Letter of Intent..Did u write one?

[DOUBLEDIGITSII]

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I just want to know if anyone wrote a letter of intent after their interviews? And does if it makes a difference.

 

[eugoogley]

I did write a loosely worded letter of intent to Case. It didn't outrighly state that I would drop my other acceptance should Case accept me, but something more along the lines of Case is my top choice at this point in the admissions cycle. I think it helped because I was accepted off the Hold category so I would say go ahead and write one because it couldn't really hurt you. I also sent a letter of interest 2 months before the letter of intent, so that is another route you might consider going.

 

[Schaden Freud]

It's a Catch 22. A letter of intent would probably work only for an attractive applicant that the school doesn't want to risk losing to another program. Of course, an applicant like this would be admitted immediately, and would thus not need to write said letter. The school doesn't care about losing the weaker applicants (hence placing them on a hold/waitlist), and will not be swayed by a letter from them.

I just want to know if anyone wrote a letter of intent after their interviews? And does if it makes a difference.

 

[nacho libre]

It's a Catch 22. A letter of intent would probably work only for an attractive applicant that the school doesn't want to risk losing to another program. Of course, an applicant like this would be admitted immediately, and would thus not need to write said letter. The school doesn't care about losing the weaker applicants (hence placing them on a hold/waitlist), and will not be swayed by a letter from them.

Are you saying that a letter of intent doesnt work off of the waitlist bc applicants on the waitlist are "weaker" and the school doesn't care if they come or go?

i always thought it worked to keep the school from having to guess whether or not you will come if admitted. If the school has to take people from the waitlist and two applicants are similar except one has sent a letter of intent then they theoretically would be more likely to pick the one that they know would come in order to fill their class more efficiently. At that point schools try to get students replies in asap so it makes sense that they might have some preference to a situation where its a surething than a situation where they may have to wait a week only to get burned and try again with someone else.

of course this is with all thingsbeing equal and i dont think a letter wouldnt boost you ahead of a more desireable candidate.

 

[Law2Doc]

It's a Catch 22. A letter of intent would probably work only for an attractive applicant that the school doesn't want to risk losing to another program. Of course, an applicant like this would be admitted immediately, and would thus not need to write said letter. The school doesn't care about losing the weaker applicants (hence placing them on a hold/waitlist), and will not be swayed by a letter from them.

Probably depends on the school, but many schools definitely want to accept highly qualified people who actually really want to attend. Schools keep track of the percentage of people they accept who actually attend, and strive to better this statistic, along with the other stats.

 

[gary5]

I think I wrote a letter of interest or two, but it didn't make a difference. My opinion is that the interview is the last major chance to impress the adcom.

 

[Law2Doc]

My opinion is that the interview is the last major chance to impress the adcom.

It certainly has the biggest impact. The LOI is just a final nudge which helps if the momentum was already carrying you in that direction.

 

[Nomemory]

My impression has sort of been that it might help if you've already been placed on the waitlist or on hold (i.e., they like you enough to NOT reject you) but obviously expressing interest in someone/something that's not interested in you is never going to sway things in your favor. Comments?

 

[etf]

My impression has sort of been that it might help if you've already been placed on the waitlist or on hold (i.e., they like you enough to NOT reject you) but obviously expressing interest in someone/something that's not interested in you is never going to sway things in your favor. Comments?

from my limited experience, letters of intent do not help the people who would need the help. any med school that says they have an "unranked" waitlist is lying to your face.

 

[SkiUtah]

I did not write an letter of intent to any of the schools I was accepted into. I did say what I liked about each in my brief thank-you letters though, but I dont think that would matter too much.

 

[Entirecropslost]

There have been dozens of threads like this, but most threads start off with "I think" or "They probably." But does anybody have any opinion with more than there own personal opinion or something they read in a random thread a few months ago? Otherwise it's just the blind leading the blind. I understand and agree with the logic that they definitly can't hurt though. Law2Doc are you sure they keep those statistics? B/c that's interesting/good if they do. When I was at a school the director of admissions was explaining they don't want thank you letters, but accidently said intent letters, and corrected herself saying, oh sorry we do want letters of intent, but don't waste paper on thank you notes. Anybody else have any info straight from an adcom?

