Does showing interest with frequent letters really make any difference?

[moops]

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I know plenty of waitlisted friends who do not submit any updates because they do not want to reveal their spring grades (very bad). I worked hard spring semester to do well- and would feel kind of cheated (I know that sounds dramatic, sorry) if these individuals were able to have these discounted simply because they chose not to submit them.

Question: do adcoms look favorably on those individuals who chose to update their transcript as opposed to waitlisted candidates who send no such updates?

 

[tBw]

I think it's like starting lots and lots of threads - people at least start to recognise your name 'moops' 😉

but seriously - of course it makes a difference. Einstein sent out these emails asking people if they were still interested as they were looking favorably on the candidate. Why do they want to know? So they only offer to people who will go there (both to prevent time wasting and to boost 'selectivity' rankings). The same reasoning goes on behind Dean Frantz admission policies from the waitlist. Although schools have different ways of tackling it its the same deal everywhere.

 

[Cydney Foote]

Updates definitely make a difference. Boy Wonder is exactly right -- you do want your name to be recognized (in a good way, preferably!).

Here's what happens when you're on the waitlist (at least, this is what my office did). Your file, along with the 100 other wait-listed candidates, is put in a filing cabinet in the administrator's office. Every few weeks, the top portion of the files (if they're ranked) or all the files (if they're not) are pulled out for the adcomm meeting. At this point, they're ruthless -- they have to whittle down the pile, and they do this by disposing of everybody who they don't immediately recognize -- who wants to have to read the entire file again!

Here's how to stand out -- write letters, updates on your grades, new transcripts, new letters of recommendations, whatever you can. When the administrator receives the letter, s/he circulates it around to all the adcomm members before putting it into the file. If you do a letter every 2-3 weeks, you're going to be at the top of their minds. When they get to your file (which by the way is now bigger and even more impressive), they think, "Oh yeah, I remember Moops, let's not get rid of him yet." Or better yet, they think, "Hey, he really cares about getting in here. That's the kind of med student we want!"

As for people who don't submit their final grades, if the school's have a tracking system like we had, one of the boxes that has to be checked off is "Final transcripts submitted." Some may slip through without it, but it should set off alarms.

Keep in touch with your wait-listed school and good luck!

 

[hobbes007]

is there a such thing as sending too many letters? if i sent a letter every week or so to my top waitlist school, would this be seen as too much, and have a negative effect? just wondering...

 

[denali]

hobbes007,

Chasing a medical school acceptance is like chasing a love interest: do you want to be interesting and alluring, or a freakish stalker?

Send a letter when you've got something of substance to add to your application file. If you just want to keep your name fresh in their minds, you can call/email every 3 weeks or so asking how the waitlist process is proceeding, etc.

FWIW,
mdf

 

[Cydney Foote]

Every week is a bit on the obsessive side -- I recommend a contact every 2-3 weeks. It also helps if it takes different forms -- a letter one time, a recommendation from somebody else the next time, a short email just stating interest, then a longer update letter; repeat as needed.

However, I never recommend calling the office. A letter is usually forwarded around to all the committee members. Your call is taken by an office assistant who is overworked at this time of year, has little input into the selection process, and can't give you any useful information. It's very likely that your call will only be brought to the admissions committee's attention if you are rude or otherwise difficult with this person. That's the last thing you want!

Good luck with the wait-list wait!

 

[moops]

i don't think there is any sort of 2-3 week maximum.. i mean, if there is significant information to be updated more frequently, such as NIH research grant (recently received), updated transcript, etc. and these are more frequently, it is pointless to wait three weeks before submiting them. lost time.

 

[dakotaman]

If it's your top choice and you've sent a letter of intent...what more can you do? You're essentially saying, "You're the greatest, bestest medical school and I wanna go to your school badly!" If you send more letters, isn't it counterproductive? 🙂

I'd love to hear y'alls opinions on it.

 

[jennie 21]

Dakotaman,
I don't think that sending additional letters to a school where you're waitlisted is counterproductive, even if you've already sent them a letter of intent. Frequent letters keep your name in their minds and keeps your file from ending up on the bottom of the pile and getting forgotten. I think it's kind of like people voting for political candidates simply on the basis of name recognition. You want your name to be recognized and remembered. I'm sure it's possible to take this to the extreme where it's counterproductive, but I think once or twice a month is probably appropriate unless the admissions office has told you otherwise. Obviously, try to think of something new to say each time...even if it's just different reasons why you like the school from what you wrote the last time.

 

[relatively prime]

Originally posted by moops
i don't think there is any sort of 2-3 week maximum.. i mean, if there is significant information to be updated more frequently, such as NIH research grant (recently received), updated transcript, etc. and these are more frequently, it is pointless to wait three weeks before submiting them. lost time.

I think you should call and get a feel for the people in the office. I think you can usually tell if they're the "call us once a week" type or the "don't call us, we'll call you" type. Sometimes you can even tell from the waitlist letter itself.

I just think it depends on the school how often you should call/write.

