How to write a letter of interest?

[hs764]

I interviewed at Vanderbilt late last month and as we were wrapping up, the admissions person told us that we could supplement our application by sending a letter of interest to the school. She made it very clear that this was not meant to be the same thing as a letter of intent and that we should send it before being placed on a waitlist. None of the other schools I've interviewed at have mentioned something like this and I'm not sure how it would differ from a letter of intent in terms of content. Has anyone done something like this before?

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[21Rush12]

I would think the application and secondary fee are enough to signal one's interest in a school. This is the first I have heard of a school actually encouraging this, as usually these letters are given little weight at all. @Goro any ideas on how to proceed?


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[hs764]

I would think the application and secondary fee are enough to signal one's interest in a school. This is the first I have heard of a school actually encouraging this, as usually these letters are given little weight at all. @Goro any ideas on how to proceed?


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That's what I thought too but they specifically mentioned it. I'm just wary of potentially writing a letter and then getting waitlisted and having to write something that's pretty much exactly the same. I don't know if that would be an application killer.

 

[chaim123]

That's what I thought too but they specifically mentioned it. I'm just wary of potentially writing a letter and then getting waitlisted and having to write something that's pretty much exactly the same. I don't know if that would be an application killer.

As someone who also interviewed at Vandy, I have a slightly different take on what the Director of Admissions was saying. I believe she was trying to explain that letters of intent have absolutely *no weight* unless sent after you are waitlisted, since you could send them to every school. If you want to, you are more than welcome to, but not required to, send a letter of interest. But keep the letter of intent for later.

 

[Goro]

I would think the application and secondary fee are enough to signal one's interest in a school. This is the first I have heard of a school actually encouraging this, as usually these letters are given little weight at all. @Goro any ideas on how to proceed?


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Hmmm...I didn't think that Vandy would be one of those needy schools.

OP, suggest writing about how your positives match what Vandy wants in a student.

 

[hs764]

As someone who also interviewed at Vandy, I have a slightly different take on what the Director of Admissions was saying. I believe she was trying to explain that letters of intent have absolutely *no weight* unless sent after you are waitlisted, since you could send them to every school. If you want to, you are more than welcome to, but not required to, send a letter of interest. But keep the letter of intent for later.

Right, I just don't fully understand what the difference is between a letter of intent and a letter of interest. I get that the timing of sending them is different but as far as content goes I don't know how they differ.

 

[chaim123]

Right, I just don't fully understand what the difference is between a letter of intent and a letter of interest. I get that the timing of sending them is different but as far as content goes I don't know how they differ.

A letter of interest tells the school that you have a continued interest in going there, and why you feel it's a good fit. A letter of intent is used after you have been waitlisted from a school, in which you tell them that if admitted you WILL go to that school. Letters of intent should not be sent lightly, and are meant to tell a school that you are very serious about attending them if given the chance.

 

[•Syzygy•]

A letter of interest tells the school that you have a continued interest in going there, and why you feel it's a good fit. A letter of intent is used after you have been waitlisted from a school, in which you tell them that if admitted you WILL go to that school. Letters of intent should not be sent lightly, and are meant to tell a school that you are very serious about attending them if given the chance.

this

 

[Goro]

Right, I just don't fully understand what the difference is between a letter of intent and a letter of interest. I get that the timing of sending them is different but as far as content goes I don't know how they differ.

A letter of intent is more like guy saying to hot girl: "I'll still respect you in the morning".

 

[hs764]

A letter of interest tells the school that you have a continued interest in going there, and why you feel it's a good fit. A letter of intent is used after you have been waitlisted from a school, in which you tell them that if admitted you WILL go to that school. Letters of intent should not be sent lightly, and are meant to tell a school that you are very serious about attending them if given the chance.

Okay, that makes sense. Do you know if it matters when these are sent? Vanderbilt makes their first round of acceptances in December, but I'd like to hold off on sending this letter as long as I can because I'm on a couple of papers that are under review and I'd like to wait until they're accepted so I can mention them in the letter. Is this a bad idea?

 

[sss1219]

Okay, that makes sense. Do you know if it matters when these are sent? Vanderbilt makes their first round of acceptances in December, but I'd like to hold off on sending this letter as long as I can because I'm on a couple of papers that are under review and I'd like to wait until they're accepted so I can mention them in the letter. Is this a bad idea?

Only let them know about the papers once they are accepted. Sending an update about papers that are under review will likely result in nothing.

If you do get WLed, these accepted papers would make for a great combo letter of intent/update letter if you feel strongly about that school

 

[hs764]

Only let them know about the papers once they are accepted. Sending an update about papers that are under review will likely result in nothing.

If you do get WLed, these accepted papers would make for a great combo letter of intent/update letter if you feel strongly about that school

Right, I don't want to mention any papers until they've been accepted. That's why I'm trying to wait on sending this letter, because the papers are still under review and I'd like to wait until they're accepted so I can mention them. I just don't know if waiting is a bad idea because I don't know how time-sensitive letters of interest are.

 

[sss1219]

Right, I don't want to mention any papers until they've been accepted. That's why I'm trying to wait on sending this letter, because the papers are still under review and I'd like to wait until they're accepted so I can mention them. I just don't know if waiting is a bad idea because I don't know how time-sensitive letters of interest are.

LOIs usually are most effective if you are waitlisted at a school and hold other acceptances. If you don't hold other acceptances, they know you will attend if accepted - they are your only option. But if you feel strongly about the school, no harm in sending one post-II pre-decision if you wanted to. Unlikely that it will have much impact unless it gets to the adcom in time before the entire app is reviewed for a decision, which for most schools is pretty immediate to the interview.

Either way, definitely save those papers for a second LOI that would go out if you were indeed waitlisted.