is a 2 page letter of intent for a waitlisted school too long ?

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snowys435

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"Do what you got to do, all or nothing" -Pre-Med
 
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From what I have read and heard from adcoms, a 1 page letter of interest is too long. If you have 2 pages worth of updates, that's fantastic. If it's just a soliloquy of why school x is meant for you, it won't have much effect.

But to answer your question, try to keep it under 1 page. Focus on what's new and why you're a good fit, and trim off the rest.
 
You'll probably get mixed results on this thread, just like you would from adcoms. At the very worst, it shows how passionately you care about the school (or, you somehow suggest that you are writing the same types of letters for multiple schools, and they think you are crazy). If I were you I would play it safe and try to aim for a page and a half at most.

What school is it, out of curiosity? It takes a special connection to make a 2 page letter of intent.
 
what length do you recommend ? Would 1 and a quarter be ok? Or really keep it under 1?
gyngyn said:
I don't recommend it. It's more than two standard deviations from the norm.[/QUOTe
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Seriously bro, if it wasn't adviseable to make you personal statement two pages long, what makes you think anyone's got the time/attn for two pages of updates.
 
snowys435 said:
what length do you recommend ? Would 1 and a quarter be ok? Or really keep it under 1?
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Make it easy for anyone interested to see what is important. If you are not holding anywhere, less is better. Less than a page, for sure.
 
Chiming in again here for a second. Someone else mentioned that you should only include updates, and that there isn't very much merit to including information about 'why this school' or 'fit'. I wholeheartedly disagree with this. I sent an update/interest letter with narrow margins on a 8.5x14" size document, post-interview pre-decision - I don't think my updates (while there were many) where not all that meaningful, but I think this letter swayed the committee away from a waitlist and towards a straight up acceptance. If you give 2 pages of BS, yes, it won't matter. You can make a long letter and have it still be meaningful though.
 
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bakedbeans18 said:
Chiming in again here for a second. Someone else mentioned that you should only include updates, and that there isn't very much merit to including information about 'why this school' or 'fit'. I wholeheartedly disagree with this. I sent an update/interest letter with narrow margins on a 8.5x14" size document, post-interview pre-decision - I don't think my updates (while there were many) where not all that meaningful, but I think this letter swayed the committee away from a waitlist and towards a straight up acceptance. If you give 2 pages of BS, yes, it won't matter. You can make a long letter and have it still be meaningful though.
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thanks! that was my inclination as well. what do you mean by 8.5 x 14? aren't all pages 8.5 x 11?
 
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I mean a longer sheet of paper. There is a setting for it in MS word.
 
bakedbeans18 said:
Chiming in again here for a second. Someone else mentioned that you should only include updates, and that there isn't very much merit to including information about 'why this school' or 'fit'. I wholeheartedly disagree with this. I sent an update/interest letter with narrow margins on a 8.5x14" size document, post-interview pre-decision - I don't think my updates (while there were many) where not all that meaningful, but I think this letter swayed the committee away from a waitlist and towards a straight up acceptance. If you give 2 pages of BS, yes, it won't matter. You can make a long letter and have it still be meaningful though.
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A similar thing happened to me. At the same time, I have heard from members of admissions committees that letters of intent (at some schools) can be meaningless and updates are really what adcoms are looking for.
 
alt12345 said:
A similar thing happened to me. At the same time, I have heard from members of admissions committees that letters of intent (at some schools) can be meaningless and updates are really what adcoms are looking for.
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All of these things are relatively meaningless unless you are holding an acceptance somewhere cheaper (or arguably, better).
 
bakedbeans18 said:
Chiming in again here for a second. Someone else mentioned that you should only include updates, and that there isn't very much merit to including information about 'why this school' or 'fit'. I wholeheartedly disagree with this. I sent an update/interest letter with narrow margins on a 8.5x14" size document, post-interview pre-decision - I don't think my updates (while there were many) where not all that meaningful, but I think this letter swayed the committee away from a waitlist and towards a straight up acceptance. If you give 2 pages of BS, yes, it won't matter. You can make a long letter and have it still be meaningful though.
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Before you advise others to follow your steps, please seriously consider that you may have been accepted in spite of your letter vs because of it.

On average, doctors like concise communication, & I wouldn't be surprised if fewer words were read than if it had been half a page.
 
I'm writing to NYU if it helps. I've heard that they really like people who show interest after being waitlisted?
 
Then take the time to whittle your letter down to less than a page. That's the best way to show you're serious --
 
gyngyn said:
All of these things are relatively meaningless unless you are holding an acceptance somewhere cheaper (or arguably, better).
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Can you please thoroughly explain this, just so that there isn't any misunderstanding on my part.
 
Xenoblade said:
Can you please thoroughly explain this, just so that there isn't any misunderstanding on my part.
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If you ask a girl on a date, she is more likely to say yes if she knows you have other high quailty girls who are after you. If you're just a single, desperate loser with no other prospects, she will probably say no.
 
as long as your content is meaningful and interesting to read - 2 pages is fine. I sent in a 2 page letter and got an interview invite 5 days later. try to have a subject line that the person on the other end can quickly recognize so they actually open the letter and read it rather than file it and forget it. good luck!
 