 

[Biodude]

How about going to the school again and visiting the admissions office in-person to annouce your intentions? 😀

Okay, that might be a bit extreme, especially if your dream school is thousands of miles away, but well, I wonder how they'd react? 😀

 

[uclamendoza]

bump

 

[gluon]

My buddy flew to Tulane to talk to Dean-Pisano of Admissions post-interview. I think this shows initiative and will most likely improve his/your chances. But I dont think it is neccessary; you could just as easily write consecutive letters explaining why you think you are a good fit and update with grades/activities. It might even be more advantageous to write letters, because it is a hard copy of your reasons for coming to that school, where as a meeting might or might not be recorded. I guess taking both avenues would be good, but you are still less likely to mess up on the letter or make a mistake which might well be unknown to you, and possibly cause problems.

 

[OB1🤙]

I did almost exactly what Cydney recommended here, and it worked for me at Tulane. I spaced correspondence to about once every three weeks, and sent something different every time. A new LOR, a letter of intent, an e-mail to the director, etc.

And it was a hell of a lot cheaper than flying back out there to speak to Dr. Pisano!

 

[gluon]

Oh yeah by the way,

He still hasnt heard from them. Although just recently he has started the letter writing. So well see....

 

[mandinga]

moops definitely update with your grades.

1) subtle way to show interest

2) improves your portfolio

just my two cents

 

[calipaww]

do you guys think the letter should focus on why you want them or why they want you. i figure by the time of the waitlist they already freaking know all about you. i really dont feel the need to reiterate .. right???? my letter just talks about new stuff and why i like the school, do you guys think that i should talk about why my acievements are such a good match. i figure if they werent a match i wouldnt have gotten this far right? sorry if this is ramble! 😛 🙄 😕 😱

 

[MedguyNYC]

I don't think sending additional info. makes a big difference. I sent two letters of intent to cornell and they never responded.

 

[Cydney Foote]

Originally posted by calipaww
do you guys think the letter should focus on why you want them or why they want you. i figure by the time of the waitlist they already freaking know all about you.... i figure if they werent a match i wouldnt have gotten this far right?

You're right about already being a match ... up to a point. You've definitely met their basic requirements for admission. But something is keeping you on the wait list instead of being admitted full out. That's why the extra information can make such a difference.

As for whether it should be why you want them or why they should want you, I would say it's a mix of both. You want to present yourself as the perfect match for their program -- this shows the research you've done about this school. Do they have a PC focus? Are there any research opportunities? Talk about these to show your interest, and always point out how this is the very best learning environment for you.

And yes, they already know some information about you -- that's what got you on the wait list. But did you really describe yourself completely in a 5300-character essay and a couple of secondaries? There's got to be more to you than that. Don't repeat what you've told them before. Instead, flesh out your profile with different stories. Can you describe how busy it was the last time you volunteered at the ER, and how this reaffirmed your desire to be a doctor? Can you explain how visiting your sick aunt made you more committed to going to med school? Can you even talk about being the captain of an intramural softball team and how you're enjoying the extra teamwork lessons? These sorts of stories will give the admissions committee a better idea of who you are. The different perspectives that come from additional LORs is also valuable.

I know it's a lot of work -- keep the faith!

 

[calipaww]

hi cydney foot,thanks for your input !!


i decided to focus my letter on my recent travels to central america. i am now fluent in spanish , and i also mention my other experiences while traveling. it really sidetracks from my motivations to enter medicine . but i feel like the letter touches on other aspects of me and my interests. 🙂

 

[calipaww]

hi cydney foot,thanks for your input !!


i decided to focus my letter on my recent travels to central america. i am now fluent in spanish , and i also mention my other experiences while traveling. it really sidetracks from my motivations to enter medicine . but i feel like the letter touches on other aspects of me and my interests. 🙂 what do you think?

 

[calipaww]

biggity bump

 

[Cydney Foote]

I think that is a great topic -- but I do think you should be able to weave your motivations for pursuing medicine into it. What did you particularly like about your travels? Was it talking to different people and learning about them? Was it navigating your way through uncertain territories? Was it the challenge of dealing with new problems each day? Do these say anything about why you want to be a doctor? If you can tie your experiences and strengths into the areas that the AAMC looks for (personal qualifications, academic qualifications, communication skills, and motivation), your essay will be even stronger.

If you want to ask more in-depth questions about your essay and/or waitlist letters, you might want to join me and some of our other editors for AMCAS Magic, a live chat next Tuesday, May 27th, at 6pm PST.

 

[Penguin Poptart]

I wasn't comfortable with either the letter writing thing, or the thank you notes sending so by and large, I did neither. I don't think it's made any difference. I ended up sending two letters of interest (one each to two schoosl) and two thank you notes (where I really did want to thank, not to kiss up) I've gotten off waitlists at a few places I did nothing, and heard nothing from all the ones I thanked and one of the places I sent an interest letter.

 

[JM.]

I think it makes a difference where you know it makes a difference, i.e. Columbia or something. i wrote several letters adn the last time I called DF was like --- ahhh, Columbia still your first choice like you indicated in your letter you wrote to me in April.