i will send my letter of intent when i darn well please

[ElisaBailey]

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i don't get it. people keep saying you have to reserve your letter of intent for after u get waitlisted. i can't wait that long. i'd much rather get accepted early because of my LOI (potentially) than to get waitlisted and cry and then send my LOI in. besides, they still have your letter of intent after u get waitlisted, no? then i can remind them again that they're my favoritest school?

it might not be a good idea but i'm getting impatient... so screw it i'm sending it out tomorrow!!

Elisa on a rant

 

[justme456]

i don't get it. people keep saying you have to reserve your letter of intent for after u get waitlisted. i can't wait that long. i'd much rather get accepted early because of my LOI (potentially) than to get waitlisted and cry and then send my LOI in. besides, they still have your letter of intent after u get waitlisted, no? then i can remind them again that they're my favoritest school?

it might not be a good idea but i'm getting impatient... so screw it i'm sending it out tomorrow!!

Elisa on a rant

okay

 

[dienekes88]

Hahaha. Yeah. Why wait 'til there's a problem (i.e. getting waitlisted) to start working on it?

I plan on waiting 'til ~Feb. 15th before I send out my letter of intent to the school that is currently my top choice (they're making all their decisions in March). Until then I'm writing letters of interest in an attempt to score a couple more interviews...

Go for it. I can't see why it would be a bad idea. The other thread about missing out on money because you sent out an LOI is ridiculous, because not sending out the LOI might prevent you from being accepted in the first place. Why on earth would you risk your acceptance like that?

 

[skijumpbump]

I am going to send out my LOI to my top choice school before they make a descion. I am going to send it out tommorow and I interview last Tuesday, to soon? I dont think so, If I get waitlisted I can always send a new letter.

 

[beachblonde]

Hahaha. Yeah. Why wait 'til there's a problem (i.e. getting waitlisted) to start working on it?

exactly! Americans on the whole wait until there's a problem to try to fix it-the word "preventative" is like foul language to us.

I sent an LOI a few days post interview (it was honest-I'm dying to go to that school). I haven't heard back yet, but I can't imagine that they would read an LOI and think "eh, we don't want you now." Having people take an initial acceptance and actually show up improves their yield rate, and schools love that. It makes their lives easier.

 

[1956Goldtop]

I don't plan on writing any LOIs until I get waitlisted at my top choice. Other than that, I don't really want to lock myself in. The issue of money is very important to some people, so it isn't necessarily stupid to wait before you send an LOI. BTW, no one even knows if LOIs have any sway. The general consensus seems to be that they make minimal impact on an application if at all.

 

[dienekes88]

I don't plan on writing any LOIs until I get waitlisted at my top choice. Other than that, I don't really want to lock myself in. The issue of money is very important to some people, so it isn't necessarily stupid to wait before you send an LOI. BTW, no one even knows if LOIs have any sway. The general consensus seems to be that they make minimal impact on an application if at all.

Sure. Money is definitely a factor. However, I'd rather be really happy at a great school carrying a large amount of debt than unhappy with a small amount of debt.

At the end of the day, if you're going to med school, it's pretty likely that you'll be able to pay off your loans at some point. So you have to buy a Camry instead of a Lexus right out of your residency... big deal.

I think the weight of the LOI depends on the school. I've heard that my current top-choice takes them pretty seriously.

 

[SilkyDelicious]

I'd say there's no definite best time to send a letter of intent. If you know for a fact that that's the school you want to go to then I'd send it ASAP.

For me, I interviewed very early at a great school, but I held off on the LOI and now I'm glad I did because I received interviews at a few other great schools, and I honestly don't know which one I would go to if accepted everywhere at this point.

I feel like LOIs are a tricky business, you run the risk of sounding presumptuous if you send it right after an interview. While you may miss out on an opportunity to get accepted at your top choice school if you wait until the acceptances/waitlist come out. If you feel very confident about your interview and chances at a given top choice then maybe it is better to wait. If you feel like you'd be more on the fence then I'd definately send a LOI. Granted this also depends not only on your application but on the admissions committee at a given school...

So many factors, i can't keep it all straight anymore 😱

 

[whateva07]

How do you send loi? email? snail mail?

 

[alwaysaangel]

i don't get it. people keep saying you have to reserve your letter of intent for after u get waitlisted. i can't wait that long. i'd much rather get accepted early because of my LOI (potentially) than to get waitlisted and cry and then send my LOI in. besides, they still have your letter of intent after u get waitlisted, no? then i can remind them again that they're my favoritest school?

it might not be a good idea but i'm getting impatient... so screw it i'm sending it out tomorrow!!

Elisa on a rant

You should send it whenever you wish.

But just so you can understand where those people are coming from - the reason its best to wait until after a decision has been made on your file is because then the receipt of your LOI forces them to review your file AGAIN.

