Just how powerful is a letter of intent?

[dewgong]

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That is, giving the school your word that you will certainly attend if they accept you. I know it is binding in that it is quite bad to renege on your declaration, but is a letter of intent even close to being legally binding? I've read around on the forums and I saw messages mentioning that going back on your word can result in being blacklisted, but I haven't read that anywhere else.

Now, I'm not thinking about sending an insincere letter of intent or anything, but I'm wondering just how serious a letter of intent really is. If it is truly binding, then it should have a huge impact. But what I'm wondering is how adcoms view LOI's -- are they taken very seriously as testaments to an applicant's commitment to the school, or do they simply dismiss LOI's as a meaningless formality?

 

[NickNaylor]

No, it's not binding. You would just be a tool if you sent one and did not, in fact, have any intent of going to that school.

 

[Torr]

I still think of them more like letters of interest in the program. Unless you say "if you accept me I'll attend" you're just showing that you like them . I do think it's wrong if you're writing every program and telling them that they are definitely your TOP CHOICE.

 

[cowme]

That is, giving the school your word that you will certainly attend if they accept you. I know it is binding in that it is quite bad to renege on your declaration, but is a letter of intent even close to being legally binding? I've read around on the forums and I saw messages mentioning that going back on your word can result in being blacklisted, but I haven't read that anywhere else.

Now, I'm not thinking about sending an insincere letter of intent or anything, but I'm wondering just how serious a letter of intent really is. If it is truly binding, then it should have a huge impact. But what I'm wondering is how adcoms view LOI's -- are they taken very seriously as testaments to an applicant's commitment to the school, or do they simply dismiss LOI's as a meaningless formality?

The programs believe these when they see them, but they mean very little to adcoms. Schools accept applicants who they want at their program, regardless of how likely they are to matriculate. If they didn't like you at your interview, a letter won't help you get in.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Has no impact.

 

[dbeast]

Has no impact.

I've sent 3 letters:

1 acceptance
1 waitlist
1 nothing yet

Also 1 acceptance where I didn't send any updates.

I'm inclined to agree that it has no (or very little) impact. If they like you, they'll accept you.

 

[Catalystik]

See LizzyM's comments from post #5 onward: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=10636269&highlight=NCAA#post10636269

 

[wanderer]

That obviously doesn't apply to every school. I know of at least 2 schools where sending an LOI is a necessary component of getting in off the waitlist. And I'm sure there are quite a few schools like that.

 

[NickNaylor]

That obviously doesn't apply to every school. I know of at least 2 schools where sending an LOI is a necessary component of getting in off the waitlist. And I'm sure there are quite a few schools like that.

...and then there are schools like Michigan where it matters absolutely zilch. I have a feeling things like letters of interest/intent and updates matter more at the Ivies than the other schools just because they like have their ego stroked.

 

[Narmerguy]

See LizzyM's comments from post #5 onward: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=10636269&highlight=NCAA#post10636269

That obviously doesn't apply to every school. I know of at least 2 schools where sending an LOI is a necessary component of getting in off the waitlist. And I'm sure there are quite a few schools like that.

Perhaps not. At any rate, I don't think anyone is suggesting it hurts to send one so if you're so inclined, just send it. LizzyM was at least clear that it does close to nothing at schools like hers.

 

[alwaysaangel]

How they view it is completely dependent on the school.

1) Some schools trash them
2) Some read them but don't care much about them
3) Some will rereview your file when you send one but it may or may not have any effect
4) Some almost 'require' them to be pulled of the waitlist.

Notice, no one has every said it could hurt you, so if you mean it send it.

From my n=1 perspective I got into the school that I am currently attending with LOIs.

I sent a letter of interest to UC Irvine when I was placed on hold for interview and ultimately got an interview several months later (on the last day of interviews), I sent a letter of intent post-interview and was waitlisted. Then I sent an update letter (by then I had very little left so say). I got the call a week later, the dean of admissions even said it was my "persistence that impressed them the most."