 

[NN11]

I expressed sincere interest during the interview at my top choice.

I followed with a Thank You card to the Dean that was essentially a Letter of Intent. I got in without being waitlisted. This is a school that told us if we get waitlisted and we want to go there, then send a letter of interest every week . By doing this our name would go to the top of the waitlist 😱

Thankfully my expressed interest in the school at the time of my interview and my LOI were good enough for a direct acceptance. BTW, people with better stats than me got waitlisted. I also got acceptances from schools where I didn't write an LOI. Bottom line, the weight of an LOI varies with the school.

 

[thebeatblitz]

Some schools (most likely those schools with lots of waitlist movement) want to hear about your enthusiasm to attend said school. It makes it easier to narrow down their waitlist selections.

Other schools could probably care less if you write an LOI. Just ask the school if they value continued interest post-interview.

 

[Nomemory]

Some schools (most likely those schools with lots of waitlist movement) want to hear about your enthusiasm to attend said school. It makes it easier to narrow down their waitlist selections.

Other schools could probably care less if you write an LOI. Just ask the school if they value continued interest post-interview.

Great advice but....I've had this ignore-my-emails-and-don't-pick-up-the-phone-when-I-call problem with schools. Between this and the restraining orders, I'm beginning to think they don't want to talk to me. 😡

 

[Critical Mass]

I'm afraid that I can't understand how this would help you. In the cases I am familiar with, the final score to your application is applied immediately after the interview. If they were going to allow you to enhance your app with additional letters, they would both endorse/encourage ALL applicants to do it, and every applicant would do it as a result thus neutralizing its effectiveness.

I will admit that I am also not a supporter of thank you letters, and I have been repeatedly flamed for my opinion on this matter, but the fact as I see it is that when a school has to go from thousands of applicants to 100-200 matriculants, I am afraid that I don't understand how they can't give far more credence to the objective parts of the application. Sure everybody is "highly interested" in attending. That's why they shelled out the cash for the app and interview.

I suppose that my view is also affected by my feeling that healthcare is a business and not a calling. The adcoms have to see it this way too, because they aren't going to invest their school's time/money into training someone who won't succeed; and I'm often sorry to tell the students who post here that they are A LOT more worried about whether or not you can pass than they are in how much you'd love to go to their school.

BTW there is a poll about this issue already up:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=249649

 

[thebeatblitz]

It presumably works at schools that have a high volume of applicants. Yes, all interviewees are interested in attending the school, but some are more than others. An LOI isn't going to shoot you ahead of the kid that completely trumps your application, but it might just nudge you ahead of the hundreds of other kids with the exact same stats as you.

I'd also assume that it helps them fill out their class much more easily. Imagine spending X time deliberating over who to extend an acceptance to post-interview, only to have an acceptance declined because the applicant wasn't that enthusiastic about the school. Now it's back to the drawingboard. On the other hand, if there's a similar applicant with a sincere desire to attend the school, who would you accept first?

An LOI isn't going to get you from rejected to accepted, but what's the worst that can happen? The committee doesn't read it. In this ridiculous game, i'll take every advantage offered to me, no matter how miniscule.

 

[Nomemory]

Sure everybody is "highly interested" in attending. That's why they shelled out the cash for the app and interview.

Buuuut not everyone on a waitlist (or post-interview applicant) actually wants to attend. As the process progresses things change and people lose interest (e.g., if they get a more desirable acceptance elsewhere). A LOI just kinda lets them know that if they admit you (versus one of the other equally qualified waitlisters) they won't need to hassle with turnover--you'll accept, end of story.

I think the reason that an LOI *potentially* stands a chance is because there are far fewer seats than there are desirable applicants. It's not like they're choosing between some jackball and a whizkid and the jackball is gonna get in because he sent in a LOI. My guess is that they quite often have to choose between people with the same or very similar scores and if that's the case they'd rather accept the one that intends to matriculate rather than just move down the list as people decline their acceptances. In reality I dunno jack from squat but this seems to make sense to me.

