letter of intent to a medical school and then withdraw if I get waitlisted?

[kingkong6712]

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The school is my #1 choice, and I would absolutely attend if accepted and withdraw from every single school, but I don't believe myself to be competitive enough to gain admission, so I would probably have to hope for a miracle to happen. So I want to send an LOI, and if I get waitlisted in March, I want to withdraw from my first choice school because I give up, and reuse my LOI for my second choice school and hope they are more likely to accept me. Is that okay to do?I'm ok with either school and just want to maximize my chances to get into either school

 

[Mr.Smile12]

It doesn't sound like you have a first choice school.

That's not how this works.

 

[kingkong6712]

It doesn't sound like you have a first choice school.

That's not how this works.

The school is my first choice, but I need the school to either accept me or reject me asap so I can use the intent letter on my second choice school. I don't want them to drag me with a waitlist all the way into May, only to reject me, then I'd rather withdraw and use it on another school. I need my foot in the door for either school #1 or school #2 for financial purposes.

 

[LelouchLamperouge]

The school is my #1 choice, and I would absolutely attend if accepted and withdraw from every single school, but I don't believe myself to be competitive enough to gain admission, so I would probably have to hope for a miracle to happen. So I want to send an LOI, and if I get waitlisted in March, I want to withdraw from my first choice school because I give up, and reuse my LOI for my second choice school and hope they are more likely to accept me. Is that okay to do?I'm ok with either school and just want to maximize my chances to get into either school

The school is my first choice, but I need the school to either accept me or reject me asap so I can use the intent letter on my second choice school. I don't want them to drag me with a waitlist all the way into May, only to reject me, then I'd rather withdraw and use it on another school. I need my foot in the door for either school #1 or school #2 for financial purposes.

How do you know your odds of school B are that much better than school A? What programs are these? Why can’t you wait until March when LOIs should be sent and WL movement begins? Need more information here.

 

[kingkong6712]

How do you know your odds of school B are that much better than school A? What programs are these? Why can’t you wait until March when LOIs should be sent and WL movement begins? Need more information here.

My number one choice has 60% of seats left for its MD applicants after its early assurance program and its a top 20 but my number two choice takes 1 in four students off the waitlist according to MSAR.

 

[LelouchLamperouge]

My number one choice has 60% of seats left for its MD applicants after its early assurance program and its a top 20 but my number two choice takes 1 in four students off the waitlist according to MSAR.

When do decisions come out? How sure are you that you’re going to be waitlisted? Unless this program specifically told you that you’re interviewing for their WL, then you truly don’t know. Don’t give up hope. Also, why can’t you wait until March to send your LOI? From what you’re telling us, your number 2 choice hasn’t given your decision either. I think you should let them both play out before sending anything. There’s a ton of time left.

 

[Goro]

The school is my #1 choice, and I would absolutely attend if accepted and withdraw from every single school, but I don't believe myself to be competitive enough to gain admission, so I would probably have to hope for a miracle to happen. So I want to send an LOI, and if I get waitlisted in March, I want to withdraw from my first choice school because I give up, and reuse my LOI for my second choice school and hope they are more likely to accept me. Is that okay to do?I'm ok with either school and just want to maximize my chances to get into either school

LOI are unenforceable contracts, and that's why Adcoms treat them as lies.

Your post is further evidence as well.