I begged my way into my school and I have no problem admitting that. In the end I got a great education at an in-state school, saw my parents every month, and developed awesome local connections in EM that lead to a very successful residency application cycle - I have no regrets.

 

[rhesuspieces]

Like others have said, it really depends on the school. I think LOIs hold more sway with higher-ranked schools simply because the students that get interviews at those schools generally end up with several other acceptances. Saying "I will definitely attend your school if accepted" doesn't make a difference if that school already knows you don't have an acceptance at all.

 

[patel2]

If you get into a school after writing a LOI, you have no legal or moral obligation to attend.

Maybe it was true at the time you wrote it that you will definitely go if accepted, but priorities change. You could get into better schools, get off waitlists, get better financial aid deals, and this causes your non-binding "intent" to quickly change, and that's fine. Like LizzyM said, schools know this and they really don't care or consider any such letter anything more than showing interest in that school (which could help at some places, and not matter at all in others)

 

[wanderer]

...and then there are schools like Michigan where it matters absolutely zilch. I have a feeling things like letters of interest/intent and updates matter more at the Ivies than the other schools just because they like have their ego stroked.

The director at UCF also posts on here, and I've seen him post that LOIs have zero effect.

If you (generic you) really want to find out, either ask the school directly or try to network and find a current student and ask their opinion. There really isn't any way of predicting which schools do care and which ones don't, but it doesn't hurt to ask the schools if you can't find a current student.
And yes, after a certain date (March 15?) schools can see where you are accepted, so if you have no acceptances sending the LOI won't have too much value.

And I don't know if LOIs can never hurt you. What if there's a bad tone, or it comes across as desperate or arrogant? I'd imagine that in that case it could hurt your chance at admission.

 

[WuMedic]

I was discussing this on a thread the other day actually-see:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=800713

 

[IlDestriero]

There is no harm in writing a letter to the Dean of Admissions and letting them know that they are your first choice. It can only help, unless you write something ridiculous. In spite of what Lizzy has said, that she has never seen one, that doesn't mean that her Dean has not, nor that it doesn't affect the boards decision to review applicants on a wait list. Traditionally my school, by report, only takes a handful of applicants off the wait list each year.
One of my anatomy partners had an acceptance to several schools including a top 3 and his excellent state school. He was wait listed at another well ranked school. He wrote a compelling letter to the Dean explaining why he was an excellent fit for that particular school and why it was his first choice. The Dean called him personally and discussed his letter, presumably immediately prior to a committee meeting. He called him back a couple hours later and told him the good news. They know where you've been accepted, and letter can only help. Perhaps most school's Deans are not this personally involved in the process, but ours was outstanding and he really wanted to create the best class that he could. The fruits of his labor were obvious.
Write a compelling letter to the Dean of your first choice school.👍

 

[Mbeas]

is it too early to write an LOI, or is now a good time?

 

[Ride Big Sky]

It does seem to be highly dependent on the school. UVM strongly encourages letters after the interview. Stony Brook seemed sort of blah to them all. Georgetown flat out said if you're waitlisted they will just put your file away and never look at it again unless you send in letters. So yeaaah, might as well send some in and hope they help out. Do you really want to wait all the time to get a rejection and then wonder if it would've changed with a few letters? Most likely it wont be the deciding factor, but why take the chance?

 

[TexasPhysician]

Think about it from the Dean's perspective: You've ranked all of the applicants 1-1000. You are handing out acceptance letter #278 when all of a sudden a LOI comes from applicant #342. Do you instead give the letter to applicant #342? No. You already have your list and your staff has decided that #278 is 60ish spots better than #342. Now #278 may not accept your invitation, but who really cares. You can move on to #279 if #278 doesn't take the spot. You have no incentive to give the spot to #342, especially since a LOI is not legal binding. You could give the spot to #342 and have that person turn you down just as easily. So what would make me give the spot to #342?