 

[Nomemory]

It presumably works at schools that have a high volume of applicants. Yes, all interviewees are interested in attending the school, but some are more than others. An LOI isn't going to shoot you ahead of the kid that completely trumps your application, but it might just nudge you ahead of the hundreds of other kids with the exact same stats as you.

I'd also assume that it helps them fill out their class much more easily. Imagine spending X time deliberating over who to extend an acceptance to post-interview, only to have an acceptance declined because the applicant wasn't that enthusiastic about the school. Now it's back to the drawingboard. On the other hand, if there's a similar applicant with a sincere desire to attend the school, who would you accept first?

An LOI isn't going to get you from rejected to accepted, but what's the worst that can happen? The committee doesn't read it. In this ridiculous game, i'll take every advantage offered to me, no matter how miniscule.

...yeah, what s/he said! 😀

 

[Critical Mass]

Buuuut not everyone on a waitlist (or post-interview applicant) actually wants to attend. As the process progresses things change and people lose interest (e.g., if they get a more desirable acceptance elsewhere). A LOI just kinda lets them know that if they admit you (versus one of the other equally qualified waitlisters) they won't need to hassle with turnover--you'll accept, end of story.

I think the reason that an LOI *potentially* stands a chance is because there are far fewer seats than there are desirable applicants. It's not like they're choosing between some jackball and a whizkid and the jackball is gonna get in because he sent in a LOI. My guess is that they quite often have to choose between people with the same or very similar scores and if that's the case they'd rather accept the one that intends to matriculate rather than just move down the list as people decline their acceptances. In reality I dunno jack from squat but this seems to make sense to me.

You can tell them that you really will attend if they take you, but you may have said that to five schools as far as they know. It's too subjective to hold any weight.

Far fewer seats than desirable applicants? There is no way that this is true at the schools that draw thousands of applicants. In the cases of the state schools which are bound to take residents despite having to dip below the 27 mark on the MCAT, they already know that you'll take them because the probability that you are sitting on any oos/private waitlists at that level is extremely low.

Waitlists are populated by similar students indeed, but as noted before, the numerical score assigned to your score is typically in stone as of the time of the interview. How can an adcom that gets together once a week to look through hundreds of applications seriously have time to read more literature after they've scored everybody? At my place, once they finish the interview season, they make a waitlist ranked by score, and everybody goes home. That's the end of the process. If spots become available for waitlisters, then a secretary sends more acceptance letters out.

 

[future_dr_house]

Check this guy's story on the letter of intent.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=1216797&postcount=1

.

I agree that it helps mediocre applicants but it only helps if you really demonstrate that you want it bad.

 

[Critical Mass]

I'd also assume that it helps them fill out their class much more easily. Imagine spending X time deliberating over who to extend an acceptance to post-interview, only to have an acceptance declined because the applicant wasn't that enthusiastic about the school. Now it's back to the drawingboard. On the other hand, if there's a similar applicant with a sincere desire to attend the school, who would you accept first?

I think that you guys are way too cerebral about the process. Here is how you take a few thousand applications and turn them into 100-200 matriculants.

Receive from AMCAS. Briefly discuss essay and score application. Rank for interviews. Interview. Score interview. Before possibly being able to receive a thank you note or LOI, meet and give final score. Hand list to secretary.

Regarding TX, no way I'd go oos vs. TX tuition. No way. I'd improve and reapply next year. BTW the provided link seems to be broken.

 

[future_dr_house]

Regarding TX, no way I'd go oos vs. TX tuition. No way. I'd improve and reapply next year. BTW the provided link seems to be broken.

A year more worth of salary makes up for the difference that waiting another year and getting cheaper tuition would 'save.' The link for some reason won't hyperlink. I have the correct tags around it. It works if you copy and paste it into a browser.

 

[Stolenspatulas]

Check this guy's story on the letter of intent.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=1216797&postcount=1

My story is slightly less dramatic but basically I had 6 interviews 2 oos and 4 is. My first oos was kind of out of my league based on my numbers so I wasn't phased when I was waitlisted. I am a resident in Tx so I thought my 4 is interviews would result in a good outcome but we went ot the match and I was put on 3/4 waitlists and the other school simply rejected me. I had interviewed for the second oos school in late December and was told that I would hear in 6-8 weeks. Well the 8 week mark was right around the Tx match and I still hadn't heard. Angry about the match I wrote an LOI explaining why I would be a good fit, new experiences since application submission, and basically how I knew I wanted it more than ever. About 10 weeks after the interview, I got the fat packet.