Whereas if you send it before a decision is made then they will just review the LOI when they review your file the first time and if they decide to waitlist you - they may never look at you again.

Its to your advantage to force them to look at your file as many times as possible - the more times they look the more likely someone will run across something they like about your file and you'll get accepted.

If you send it before you get waitlisted you will likely have nothing else to update them with and won't be able to send another letter to be sure they review you again.

Thats the only reason people advise to wait.

 

[erica31]

I always wanted to send an LOI just like in Legally Blond... on pink paper scented with my perfume 😍

Seriously, while snail is more professional, it takes longer to get there-- aka to the mail room, to the school, through the secretary (who may get it stuck under a ton of other papers.. never to be seen again)... etc

Email is much quicker, although less personal. I guess you could PDF a letter and send it email?? (Best of both worlds) 😀

 

[thesearc]

Hi,

I am waitlisted and want to write a letter of intent. I don't know what is to be written in this kind of letter. Can someone please tell me where can I find samples of these letters. Google doesn't help.

Thank You

 

[scitastic]

All you need to do is state:
1) You want to go to X school
2) Why you want to go to X school ie what you liked about the school and what you bring
3) Any new/recent info the adcom should now when considering your file.

Just steal the template from a grad school LOI as they're basically the same "I love you please accept me" sorta letter. I used a grad template and it worked out for me 🙂

 

[FrickenhugeMD]

Hi,

I am waitlisted and want to write a letter of intent. I don't know what is to be written in this kind of letter. Can someone please tell me where can I find samples of these letters. Google doesn't help.

Thank You

Why do you want to go to that school? If you need to see why other people want it, maybe you havent fully convinced yourself you want to go there. If it isnt your words than it probly wont express the reason you want go there

 

[alwaysaangel]

Hi,

I am waitlisted and want to write a letter of intent. I don't know what is to be written in this kind of letter. Can someone please tell me where can I find samples of these letters. Google doesn't help.

Thank You

Check my mdapps I talk about what should be included and the one I sent preinterview is there.

 

[thesearc]

Check my mdapps I talk about what should be included and the one I sent preinterview is there.

Can you really tell them that if they accept you, you will take it no matter what and that way they have confirmed seat allocation?

 

[alwaysaangel]

Can you really tell them that if they accept you, you will take it no matter what and that way they have confirmed seat allocation?

You can. I did that in my second letter. I was discussing what they would benefit from accepting me and what I would benefit from being accepted and one of the things I mentioned for them was that they would have a definite spot filled.

 

[dArroway]

You can. I did that in my second letter. I was discussing what they would benefit from accepting me and what I would benefit from being accepted and one of the things I mentioned for them was that they would have a definite spot filled.

You really are an inspiration to us who have been waitlisted. 🙂

 

[Tenk]

But just so you can understand where those people are coming from - the reason its best to wait until after a decision has been made on your file is because then the receipt of your LOI forces them to review your file AGAIN.

That's only true pre-interview.

Post interview they will just open the bin, find your name and plop it right in there.

 

[alwaysaangel]

That's only true pre-interview.

Post interview they will just open the bin, find your name and plop it right in there.

Not everywhere. Many places will rereview everytime you send something in - it just depends how they run their waitlist. If you're just a number then it won't help. If they rereview files to fill spots it will.

 

[Tenk]

Not everywhere. Many places will rereview everytime you send something in - it just depends how they run their waitlist. If you're just a number then it won't help. If they rereview files to fill spots it will.

We're thinking in different times. I was thinking right now before waitlists are formed/looked at. You're thinking at the end of this month once waitlists have been set and are underway. Therefore in context of what you're saying, yeah you're probably right.

In the OP's case. A LOI would probably have a bigger effect before your application goes to committee. If you are waitlisted regardless, the letter will still be there mid-May and you'll have time to write something else. Relax and send it. =p

 

[batm0nque]

thanks for your input alwaysaangel!!!

helpful and encouraging as always =)

encouragement is always good rite now...during this season of waitlist waiting...bleH

 

[alwaysaangel]

We're thinking in different times. I was thinking right now before waitlists are formed/looked at. You're thinking at the end of this month once waitlists have been set and are underway. Therefore in context of what you're saying, yeah you're probably right.

Not really. Many schools never have the "formed waitlist" you're talking about. Many always have a very fluid waitlist and choose people from the entire set of files without having a list. This is very common in California (I actually don't think any school in Cali has a set list) and since most of the advice I give is for Cali - its pretty applicable to many of the people here. All the way until August.

I don't really know how schools with true lists work - but with most other schools - if you send something in they will review you again. The more times someone looks at your file the better your odds of them finding something they like and you getting through to the acceptance pile.

Is it a science? No. Its a strategy and people can take it or leave it - but saying its not true doesn't make that so.