Letter explaining top choice, do other schools know?

[TwoSteveSquared]

I sent one of the schools I interviewed a "top choice letter." Then, I interviewed at another which I liked better, so I sent them a "top choice" letter and in it explained that they are NOW my top choice, which was previously another school (I indicated which school).

Anyhow, do you think it is likely these schools will communicate?

Do you guys think adcoms communicate about any specific letters (I typically send all schools I interview a letter telling them why I think they are special).

Just getting paranoid

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[italianlove]

Hey Steve,

I spoke with the director on admissions at WUSTL here in St. Louis about this and he said that schools do swap info about their applicants and their intent. You said that you mentioned your previous enamor with another school in the letter to the new school and I think that was definately a good move (shows character). The schools will almost definately swap this info with each other, although I'm not sure if this will have any bearing on their final decision. Good luck with everything and I hope you get into your top "top" choice. Ciao.

 

[Darwin]

I did this same thing...only three times! My interviews just kept on getting better, and my top choice kept on changing. However, I failed to mention in my letters that I had previously written another school indicating them as my top choice.

Think about it...7-8,000 applications, nearly 900 interviews at many of these schools...and many of the interviewees are different. I don't think it's feasible to assume that the schools swap this type of info. I was actually getting a bit paranoid about it as well until I got an acceptance from a school that I didn't even write "thank-you" letters to, or a "top choice" letter to. This school ended up, after 9 interviews, being my second choice. Also after all interviews, I haven't written my top choice to tell them that they are. So, in the end, I've been accepted at my second choice and have three schools thinking my top choice is them, and my actual top choice has not been notified of their status re: my ranking. You see, they have to understand that decisions change based interview progress, and that we are under pressure to keep in contact with the schools so quickly that our ranking decisions change. I would say don't worry about it...maybe I'm just being hopeful.

 

[Weeble]

I would be REALLY careful about how many schools you write to, to tell them they're your first choice without mentioning previous first choices and how interviews have changed your perspective. Plenty of people out there abuse this avenue each year, and if adcoms find out about it they have no way of telling whose intentions are innocent and whose aren't.

 

[mwilson]

I too heard from the admissions people at WUSTL and from students at other schools that one should be very careful about who you send the "intend to matriculate" letter to. Of course there is no organized system of schools comparing notes, but why take the chance of looking bad if they do inquire about your application informally? It does happen. Probably just better to wait until you've been on your interviews before you send it out. Anyway, it'll make your letter stronger to be able to say that you have seen the other schools you were interested in, etc.

 

[YBee]

what is this "intend to matriculate" letter? Is this something everyone does? People who have been accepted, did you do this?

thanks

 

[Scooby Doo]

I highly doubt schools are going to spend time swapping info..especially this year.

I know one dude with 6 acceptances already and he is still raking them in...I think he has probably worded some letters pretty strongly in the thank you notes as them being his top choice and it's not affecting him...

 

[megkudos]

I am not sure how it works at all schools, but I spoke to the dean of admissions at UMDNJ-Robert Wood and UMDNJ-Stratford Osteopathic. Both of the deans said they do not swap info until the school year actually begins then they send a courtesy list to the other UMDNJs. I would assume that if state schools don't talk to each other then other schools which probably don't have a relationship at all don't swap info. Each school probably wants the "best" students anyway, and will accept them based on that.

 

[E'01]

The AAMC medical school book supports what you just said megkudos. They particularly swap info later in the year during the summer.

 

[Ranger Bob]

I find it highly unlikely that schools share this sort of information to any significant degree. To do so would imply a level of organization and technological sophistication that obviously eludes admissions committees. Of course, the director of admissions at WUSTL would love for you to believe otherwise; it's in his school's interest for you to accurately convey your intentions.

 

[Scooby Doo]

Originally posted by mwilson:
•I too heard from the admissions people at WUSTL and from students at other schools that one should be very careful about who you send the "intend to matriculate" letter to. Of course there is no organized system of schools comparing notes, but why take the chance of looking bad if they do inquire about your application informally? It does happen. Probably just better to wait until you've been on your interviews before you send it out. Anyway, it'll make your letter stronger to be able to say that you have seen the other schools you were interested in, etc.•••

What you are saying here applies only after May 15th....and doesn't apply until actual matriculation if you are pulled off the waitlist

 

[italianlove]

However likely or not likely it is for schools to be swapping info with each other, I think that if there was even the slightest possibility that they would in fact share info, I would err on the side of cautiousness, and not risk looking like an ass to both schools and then having them FedEx me my rejection letter overnight. Might just be me though. Take care all, and have a good break!

 

[pillbug]

I had a question for those that have written letters to a school indicating them as their top choice. If I interview at a school (let's say UCSF) that I feel is definitely my top choice school should I write to them and let them know? Does it make a difference? What are people's experiences or what have you heard about doing that? Do you just write a formal letter to the admissions committee letting them know? thx!
(ps...i interviewed at Sf end of october...so don't know if it would be too late to do that but they did say they take 8 weeks to make a decision)

 

[Dr. Kermit]

Interviewers at two different schools in two different schools told me that they do indeed swap information. Not necessarily who they plan to accept or have accepted, but during the process and especially after they commence classes, schools in Philly and NYC will talk about who they interviewed and why they accepted who they did. It's more of a courtesy to schools to see why students choose to apply to certain schools and for the schools themselves to see how their applicants made out.

 

[WSUreds]

Everyone knows everything, no matter what.

 

[me2]

I have a school that I really would like to go to and was considering about sending them the "your my # 1 choice letter". I just wanted to know how helpful it would be, in terms of acceptance, and what exactly would you say in a such a letter, so that I don't appear as if I were kissing a$$.
Pardon my French