 

[AsclepiusAdvisingLLC]

The school is my #1 choice, and I would absolutely attend if accepted and withdraw from every single school, but I don't believe myself to be competitive enough to gain admission, so I would probably have to hope for a miracle to happen. So I want to send an LOI, and if I get waitlisted in March, I want to withdraw from my first choice school because I give up, and reuse my LOI for my second choice school and hope they are more likely to accept me. Is that okay to do?I'm ok with either school and just want to maximize my chances to get into either school

When you post a letter of intent to your portal, it becomes a part of your permanent application. In some systems, one may remove an uploaded document but this will not affect previous versions of the application that might have been downloaded by members of the admissions committee. As Goro mentioned, LOI are unenforceable, so this becomes a matter of morality rather than legality. If you are passionate about multiple programs, send them letters of interest. Detail how you will use their education to achieve your goals and, more importantly, how you would contribute towards their community as a student. The content of each letter is much more effective than the label of intent vs interest.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

The school is my first choice, but I need the school to either accept me or reject me asap so I can use the intent letter on my second choice school. I don't want them to drag me with a waitlist all the way into May, only to reject me, then I'd rather withdraw and use it on another school. I need my foot in the door for either school #1 or school #2 for financial purposes.

Found the GIF.

Sorry, you feel that way, but as @Goro points out, this type of strategy affirms to many admissions professionals that LOIntent are lies.

You must consider yourself rejected until you get an offer, but you have no "power" to dictate when you will get an offer.

It is entirely possible you'll be strung out on a waitlist until the day of orientation by either of your schools you bring up.

I also think withdrawing after getting a waitlist decision is a bad look. We think you got accepted at another school, so your file will be forever blackballed.

I admire the delusion that you feel you must give ultimatums, but that's no way to treat a "top choice" program.

 

[wysdoc]

The school is my first choice, but I need the school to either accept me or reject me asap so I can use the intent letter on my second choice school. I don't want them to drag me with a waitlist all the way into May, only to reject me, then I'd rather withdraw and use it on another school. I need my foot in the door for either school #1 or school #2 for financial purposes.

The LOI isn’t like a magic ticket, wait to see what both schools eventually tell you. You might have 2 schools to choose from in time, or only the one.

 

[polymerization]

I can relate to the feeling of "I really want this to be over already."

It's exhausting to let the cycle play out over more than a full year, especially if your distribution of IIs is mostly top-heavy and you get the sense that you could either be at a top-tier school or dipping into the lower-tier schools (or, if worse comes to worst, the nightmare of having to reapply).

Straddling that line feels like slacklining between mountains. The time waiting for a decision to be made feels intolerable psychologically. It makes sense to me that you would want to do everything you can to try and secure your best options. I won't judge you for that.

In a practical sense, though, if LOIs are treated as "lies," wouldn't schools be turned off by applicants who send them? If your top 2 schools are both T20s (or T30s, 40s, and 50s), it's likely that everyone interviewing there would view them as a top choice, even when they aren't.

I am just not sure that it communicates new information, and apparently has the power to give the appearance of trying to "game" the system.

May be best to hold off and just privately whine and complain on the internet like the rest of us.

 

[Goro]

I can relate to the feeling of "I really want this to be over already."

It's exhausting to let the cycle play out over more than a full year, especially if your distribution of IIs is mostly top-heavy and you get the sense that you could either be at a top-tier school or dipping into the lower-tier schools (or, if worse comes to worst, the nightmare of having to reapply).

Straddling that line feels like slacklining between mountains. The time waiting for a decision to be made feels intolerable psychologically. It makes sense to me that you would want to do everything you can to try and secure your best options. I won't judge you for that.

In a practical sense, though, if LOIs are treated as "lies," wouldn't schools be turned off by applicants who send them? If your top 2 schools are both T20s (or T30s, 40s, and 50s), it's likely that everyone interviewing there would view them as a top choice, even when they aren't.

I am just not sure that it communicates new information, and apparently has the power to give the appearance of trying to "game" the system.

May be best to hold off and just privately whine and complain on the internet like the rest of us.

Schools get so many love letters they're just ignored.

 

[LizzyM]

If a school were really your first choice, you'd gladly sit on the waitlist hoping to be chosen. You could even accept an offer from another school and stay on the other school's waitlist.

Getting waitlisted and then saying, "never mind, you are no longer my number one" sounds like you were not sincere at the get go. This is why letters of intent are not taken seriously.