do letters of intent actually make a difference?

[ablumoon]

i wanted to send one to my top choice, but they don't make decisions until march. would it make a difference to send a letter of interest + intent, along with an extra letter of recommendation? or do ADCOMs really not pay attention to these, since i will be competing with so many other exceptional candidates?



oo holy moly, my 100th post!!

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[ti89]

Better question: Can it hurt you?

 

[Sebastian.]

i wanted to send one to my top choice, but they don't make decisions until march. would it make a difference to send a letter of interest + intent, along with an extra letter of recommendation? or do ADCOMs really not pay attention to these, since i will be competing with so many other exceptional candidates?



oo holy moly, my 100th post!!

Yes

 

[45408]

I dunno about an extra LOR, but if I don't get into my top choice soon, I'm going to send an LOI + update on my grades (if I do well) + research/work updates. I'm sure they like to see that you've still got your game face on.

 

[PhotoMD]

Personally, I think LOIs achieve their greatest effect after you are waitlisted, but it's debatable.

 

[argonana]

Personally, I think LOIs achieve their greatest effect after you are waitlisted, but it's debatable.

Why do you think they're most effective after getting waitlisted? (especially compared to sending a letter right after interviewing at the school)

 

[45408]

Personally, I think LOIs achieve their greatest effect after you are waitlisted, but it's debatable.

yeah, but you might not even make the waitlist if you're on the edge of rejection/waitlist. So send a letter before they make a decision, then another to get off the waitlist.

 

[DrHuang]

yeah, but you might not even make the waitlist if you're on the edge of rejection/waitlist. So send a letter before they make a decision, then another to get off the waitlist.

i agree with this post...i like to send me LO Interest/Intent after the interview

 

[PhotoMD]

yeah, but you might not even make the waitlist if you're on the edge of rejection/waitlist. So send a letter before they make a decision, then another to get off the waitlist.

My thought is that if you are that close to rejection, your chances of getting off the waitlist then are very low. An argument that can be made for sending an LOI post-interview is for people who are on waitlist/accept boundary. In this case, waiting is no different from not waiting - either way the LOI rescues you.

 

[gdbaby]

In my post-acceptance days wandering about Denver, I am now starting to ask the question "how the hell did I get in?" I think one thing may have been an interest letter I wrote to Iowa after my interview and after seeing other people who interviewed after me get acceptances. I reminded the admissions director about our conversation and my interest in geriatrics and how I thought I love to learn from the faculty at their new Center on Aging (she told me at the interview that she was to be actively recruiting people who want to study aging). I did this via email, the director wrote back telling me that the committee hadn't met in a while and I would be notified when any decision had been made. Pretty boilerplate answer. The next friday I got my letter.

I don't know if that was what did it, but at least I could say that I did everything I could to get into one of my top choice schools.

 

[tank you]

is it ok to send a letter of interest before an interview? basically, fawningly (sp) asking for an interview?

 

[Jon Davis]

is it ok to send a letter of interest before an interview? basically, fawningly (sp) asking for an interview?

I think maybe the best way is to provide an update letter and weave in your strong interest in the school. That way its not totally a suck up letter for an interview and it serves a purpose. Make this letter good, it can only help! This is just my point of view and I will be doing this for Monday.

BTW, I just clinched my 500th post!

 

[MrBurns10]

I think maybe the best way is to provide an update letter and weave in your strong interest in the school. That way its not totally a suck up letter for an interview and it serves a purpose. Make this letter good, it can only help! This is just my point of view and I will be doing this for Monday.

BTW, I just clinched my 500th post!

Is Jon Davis your name or are you a Korn fan? I'm guessing by your catch phrase it's the latter. And if that is indeed the case...

 

[TheMightyAngus]

is it ok to send a letter of interest before an interview? basically, fawningly (sp) asking for an interview?

I did this at my number 1 choice and it worked to land me an interview on the first possible day. But I have to qualify this post by stating that my circumstances were unusually in that I was already accepted into a grad program at the same university and I plan on pursuing a dual-degree.

 

[gdbaby]

is it ok to send a letter of interest before an interview? basically, fawningly (sp) asking for an interview?

I just did this for Loyola.

 

[N1DERL&]

I think maybe the best way is to provide an update letter and weave in your strong interest in the school. That way its not totally a suck up letter for an interview and it serves a purpose. Make this letter good, it can only help! This is just my point of view and I will be doing this for Monday.

BTW, I just clinched my 500th post!

So an update letter is better than an interest letter before interviews? I guess the best time to send one is before they review your app, right?

And on your 500th!

Gdbaby, are you in review at Loyola? I checked on my app last week and was told that it would take some time before I get reviewed.

 

[TimmyTheWonderD]

I just did this for Loyola.

do me a favor gdbaby, and let me know how this goes (you can PM me, that would be cool) as i am pondering how to get myself out of the sticky "hold" situation. i REALLY want them to at least meet me face to face before they make any final decisions.

what is your app status there again? refresh my currently overwhelmed gray matter....are you pre-review or on hold too?

ps YOU ROCK! congrats again, and, i hope that maybe we can both still end up at Loyola with flop, jbrice, mota and others! that would be so wonderful!

 

[TimmyTheWonderD]

i am so naughty! i am at work and i am doing this between admissions....admit a patient, write a post, admit a patient, write a post!

blast these 12 hour shifts!

 

[indigoblue]

I think one thing may have been an interest letter I wrote to Iowa after my interview and after seeing other people who interviewed after me get acceptances.

I'm also in the pool of people wondering whether or not to send a LOI. I interviewed at USUHS on Oct. 13 and have seen an acceptance last week for someone who interviewed the week after me. It is quite disheartening, because I thought they went in order of interviews when going over files, but gdbaby your results have given me hope! I just wonder if it's too late now and they're just writing up the rejection letter or waitlist letter right now...

 

[gdbaby]

Glad I can finally be of some help to people on SDN!

Timmy, my Loyola app hasn't gone under review yet. They made it sound as though my app was knocking on the door of the adcom conference room and it would be reviewed shortly. I have similar stats to Flop (I have a slightly higer GPA but nowhere near as good of EC's) so I am hoping they will condsider me on equal turf. Obviously, I can't call on Thursday this week, but I will keep you posted.

 

[Jon Davis]

So an update letter is better than an interest letter before interviews? I guess the best time to send one is before they review your app, right?

And on your 500th!

Gdbaby, are you in review at Loyola? I checked on my app last week and was told that it would take some time before I get reviewed.

I would supply an update letter with a dash of letter of interest. Its like a soup. There are no rules, just make it taste good.

 

[gdbaby]

jbrice also gave me some good advice when reviewing my letter: make sure you tell them how YOU would be a good fit for THEM as well as what they have for you.