Letter of Intent Before Interview Invitation?

[nychila]

I am very interested in one particular medical school, and I was wondering if submitting a letter of intent (not interest) prior to an interview invitation would help/be appropriate? I have been to the city and briefly visited their facilities once before, so I hope that I don't sound naive in my decision.

My reasons for choosing that school are that I believe I fit into their missions very well, I really enjoy the atmosphere of the city, and my parents are moving there, so I hope that I could stay around them for another 4 years (does this seem immature?).

I am a borderline applicant for that school, but I usually perform well on interviews, and I think that an interview opportunity would help my chances somewhat, so that they would look beyond my mediocre grades (for that school).

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ShenanigansMD]

That might be a little pre-mature, I guess it depends on the school. Isn't that what the secondaries are for?

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I think stating that you intend to matriculate at a certain school before you even get an interview invitation is a bit presumptive. A letter of interest would certainly be appropriate, or an in-the-area email if you actually do plan on being in the area at a particular time. Send the letter of intent after the interview if you indeed get an invitation.

 

[DolFAN]

I'm actually very interested in this. So how does this work?

For instance I have an interview with my undergrad university coming up and ideally I'd like to go there for medical school.

Do I send them an email after my interview stating that they are my #1 school or how does that work?

Thanks

 

[punkedoutriffs]

I'm actually very interested in this. So how does this work?

For instance I have an interview with my undergrad university coming up and ideally I'd like to go there for medical school.

Do I send them an email after my interview stating that they are my #1 school or how does that work?

Thanks

This is directly copy/pasted from my Pre-health Committee website:

"What is a Letter of Intent and should I send them?

A Letter of Intent is correspondence to professional schools letting them know that, if they were to accept you, it would be your intention to attend their school - a promise note, of sorts. It has been made popular by the student doctor network. The HPAO does not specifically recommend such a letter, as many admissions Deans have made it clear that they are not all that useful. What is useful, however, are well timed updates to admissions offices, indicating your continued interest in the school and any new activities, relevant experiences you have had since your original application. Certainly, at a minimum, you should send updated transcripts (above), but this is also a good time to send a note letting the admissions office know that the transcript is on the way, you are still interested, and you have had these new experiences.

If you are placed on a waitlist, it is also a good idea to acknowledge this update to your status in writing and to indicate that you are pleased to still be under consideration and that you remain very interested."

 

[DolFAN]

This is directly copy/pasted from my Pre-health Committee website:

"What is a Letter of Intent and should I send them?

A Letter of Intent is correspondence to professional schools letting them know that, if they were to accept you, it would be your intention to attend their school - a promise note, of sorts. It has been made popular by the student doctor network. The HPAO does not specifically recommend such a letter, as many admissions Deans have made it clear that they are not all that useful. What is useful, however, are well timed updates to admissions offices, indicating your continued interest in the school and any new activities, relevant experiences you have had since your original application. Certainly, at a minimum, you should send updated transcripts (above), but this is also a good time to send a note letting the admissions office know that the transcript is on the way, you are still interested, and you have had these new experiences.

If you are placed on a waitlist, it is also a good idea to acknowledge this update to your status in writing and to indicate that you are pleased to still be under consideration and that you remain very interested."

Thank you sir, you are both a gentleman and a scholar.

 

[darkjedi]

I am very interested in one particular medical school, and I was wondering if submitting a letter of intent (not interest) prior to an interview invitation would help/be appropriate? I have been to the city and briefly visited their facilities once before, so I hope that I don't sound naive in my decision.

My reasons for choosing that school are that I believe I fit into their missions very well, I really enjoy the atmosphere of the city, and my parents are moving there, so I hope that I could stay around them for another 4 years (does this seem immature?).

I am a borderline applicant for that school, but I usually perform well on interviews, and I think that an interview opportunity would help my chances somewhat, so that they would look beyond my mediocre grades (for that school).

I would be hesitant to use letter of intent language pre-interview as it has the potential to come off as presumptuous. Definitely submit letters of interests however as schools really love having those types of communications. If you can put on paper why you love a specific school, it's a great way of getting your application nudged in a better direction.

 

[robertch8]

Definitely do not send a letter of intent. I'd go with a letter of interest instead at this point especially if the school has a known contact that sort of runs the admissions process. The "letter of intent" is pretty much the last card you play and it's the card you play either right before you know they will make a decision on your case post-interview and/or if you're on the waitlist and it's post-May 15.

 

[gyngyn]

I am very interested in one particular medical school, and I was wondering if submitting a letter of intent (not interest) prior to an interview invitation would help/be appropriate? I have been to the city and briefly visited their facilities once before, so I hope that I don't sound naive in my decision.

My reasons for choosing that school are that I believe I fit into their missions very well, I really enjoy the atmosphere of the city, and my parents are moving there, so I hope that I could stay around them for another 4 years (does this seem immature?).

I am a borderline applicant for that school, but I usually perform well on interviews, and I think that an interview opportunity would help my chances somewhat, so that they would look beyond my mediocre grades (for that school).

No. This is just goofy. You don't want to look like a goofball. There is already EDP for the geographically limited. If you end up on the waitlist, send them a letter around May 15th. That's about the only time such a letter is remotely useful to anyone.

 

[nychila]

I would be hesitant to use letter of intent language pre-interview as it has the potential to come off as presumptuous.

I was going to say "I look forward to submitting a letter of intent to 'school X'" at the end of my secondary essay for the long question "why 'school X'?" Should I not mention a future letter of intent at all in my secondary essay then?