I agree that it helps mediocre applicants but it only helps if you really demonstrate that you want it bad.

holy crap that is an awesome story. i like his attitude. but, BUT, it may depend on the school that you do this to. There has to be school's out there that mark your file for repeated annoyance, right?

If the letters were new and not the same crap then thats ok sending them once per month.. .but the repeated phone calls? i dont know. im paranoid of being blacklisted.

 

[KardiacKiehl]

I think if you're waitlisted it can help, but otherwise it's just something to make yourself feel better about doing "everything you could" ... just my opinion.

 

[future_dr_house]

If the letters were new and not the same crap then thats ok sending them once per month.. .but the repeated phone calls? i dont know. im paranoid of being blacklisted.

Yeah, I agree. I didn't nag the office too much. I called them once to ask.

Places like UPenn (the other thread just made about this stuff) surely know that they're practically everyone's first choice.

If in doubt, go ahead and do it (and do it right). What could it hurt? They don't take that long to write.

 

[cowme]

I sent one letter of intent, got outright rejected. I sent several letters of interest, and have had more success with those.

 

[Nomemory]

Far fewer seats than desirable applicants?

Well I'm from CA, maybe my perception is skewed. 😳

 

[chevaliermalfet]

I tend to agree with nomemory, dr house, and company, in that it really cannot hurt, and thus it isn't pointless. Because our numbers do not simply go in one end of an "admissions machine" and out the other come decisions, I feel like the touchy-feely, warm fuzzy stuff has the potential to make a difference. People read these letters, and I suspect that given two applicants with nearly identical numbers and interview ratings, they'll take the one with the letter over the one without. I don't see why they would do otherwise.

Also, I don't think all the schools immediately rank you and set the ranking in stone after your interviews. OHSU definitely does this, but on the other hand schools like Boston (non-rolling) or USC ("not ranked," meaning they give your app a new look when you come up for consideration again) don't. As a such, if your letter is sitting in your folder when they dust it off, I think it can have an effect.

Really, the moral of the story is: can it hurt your? No. Can it help you? Maybe. At least for myself, I've worked on this pre-med project for nearly four years now, and anything I can do that might help should be done. Like kardiac says, at least now I can walk away from it knowing that I've done all I can. So yeah, just my $.02

 

[Critical Mass]

A year more worth of salary makes up for the difference that waiting another year and getting cheaper tuition would 'save.'

A doctor's salary today? Agreed. Looking ahead 7-10 years from now? It's a gamble. I know that I'm cynical, but I've watched my own health insurance premiums double in a couple of years time; and I have friends whose wives work at my hospital only in exchange for health insurance benefits. It's not saying a lot to extrapolate that in 5 years, working-class people will stop being able to afford their health coverage.

There is a reason why family medicine programs are going unfilled these days. The competative specialties are becoming more competative, and competition will increase as med schools increase their class sizes while PGY programs refuse to expand.

TX charges only about 10K/year for their residents. Typical oos or private is more like 40K. If I could take a year off, work, maybe bump up my MCAT a couple of points and do a little bit of research in the meanwhile to save $120,000 over four years plus a ton of interest, that's a win-win situation in my view, especially considering the fact that TX is a pretty decent place to live if you don't mind conservative politics. I've talked to several folks on SDN who have wished that they didn't have to borrow so much for medical school.

I just read the story on the link above. Try it this way... http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=1216797

I have to limit my critique because it's not clear where the poster was from or where he got in. Some things come to mind, namely "I want this soooo bad but I'm unwilling to try to improve my MCAT in the year that I took off." Also throw in the fact that he was late both times. Here you have a clear incongruence between words and actions. That's probably why there was no improvement between application years. Also, being accepted in August probably just means that he was one of the few who was available to take a spot independent of all of the letters and phone calls. Indeed I saw no evidence that badgering worked in that case.

