How would this be interpreted by an admissions staff?

[cryhavoc]

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So let us say you write a letter of interest to a school you really want to go to. But haven't been given an interview yet.

And mention you got into other medical schools but are more interested in the unique attributes of their school particularly.

Would it be:

1) Oh wow, other schools like something we haven't seen, he must really like our school to not give up, let's see her.

2) Well, she's gotten in elsewhere, good for her, let's give other people a chance for our school.

3) Could go either way.

How would the staff see it? Not other students (I'd assume students would lean toward two)!

 

[22031 Alum]

So you want to know how they'd respond to your saying you got into other schools? When for all they know, you're not being truthful and just saying it because you think it'll make them want you more?

 

[88559]

Personally, I don't see why they would care. You have to keep in mind that every school is different and just because one school liked you and wanted to interview and accept you that does not mean that another school will be the same. Maybe the school you were accepted to felt you were a good fit for the school (i.e. mission, ECs, etc) while this school doesn't.

I don't know much about LOIs, but the people I usually hear writing them are those who interviewed and was waitlisted or rejected. It doesn't make sense to write a letter prior to that and definitely a letter saying how you have these offers but you want to go to their school. Can you imagine if EVERY applicant wrote a LOI prior to an II? :S

 

[samac]

They wouldn't give a damn and the letter means nothing.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

A check of 4-5 zeros before a decimal point + this letter

You may get an interview.

 

[cryhavoc]

I do hear stories of people whose obvious interest and passion for a school either won them an interview, OR got them off a wait-list post interview. I have no doubt that could occur. I'm in both situations. I hold two acceptances, I am on wait list post-interview for one of my top choices and I'm still being reviewed pre-interview for several places that I'd like.

I'm not freaking out because no matter what I get to go to school but I'm still not 100% going to drop everything else yet.

I'm still figuring out if being accepted elsewhere is a positive or a negative to mention. I'm leaning toward not mentioning it in my letter of interest but thought I'd ask to be sure.

 

[22031 Alum]

I do hear stories of people whose obvious interest and passion for a school either won them an interview, OR got them off a wait-list post interview. I have no doubt that could occur.

I'm still figuring out if being accepted elsewhere is a positive or a negative. I'm leaning toward not mentioning it in my letter of interest but thought I'd ask to be sure.

Getting them off a wait list is more likely. At that point, the school has already decided that they like the applicant enough to extend an interview, and maybe they are really close to the threshold of getting a spot. But before you've even been offered an interview, it's less likely. If that were to happen, it won't be your other acceptances that tip the scale- remember, for all they know you could be just making those up.

 

[cryhavoc]

Getting them off a wait list is more likely. At that point, the school has already decided that they like the applicant enough to extend an interview, and maybe they are really close to the threshold of getting a spot. But before you've even been offered an interview, it's less likely. If that were to happen, it won't be your other acceptances that tip the scale- remember, for all they know you could be just making those up.

So if I'm reading you correctly, letters of interest are more useful for post-interview wait lists.

On a separate topic:
Do you think it would be wise to keep my mouth shut about the other schools? I don't want to give them the impression I'm desperate so I want to be like, "Hey, I already am going to med school, I just like your school and identify with its mission more!"

But at the same time I don't want to come off as arrogant, like, "All these other schools think I'm great."

To be perfectly honest, I think I nailed all my other interviews but stumbled on the one I was wait-listed on because I wanted it so badly I was nervous. I felt stiff and embarrassed, which rarely happens to me. I think it was because I loved their school that I felt so much pressure.

 

[22031 Alum]

So if I'm reading you correctly, letters of interest are more useful for post-interview wait lists.

On a separate topic:
Do you think it would be wise to keep my mouth shut about the other schools? I don't want to give them the impression I'm desperate so I want to be like, "Hey, I already am going to med school, I just like your school and identify with its mission more!"

But at the same time I don't want to come off as arrogant, like, "All these other schools think I'm great."

To be perfectly honest, I think I nailed all my other interviews but stumbled on the one I was wait-listed on because I wanted it so badly I was nervous. I felt stiff and embarrassed, which rarely happens to me. I think it was because I loved their school that I felt so much pressure.

Full disclosure: I do not work in medical school admissions. But yes, I do think a letter of interest will work better for a school that has already shown some degree of interest in you, rather than one that so far has passed on you.

Re: the bolded. You're an applicant sending an update letter to a med school that did not immediately accept you. It seems to me that from their point of view, you'll appear desperate no matter what the letter reads. The entire system is set up so you're in the "desperate" position; that's how it works. I don't know how much pride the school you want takes in "poaching" applicants from other places. But I'd be concerned that the chance of coming across as arrogant outweighs the chance of making them want you because someone else does.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe schools that waitlisted you can see where you're accepted in March. If you send them a love letter then, at least they'll be able to verify that you actually do have acceptances, truly do prefer them, and aren't just trying to make them "jealous."

 

[Goro]

You forgot "Good luck at the other school!"

These types of letters are routinely trashed by Admissions deans.

How would you interpret a nonbinding contract from a desperate applicant?


At some schools, not all. Definitely not mine.
So if I'm reading you correctly, letters of interest are more useful for post-interview wait lists.

This is true for MD schools but DO schools do not have such communications.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe schools that waitlisted you can see where you're accepted in March. If you send them a love letter then, at least they'll be able to verify that you actually do have acceptances, truly do prefer them, and aren't just trying to make them "jealous."

 

[mathnerd88]

These letters won't do anything unless at least you've been already interviewed or waitlisted. If a school isn't interested in you, a letter won't change anything. They get more applicants who they feel are more qualified than you than they can accept.

 

[Lebowski9]

They wouldn't give a damn and the letter means nothing.

 

[GUH]

I submitted a letter of interest via email after being on a pre-interview hold for several months. The letter said that I was still highly interested in the school, provided an update with my grades from the fall semester, alerted the school that I had uploaded additional letters of recommendation, and told them I lived close enough that I would be able to attend an interview on very short notice. I did not mention my other acceptances. I received a reply indicating that it was added to my file. A couple of months after that I received an invitation for an interview and everything turned out alright.

Maybe it helped; maybe it didn't. But I'm glad I submitted it. I'm not involved in admissions but I doubt it hurts and it is also an opportunity to update the school on new information which may encourage them to send an II. I doubt that telling them about my admission elsewhere would have helped since they would now know that they aren't depriving me of a chance to attend medical school.

 

[GatorsKW14]

In most cases, I would agree with what has already been said in this thread. However, there was a school I was really interested in, my stats were well above average, and my application fit well with their mission. I emailed them to reiterate my interest in interviewing and notified them that I had added another LOR to my application... I received an interview a couple days later. Unfortunately, this was late in the cycle and this particular school didn't do a great job organizing their acceptances and waitlist so they were out of spots by the time I interviewed. The waitlist didn't move at all until the first day of orientation when someone didn't show up and I was the first person they offered the seat to. I really think that they just lost my application in a pile and if I had emailed them earlier, I would be at that school instead. With that said, I didn't mention my other acceptances in the email and don't think that will help you at all. A short email stating your reasons for wanting to interview at the school should be enough if something similar happened to you.