How binding is a letter of intent?

[studyin]

How binding is a letter of intent? I'm ready to send one, but if a great financial aid situation presents itself from another school then I would take it. What happens if one breaks their intent?

Conversely, what sort of a connotation does one send if they say something along the lines of "_________ ranks at the very top of my list."?

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[Concubine]

How binding is a letter of intent? I'm ready to send one, but if a great financial aid situation presents itself from another school then I would take it. What happens if one breaks their intent?

Conversely, what sort of a connotation does one send if they say something along the lines of "_________ ranks at the very top of my list."?

Not that big of a deal. Most schools realize that applying to medical school is a crapshoot, and some opportunities have to be taken when the present themselves. I definitely wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

 

[HumbleMD]

Not that big of a deal. Most schools realize that applying to medical school is a crapshoot, and some opportunities have to be taken when the present themselves. I definitely wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

A crapshoot? It's actually a pretty calculated system with checks, balances, multiple committees, etc. I'd lose sleep over the fact that you're willing to lie in order to become a doctor or attend a certain school (the profession doesn't want liars, and neither do most schools). OP, I think you might mean a letter of interest. Intent would be to write a letter saying if gaining admission to school X, you would withdraw your application (pending or not) from all other schools (ie, you'll never get the chance to hear about financial aid).

In all honesty, it's debatable whether they even make a difference now, so don't start selling out your morality this early.

A letter of interest is what you seemed to let on with your wording, which is fine in any case.

 

[Concubine]

A crapshoot? It's actually a pretty calculated system with checks, balances, multiple committees, etc. I'd lose sleep over the fact that you're willing to lie in order to become a doctor or attend a certain school (the profession doesn't want liars, and neither do most schools). OP, I think you might mean a letter of interest, which would be to write a letter saying if gaining admission to school X, you would withdraw your application (pending or not) from all other schools (ie, you'll never get the chance to hear about financial aid).

In all honesty, it's debatable whether they even make a difference now, so don't start selling out your morality this early.

A litter of interest is what you seemed to let on with your wording, which is fine in any case.

Still a crapshoot. Maybe not for the schools, but for the applicants.

Oh, and I thought he meant a letter of interest too. I would agree, don't send multiple letters of intent but multiple letters of interest are ok.

 

[MDRus]

DO NOT LIE!!!

though it sounds like you are writing letters of interest -- "one of my top schools." do as much of that as you want.

But a true letter of intent: "If you accept me, I will go" is binding. Can they force you? No. Can they sue you? No. But it would be the worst possible way to begin your medical career and could, and should, come back to bite you, say, at residency time.

 

[DulyNoted]

DO NOT LIE!!!

though it sounds like you are writing letters of interest -- "one of my top schools." do as much of that as you want.

But a true letter of intent: "If you accept me, I will go" is binding. Can they force you? No. Can they sue you? No. But it would be the worst possible way to begin your medical career and could, and should, come back to bite you, say, at residency time.

The coming back to bite you at residency time has been shot down in the past. Residency program admissions are not connected to med school admissions and there are many, many more desirable options for residency than there are US medical schools. For each med school admissions office, there's probably something like 50-100 competitive, academic residency programs.

I agree though: it is awful to write a letter of intent with such strong language only to continue to play the field. It reflects poorly on your pre-health advising committee (if you have one), yourself, your undergrad, and cheapens the value of such language for those who are more genuinely interested in the school.

 

[MDRus]

The coming back to bite you at residency time has been shot down in the past. Residency program admissions are not connected to med school admissions and there are many, many more desirable options for residency than there are US medical schools. For each med school admissions office, there's probably something like 50-100 competitive, academic residency programs.

I agree though: it is awful to write a letter of intent with such strong language only to continue to play the field. It reflects poorly on your pre-health advising committee (if you have one), yourself, your undergrad, and cheapens the value of such language for those who are more genuinely interested in the school.

yes, what he said.👍

 

[Law2Doc]

The coming back to bite you at residency time has been shot down in the past. Residency program admissions are not connected to med school admissions and there are many, many more desirable options for residency than there are US medical schools. For each med school admissions office, there's probably something like 50-100 competitive, academic residency programs.

I agree though: it is awful to write a letter of intent with such strong language only to continue to play the field. It reflects poorly on your pre-health advising committee (if you have one), yourself, your undergrad, and cheapens the value of such language for those who are more genuinely interested in the school.

It won't likely come back to bite you. It is, in fact, a binding contract, but not worth any school's time to legally enforce it. And with long waitlists, no school is going to hold enough of a grudge to get you blacklisted at residencies. But you should be a man/woman of your word. If you tell one school unequivocally that if they accept you, you will attend, you should attend -- it is an issue of character. You are trying to enter into a profession and one component of professionalism is having this kind of character. So write letters of interest if you are still playing the field. Reserve a letter of intent for the one you would actually attend above all others.

 

[FutureDoc4]

I don't understand how the medical schools could not understand this... say you have a top choice Columbia, and you send them a letter of intent. They are the end all be all and you would go to them over any other school (which is true). However, your state school comes and offers you a full ride... you feel like withdrawing from Columbia stating something like that, they would be "offended" or not "understand" considering they actually were your first choice as a school but financial situation changed.

 

[FutureDoc4]

sorry my post was kind of hard to understand because I am multi-tasking like 8 things but I think I made my point

 

[alfalfa]

I don't understand how the medical schools could not understand this... say you have a top choice Columbia, and you send them a letter of intent. They are the end all be all and you would go to them over any other school (which is true). However, your state school comes and offers you a full ride... you feel like withdrawing from Columbia stating something like that, they would be "offended" or not "understand" considering they actually were your first choice as a school but financial situation changed.