Nomemory--definitely agree about CA. Sorry about that. Move to one of the red states. You'd have a 50/50 shot as a state resident in the middle of the country. Unfortunately since nobody wants to live there anymore, they are forced to dip their standards down to improve their chances of netting students who want to stick around and practice.

 

[etsuprinthead]

Some schools (most likely those schools with lots of waitlist movement) want to hear about your enthusiasm to attend said school. It makes it easier to narrow down their waitlist selections.

Other schools could probably care less if you write an LOI. Just ask the school if they value continued interest post-interview.

i was alternate-listed at berkeley, sent an LOI (expressly stating that i would come there if accepted, with lots of detail about why), and was accepted a week later. causation or just coincidence? who knows. it didn't hurt, certainly. it's a small, small (16 students / class) program, so i imagine an LOI is probably more effective at such a program than it would be at a bigger, less "personal" school.

 

[sheepunite]

where do LOIs typically get sent? to the director of admissions, directly?

 

[NN11]

where do LOIs typically get sent? to the director of admissions, directly?

Yes, address them to the Dean or Director of Admissions. Whom ever you met during your interview. You could first send a hard copy and a couple of days later send an email version of it, asking if they got the hard copy. This way you're following up and making sure that they received them.

 

[MrBurns10]

I also agree that some schools may not give much preference to LOIs. Places like UPenn (the other thread just made about this stuff) surely know that they're practically everyone's first choice.

You'd be surprised at how even the top schools respond to you really wanting to be there. An MS1 now at Duke had a pretty similar story to the one hyperlinked above.

 

[ReachingTruth]

Yes, address them to the Dean or Director of Admissions. Whom ever you met during your interview. You could first send a hard copy and a couple of days later send an email version of it, asking if they got the hard copy. This way you're following up and making sure that they received them.

I'm writing one right now, so quick question. Is it better to write to the Dean of the COM or the Director of Admissions (they have no real say in the process of taking people off waitlist, right?) ?

Appreciate any help on this.

 

[future_dr_house]

I'm writing one right now, so quick question. Is it better to write to the Dean of the COM or the Director of Admissions (they have no real say in the process of taking people off waitlist, right?) ?

Appreciate any help on this.

MrBurns, congrats that's an awesome story and the first one I've seen here with an excellent school. Send those LOIs, write from your heart, get those admissions.

 

[NN11]

I'm writing one right now, so quick question. Is it better to write to the Dean of the COM or the Director of Admissions (they have no real say in the process of taking people off waitlist, right?) ?

Appreciate any help on this.

ReachingTruth, who did you meet during your interview day? That's who you should address it to. Ultimately, it doesn't matter because it goes in your file and at most schools the committee will get to see the letter when they're looking to take people off the waitlist. Hopefully, by emailing the Dean or the Director directly you get a response from a specific person. This person should then become your point of contact. I personally try to avoid sending emails to the blackhole that is called Admissions Office, I rather contact an actual person.

However, my suggestiion for everyone would be, not to send a letter of intent if the school specifically tells you not to send them. First rule in medicine, learn to follow instructions.

 

[starbury]

I expressed sincere interest during the interview at my top choice.

I followed with a Thank You card to the Dean that was essentially a Letter of Intent. I got in without being waitlisted. This is a school that told us if we get waitlisted and we want to go there, then send a letter of interest every week . By doing this our name would go to the top of the waitlist 😱

Thankfully my expressed interest in the school at the time of my interview and my LOI were good enough for a direct acceptance. BTW, people with better stats than me got waitlisted. I also got acceptances from schools where I didn't write an LOI. Bottom line, the weight of an LOI varies with the school.

Hey NN11, do you mind telling which school it was exactly that mentioned sending in an LOI every week if you get waitlisted? Any chance it was in chicago? thanks

 

[NN11]

Hey NN11, do you mind telling which school it was exactly that mentioned sending in an LOI every week if you get waitlisted? Any chance it was in chicago? thanks

Yes Starbury😀 , it was a school in Chicago. It was Northwestern.

 

[MrBurns10]

MrBurns, congrats that's an awesome story and the first one I've seen here with an excellent school. Send those LOIs, write from your heart, get those admissions.

haha, well that wasn't me I was referring to, it was a classmate of mine. But story still holds!