I sent a 2 page love letter to Case Western last year and ultimately got rejected. It was kinda sacchrine in hind site.
 
caffeinemia said:
Seriously bro, if it wasn't adviseable to make you personal statement two pages long, what makes you think anyone's got the time/attn for two pages of updates.
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My point exactly! My PS was a little bit over a page (single space), and someone is writing a 2-page LOI. That LOI is 'dead on arrival'.
 
Xenoblade said:
Can you please thoroughly explain this, just so that there isn't any misunderstanding on my part.
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If a waitlist candidate is holding no acceptances, the admissions officer already knows they will come if accepted, a love note makes no difference.

Nobody who reads thousands of applications a year wants to read 2 pages of anything this late in the cycle, no matter how great the love.
 
gyngyn said:
If a waitlist candidate is holding no acceptances, the admissions officer already knows they will come if accepted, a love note makes no difference.

Nobody who reads thousands of applications a year wants to read 2 pages of anything this late in the cycle, no matter how great the love.
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Thanks for this advice! When I read it I was about to send in a 2+ page update/LoI which was way to over the top. I cut it down to less than a page and feel like I didn't really lose any of the important stuff - I may have even gained a little self respect 😛
 
gyngyn said:
If a waitlist candidate is holding no acceptances, the admissions officer already knows they will come if accepted, a love note makes no difference.

Nobody who reads thousands of applications a year wants to read 2 pages of anything this late in the cycle, no matter how great the love.
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The waitlist school can see the applicant's current acceptances, waitlists and rejections?
 
Into the trash it goes.
6a0120a95a88d5970b019b00b04a1d970b-800wi

If two pages is considered too long for an employment resume nowadays, why would a two page LOI be acceptable?
 
Well I am currently holding an acceptance to my state school UMD which would definitely be way cheaper but I really loved NYU on interview day. I've cut down my letter to a page and a paragraph and really struggling to cut down more. I don't have any updates however. I mostly just brought up specific points about why it is the best fit for me. I sent in a substantial update last month so should I just not bother sending in a LOI?

gyngyn said:
No, the school where you are waitlisted can now see where you are holding acceptances (if any).
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snowys435 said:
Well I am currently holding an acceptance to my state school UMD which would definitely be way cheaper but I really loved NYU on interview day. I've cut down my letter to a page and a paragraph and really struggling to cut down more. I don't have any updates however. I mostly just brought up specific points about why it is the best fit for me. I sent in a substantial update last month so should I just not bother sending in a LOI?
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If you are holding at your state school and would prefer to pay full freight at NYU (and they have an unranked waitlist), then letting NYU know that you prefer them is reasonable. The email doesn't really have to have much content. Send it when you expect wailist movement to start. Remember, if your school starts before NYU gets to their waitlist, you are off-limits.
 
gyngyn said:
If you are holding at your state school and would prefer to pay full freight at NYU (and they have an unranked waitlist), then letting NYU know that you prefer them is reasonable. The email doesn't really have to have much content. Send it when you expect wailist movement to start. Remember, if your school starts before NYU gets to their waitlist, you are off-limits.
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They have told us they expect waitlist movement to start around may 15th. I am pretty much done my letter other than making it shorter. Would it be a bad idea to send it in now since they would forget about me? I had initially been thinking the sooner I send it in the better. Also, in my letter should I explicitly mention i'm holding an acceptance to my state school and I prefer theirs? Or is that taboo/ unnecessary?
 
gyngyn said:
If you are holding at your state school and would prefer to pay full freight at NYU (and they have an unranked waitlist), then letting NYU know that you prefer them is reasonable. The email doesn't really have to have much content. Send it when you expect wailist movement to start. Remember, if your school starts before NYU gets to their waitlist, you are off-limits.
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Does this mean that the content of the LOI doesn't really matter as much as the message it conveys (I would go to your school rather than xyz?
 
smurfsnowman123 said:
Does this mean that the content of the LOI doesn't really matter as much as the message it conveys (I would go to your school rather than xyz?
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The good deeds you have done since your interview are the least powerful part of your message (even an unjaded reviewer will presume you did them to get in).

The most important point is your preference for the waitlist school over the school where where you are holding..
 
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snowys435 said:
They have told us they expect waitlist movement to start around may 15th. I am pretty much done my letter other than making it shorter. Would it be a bad idea to send it in now since they would forget about me? I had initially been thinking the sooner I send it in the better. Also, in my letter should I explicitly mention i'm holding an acceptance to my state school and I prefer theirs? Or is that taboo/ unnecessary?
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Send it as close as possible to the point at which decisions are being made. The relative autonomy of the admissions dean will vary from school to school, but you want them to think of you when they get close to your stratum in the list.

You can say that despite your good fortune (without mentioning the name of the other school), you would be delighted to accept an offer from NYU. They can already see the other school.
 
gyngyn said:
The good deeds you have done since your interview are the least powerful part of your message (even an unjaded reviewer will presume you did them to get in).

The most important point is your preference for the waitlist school over the school where where you are holding..
Click to expand...

Are pre-meds really thought that lowly of..... 🙁
 
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