I'm interested about this as well. I have my first choice school, but if another gave me a full ride it would be a hard choice. What do you guys think?

 

[HumbleMD]

It won't likely come back to bite you. It is, in fact, a binding contract, but not worth any school's time to legally enforce it. And with long waitlists, no school is going to hold enough of a grudge to get you blacklisted at residencies. But you should be a man/woman of your word. If you tell one school unequivocally that if they accept you, you will attend, you should attend -- it is an issue of character. You are trying to enter into a profession and one component of professionalism is having this kind of character. So write letters of interest if you are still playing the field. Reserve a letter of intent for the one you would actually attend above all others.

This is precisely why I add the caveat, only write a letter of intent to a school you would attend above all others, even if offered a full-ride to those other institutions.

As FutureDoc makes a fairly silly assumption of writing a letter of intent and then saying "oops, things have changed, now I don't want to go." Still a lie, no matter how you slice it. It's not going to land you in jail or jeopardize your career (although the apparent lack of scruples may be your downfall later).

Here me now 07-08 applicants: financial aid decision will have an influence on your decision, and you will probably not find out about scholarships until the spring. Thus, reserve your letters of intent (stating you will attend no matter what) for a school that you would attend now matter what, even if given acceptance, or a full-ride at another school.

Don't do it and then come running back to the boards in May. You've been forewarned.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm interested about this as well. I have my first choice school, but if another gave me a full ride it would be a hard choice. What do you guys think?

You can rationalize it any way you like, it is still not appropriate to tell a school "if you accept me I will attend" and then not attend. If your terms are conditional (on fin aid or otherwise) you simply should not send such a letter. Period.

 

[HumbleMD]

You can rationalize it any way you like, it is still not appropriate to tell a school "if you accept me I will attend" and then not attend. If your terms are conditional (on fin aid or otherwise) you simply should not send such a letter. Period.

To be guilt free, one could always send a letter: "you're my top-choice school and I will drop my other acceptances and pledge to attend, unless of course, I receive a full-ride to another school."

Now the effectiveness of such a letter is up for debate, of course...

 

[Law2Doc]

To be guilt free, one could always send a letter: "you're my top-choice school and I will drop my other acceptances and pledge to attend, unless of course, I receive a full-ride to another school."

Now the effectiveness of such a letter is up for debate, of course...

Which is why you really want to craft a letter of interest, not intent, which expresses how much you love the school but doesn't go so far as to say "I will attend". Something more along the lines of "I would be thrilled to get an acceptance" lets you keep your integrity intact.

 

[darkelven29]

Could you write a letter of semi-binding intent? You would go to the school as long as you don't have a full ride somewhere else?

But yeah, multiple letters of interest is common, but you should only have one letter of intent

 

[MDRus]

Remember what someone said earlier. a letter of intent is the only weapon many of us will have in June when we are clawing our way off waitlists. if you give and others give them out disingenuously, you cheapen and weaken this tool for all of us.

"Letters of Intent" are important, longstanding, almost formal part of this whole process. This isn't a game, dude.

 

[Corker]

I would think that saying a school is your "top choice" would be an effective wording without saying, "I would attend there no matter what else happens." A school can be your top choice without being your ONLY choice. I think "top choice" indicates that it is your number one choice for school, but it still allows for unforeseeable circumstances like financial aid offers. "Top choice" would not be binding.

Any thoughts? Agree or disagree?

 

[HumbleMD]

I would think that saying a school is your "top choice" would be an effective wording without saying, "I would attend there no matter what else happens." A school can be your top choice without being your ONLY choice. I think "top choice" indicates that it is your number one choice for school, but it still allows for unforeseeable circumstances like financial aid offers. "Top choice" would not be binding.

Any thoughts? Agree or disagree?

👍
(unless of course, you have 12 "top choices")

 

[blondie08]

so... what exactly should a letter of interest say? how long should it be? how many is a reasonable number to write? just one?

 

[Depakote]

How binding is a letter of intent? I'm ready to send one, but if a great financial aid situation presents itself from another school then I would take it. What happens if one breaks their intent?

Conversely, what sort of a connotation does one send if they say something along the lines of "_________ ranks at the very top of my list."?

If you send a letter of intent, you should plan on attending that school if accepted.

That said, if you feel that your situation at a school is hopeless and you wish to send a letter of intent to a different school, you can call them and withdraw the letter of intent (pre-acceptance). This is tricky and must be done with appropriate tact, but it is something I successfully did last year and the school I withdrew my letter of intent from was very gracious about it. (everything worked out great)

 

[menelaus84]

.

 

[HumbleMD]

I'm sure I'll get pounded for this, but I believe you can say that "Currently, you're my top choice school and that I plan on attending if accepted."

If it is in fact your top choice currently, it's true. If a full ride comes along, then things change. You plan on attending, but you are not promising. Plans change =)

Starting out your medical career on a technicality and word-smithing sounds like a great plan for success.

 

[Corker]

Starting out your medical career on a technicality and word-smithing sounds like a great plan for success.

I have to agree with HumbleMD. I think it's useful to replace "top choice" with "top girlfriend/boyfriend" and think how you would feel if you were on the other end of that. Saying "currently" sounds pretty non-committal for a letter of intent. Yes? "You are currently my top girlfriend..." Hmmm....

 

[HumbleMD]

I have to agree with HumbleMD. I think it's useful to replace "top choice" with "top girlfriend/boyfriend" and think how you would feel if you were on the other end of that. Saying "currently" sounds pretty non-committal for a letter of intent. Yes? "You are currently my top girlfriend..." Hmmm....

This combined with the fact that it's debatable whether or not a letter of intent even hs much of an effect anyways. The overwhelmingly vast majority of people gain their acceptances without such a letter, earnest or otherwise.