If it were me:
If the letter of intent gives updates that includes a new publication in Cell Magazine that has potential to change the field of Neurology, I certainly may have my staff reevaluate whether #342 deserves to be bumped up considerably-may bring prestige with him/her to my school. Otherwise, almost every applicant from 1-1000 has kissed my behind so many times that I don't care to keep track with who does the best puckering. I stick with my staff's evaluations. I've trusted them for years and I will continue to do so.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Think about it from the Dean's perspective: You've ranked all of the applicants 1-1000. You are handing out acceptance letter #278 when all of a sudden a LOI comes from applicant #342. Do you instead give the letter to applicant #342? No. You already have your list and your staff has decided that #278 is 60ish spots better than #342. Now #278 may not accept your invitation, but who really cares. You can move on to #279 if #278 doesn't take the spot. You have no incentive to give the spot to #342, especially since a LOI is not legal binding. You could give the spot to #342 and have that person turn you down just as easily. So what would make me give the spot to #342?

I really doubt the vast majority of admissions office work this way. Actually coming up with exact rankings for that many people is a ton of work.

I'd imagine its generally more of putting applicants into categories: "definitely accept" "likely accept" "possible accept" and "rejection" piles. And yes, I think that a rereview of the file with an LOI could catch someone's eye and move you up a pile.

 

[45408]

They're not binding. They're also probably not very helpful, but if you really want to go there, why not? Just try not to sound desperate or obsessed.

 

[wanderer]

Think about it from the Dean's perspective: You've ranked all of the applicants 1-1000. You are handing out acceptance letter #278 when all of a sudden a LOI comes from applicant #342. Do you instead give the letter to applicant #342? No. You already have your list and your staff has decided that #278 is 60ish spots better than #342. Now #278 may not accept your invitation, but who really cares. You can move on to #279 if #278 doesn't take the spot. You have no incentive to give the spot to #342, especially since a LOI is not legal binding. You could give the spot to #342 and have that person turn you down just as easily. So what would make me give the spot to #342?

If it were me:
If the letter of intent gives updates that includes a new publication in Cell Magazine that has potential to change the field of Neurology, I certainly may have my staff reevaluate whether #342 deserves to be bumped up considerably-may bring prestige with him/her to my school. Otherwise, almost every applicant from 1-1000 has kissed my behind so many times that I don't care to keep track with who does the best puckering. I stick with my staff's evaluations. I've trusted them for years and I will continue to do so.

Because a lot of waitlists aren't ranked. Hell some of them aren't even tiered (at least officially). So you can have 600 people on the waitlist, but if "only" 200 send LOIs, then just look at those 200 to pick the remaining 30 seats. But you're right, a LOI for a ranked waitlist will do next to nothing.

They're not binding. They're also probably not very helpful, but if you really want to go there, why not? Just try not to sound desperate or obsessed.

If the dean thinks that someone sending those letters is even slightly more likely to attend, then it might be worth extending them the offer, as long as they're competitive enough. Some of them want to extend as few offers as possible so they will only look at the files of those who send LOIs.

Ultimately it depends on how many people send LOIs. If everyone sends a LOI, your LOI probably won't even make a difference at a school with an unranked list. I have a feeling that most people don't send LOIs though.

 

[patel2]

Because a lot of waitlists aren't ranked. Hell some of them aren't even tiered (at least officially). So you can have 600 people on the waitlist, but if "only" 200 send LOIs, then just look at those 200 to pick the remaining 30 seats. But you're right, a LOI for a ranked waitlist will do next to nothing.


If the dean thinks that someone sending those letters is even slightly more likely to attend, then it might be worth extending them the offer, as long as they're competitive enough. Some of them want to extend as few offers as possible so they will only look at the files of those who send LOIs.

Ultimately it depends on how many people send LOIs. If everyone sends a LOI, your LOI probably won't even make a difference at a school with an unranked list. I have a feeling that most people don't send LOIs though.

I was under the impression that ranked waitlists can change. So the person ranked at 20 who shows lots of interest, sends updates, calls etc. could go up to 10 versus the person who has no contact post-interview. But I don't know for sure if it is static or not.