In that case, how do I still express my commitment to one particular medical school beyond what most applicants can say to most medical schools, ie. this is why I love your school and this is how I fit into your mission statement? I am willing to forgo all my other acceptances (if any) if I am admitted to that particular mid-tier school. Write "'school X' is absolutely my top choice for medical school" as part of my conclusion?

 

[McPhee]

No. That's a terrible idea.

 

[nychila]

No. That's a terrible idea.

I thought that schools liked to know that you are sincere about your application to that particular school rather than just being one of your back-ups... If I absolutely want to attend one school, how should I express my keen interest?

 

[Richard Dawkins]

I thought that schools liked to know that you are sincere about your application to that particular school rather than just being one of your back-ups... If I absolutely want to attend one school, how should I express my keen interest?

you already applied, you expressed your interest. a LOI is just sad and desperate

 

[Barcu]

I thought that schools liked to know that you are sincere about your application to that particular school rather than just being one of your back-ups... If I absolutely want to attend one school, how should I express my keen interest?

Show your keen interest by writing a good response for "why school x?" Directly coming out and saying you intend to matriculate is not going to help. Showing that you actually know about the school goes much farther than saying you would attend.

Sending a letter of intent at any point (even post interview) is not really going to help. As someone else noted, you can continue to send updates to the school, which do help show your interest. However, only do this if you have an IMPORTANT update. There is a fine line between showing interest and being annoying.

FWIW, I never sent any LOI (or any updates at all), and I got into all the schools I interviewed at. These letters are not necessary and again aren't always helpful. I repeat, showing interest can involve an update letter or two, but it does not need to involve constant contact and empty words (which is basically what a letter of intent is-it's not binding or anything like that).

 

[nychila]

I thought that schools liked to know that you are sincere about your application to that particular school rather than just being one of your back-ups... If I absolutely want to attend one school, how should I express my keen interest?

Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Thanks in advance.

 

[Ilovewater]

You've already shown interest by applying. Plus, it's only August. It's still really early in the interview season. There's no need to send a letter of intent or interest unless you have some important updates (e.g. new publication, big scholarship, etc.). Sending an LOI before an interview is awkward and makes no sense. It's presumptive to say that you're committing to that school even before they decide to invite you. Schools like it when applicants show interest appropriately not annoy them.

If in a few months (~Nov or something), and you still haven't heard from them, then it's probably ok to send a letter of interest if they accept them. Just not a LOI.

 

[nychila]

Write "'school X' is absolutely my top choice for medical school" as part of my conclusion?

Would this be good or bad for my application?

 

[Richard Dawkins]

Would this be good or bad for my application?

if you think it's good, write it on all of your secondaries and send every school a LOI. that would be logical, right?

 

[nychila]

if you think it's good, write it on all of your secondaries and send every school a LOI. that would be logical, right?

I only have one top-choice and I only intend to submit a letter of intent to that school, which was what I meant this entire thread.

 

[Richard Dawkins]

I only have one top-choice and I only intend to submit a letter of intent to that school, which was what I meant this entire thread.

find out what the specific school's policy is regarding letters because most won't accept them unless you have been invited for an interview or have already interviewed. it's way too early in the game for this though

 

[vc7777]

LOIs are not binding, and really are not that useful to adcoms. I suspect that the term was initially a corruption of the more reasonable term "letter of interest". They might as well be synonymous. There is nothing stopping an applicant from sending multiple letters to multiple schools (as other people have hinted at). As such, they really are no better than letters of interest.

Some would argue that a letter of interest would be premature before a decision has been made to hold or waitlist your application, including myself. Most would argue anything sent before the interview invitation is just poor form.

Sent from my phone

 

[nychila]

LOIs are not binding, and really are not that useful to adcoms. I suspect that the term was initially a corruption of the more reasonable term "letter of interest". They might as well be synonymous. There is nothing stopping an applicant from sending multiple letters to multiple schools (as other people have hinted at). As such, they really are no better than letters of interest.

Some would argue that a letter of interest would be premature before a decision has been made to hold or waitlist your application, including myself. Most would argue anything sent before the interview invitation is just poor form.

Sent from my phone

Thank you for everyone's replies. I think that I will send letters of interest or a particular letter of intent to certain schools much later in the application cycle then. I just wouldn't feel ethical sending letters of intent to multiple schools.

 

[darkjedi]

Some would argue that a letter of interest would be premature before a decision has been made to hold or waitlist your application, including myself. Most would argue anything sent before the interview invitation is just poor form.

I very strongly disagree with this statement. I know personally, that letters sent even before interview invites can give your application that extra second of a glance that might nudge an adcom member to in fact give you an interview. If you are truly interested in a specific school, I highly recommend letting that school know. Just don't use 'intent' language this early.

I was going to say "I look forward to submitting a letter of intent to 'school X'" at the end of my secondary essay for the long question "why 'school X'?" Should I not mention a future letter of intent at all in my secondary essay then?

In that case, how do I still express my commitment to one particular medical school beyond what most applicants can say to most medical schools, ie. this is why I love your school and this is how I fit into your mission statement? I am willing to forgo all my other acceptances (if any) if I am admitted to that particular mid-tier school. Write "'school X' is absolutely my top choice for medical school" as part of my conclusion?

Don't tell them you're going to submit a letter, just do it when you feel comfortable submitting one.

You can express commitment by just expressing very clearly why this one school uniquely fits your goals and why you fit their mission. Be very explicit about what specifically about that school you love.

Leave the more concrete language for when they are going to make decisions.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Some schools explicitly encourage pre-interview letters of interest or updates. Creighton and Wake Forest of the schools I applied to come to mind.

 

[NYCMS2]

Did this school have early decision? Maybe you should have done that. ED is the ultimate expression of intent...