Letter of Intent dilemma

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JGCHALLER

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I was recently accepted to my first choice allopathic medical school. This is the same school that I sent a letter of intent to prior to being accepted. The letter basically stated that I promise to matriculate if offered admission.

Since being offered admission, I received an unexpected interview invitation at another school. After doing some research related to this school, I've discovered many aspects that I am extremely impressed with. At this point, I'm nearly certain that I would actually prefer to attend this school if given the choice.

I guess I'm just looking for some general feedback and opinions on whether or not I should even attend the interview (I have conducted a search and read the previous threads). I realize that I would be breaking my word if I accepted an offer at the second school and I would, most likely, feel ashamed of doing so. However, this may be one of the biggest decisions I ever make. I do not want to one day regret skipping out on the opportunity to attend this interview.

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Your letter of intent is non-binding. Go to the interview, check out the school, decide then. I don't think you should close doors on ethical grounds in this case.
 
Your letter of intent is non-binding. Go to the interview, check out the school, decide then. I don't think you should close doors on ethical grounds in this case.

While it is technically non-binding, I hope if you do end up changing your mind you feel pretty ****ty about it. The whole point of a letter of intent is to state your INTENT. If you didn't really know what you intended to do (which is sounds like you didn't), then you shouldn't have just used that to help you get in somewhere.
 
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I don't see any harm in going to the interview (assuming that you can financially do it).

However, you have made what some might call a written contract with the other school. While you can break this, the school could later use it against you. For instance, if you want to do a residency at the school, they may say no because you broke your word. I am sure there are other things they could do with the information that would be pretty bad for you.

In the end, it is up to you to decide what you want. Just remember that schools don't take letters of interest very lightly, and the same goes for breaking that letter.
 
I say go to the interview and see if that school is really for you. See which school you think you will be happier in for the next 4 years. I personally would decide by location.... if the second school is closer to home then i'll shoot for that one.
 
I don't see any harm in going to the interview (assuming that you can financially do it).

However, you have made what some might call a written contract with the other school. While you can break this, the school could later use it against you. For instance, if you want to do a residency at the school, they may say no because you broke your word. I am sure there are other things they could do with the information that would be pretty bad for you.

In the end, it is up to you to decide what you want. Just remember that schools don't take letters of interest very lightly, and the same goes for breaking that letter.

I think you just mistyped but it should be pointed out that it was a letter of INTENT, not a letter of interest.
 
I would say go to the second interview. You might come out of the interview liking the first school better. However, in the case whereby you actually prefer the second school, I'll say go to the second school. Just don't apply to the first for residency (not even sure if schools hold grudges).
 
I don't see any harm in going to the interview (assuming that you can financially do it).

However, you have made what some might call a written contract with the other school. While you can break this, the school could later use it against you. For instance, if you want to do a residency at the school, they may say no because you broke your word. I am sure there are other things they could do with the information that would be pretty bad for you.

In the end, it is up to you to decide what you want. Just remember that schools don't take letters of interest very lightly, and the same goes for breaking that letter.
Would a medical school really keep a blacklist for 4 years of people tha tpissed them off, especially since Medical school admissions people have no say in the residency selection process?? I doubt it.
 
Would a medical school really keep a blacklist for 4 years of people tha tpissed them off, especially since Medical school admissions people have no say in the residency selection process?? I doubt it.

I don't think a medical school would A. remember you after 4 years OR B. Hold a grudge even if they did.

To the OP: It really just comes down to your own morals and what you think is right. I personally don't think it is right to give a school (or anyone for that matter) your word and then go back on it, except in extreme circumstances. Your case is NOT an extreme circumstance. You knew you had applied to this second school, just because you didn't get an interview yet you should have done the research to realize you would have considered that school and then waited to see if you got an interview.
 
And honestly, I don't know how much weight these letters have right now.

I wrote one to a school I want to attend, had a great interview (ya know, the ones where your interviewer says "I'll look forward to seeing you here in the Fall, ect....") and I was still wait listed.

The point is, do what is best for your interests right now and go from there, because thats what the schools are doing. I don't think you are ethically bound by anything at this point. Good luck.
 
I don't see any harm in going to the interview (assuming that you can financially do it).

However, you have made what some might call a written contract with the other school. While you can break this, the school could later use it against you. For instance, if you want to do a residency at the school, they may say no because you broke your word. I am sure there are other things they could do with the information that would be pretty bad for you.

In the end, it is up to you to decide what you want. Just remember that schools don't take letters of interest very lightly, and the same goes for breaking that letter.

Honestly, do we know how true this is? I have never really heard anyone from the admissions side comment on LOIs and how seriously they are considered. And i doubt they take any action over those who break them.
 
The point is, do what is best for your interests right now and go from there, because thats what the schools are doing. I don't think you are ethically bound by anything at this point. Good luck.

That is absolutely not true.

If a school sends you a letter of intent (An ACCEPTANCE LETTER) they are not going to decide, a month letter, to accept someone else and throw you out. When they send you a letter of intent they consider it binding, you should as well. It's only fair.
 
I guess sum it up this way. Was that letter of intent legally binding?? Nope...Is it morally or ethically correct to back out on this school??? Thats up for you to decide.
 
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To the OP: It really just comes down to your own morals and what you think is right. I personally don't think it is right to give a school (or anyone for that matter) your word and then go back on it, except in extreme circumstances. Your case is NOT an extreme circumstance. You knew you had applied to this second school, just because you didn't get an interview yet you should have done the research to realize you would have considered that school and then waited to see if you got an interview.

The thing that upsets me is that actions like this cheapen the Letter of Intent for the rest of us who write them. I wrote my Letter of Intent to a school that I am 1,000,000,000% committed to attending.... my dream school that I have imagined myself being a student at for the last 6+ years. I would attend that school in a heartbeat if accepted. It's no wonder that many adcoms might not take Letters of Intent so seriously after students like this continue to break their promises. :mad:

To other students considering writing Letters of Intent: PLEASE PLEASE only write one if you are TRULY 1,000% committed to attending that school! It's totally unethical to write one otherwise, unless you absolutely mean it. Where have people's ethics and integrity gone?

If a school sends you a letter of intent (An ACCEPTANCE LETTER) they are not going to decide, a month letter, to accept someone else and throw you out. When they send you a letter of intent they consider it binding, you should as well. It's only fair.

Seriously :thumbup: Can you imagine if a school took back your acceptance, only to tell you that they found a better candidate than you... and wanted to give your spot to that person? Even if that person is a better fit for the program, it would still be unethical to take back your acceptance and give it to someone else.

I do not mean to beat up on the OP in this rant. I simply wanted to get the message across that stuff like this is not cool, nor should other students reading this thread write intent letters to schools they aren't entirely sure of matriculating into... because that's just not okay behavior. It's sad that people's word carries no weight anymore, because people don't have the integrity to follow through on what they promise.
 
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I guess sum it up this way. Was that letter of intent legally binding?? Nope...Is it morally or ethically correct to back out on this school??? Thats up for you to decide.

Your letter of intent is non-binding. Go to the interview, check out the school, decide then. I don't think you should close doors on ethical grounds in this case.

The point is, do what is best for your interests right now and go from there, because thats what the schools are doing. I don't think you are ethically bound by anything at this point. Good luck.

Since letter of intents aren't legally binding and the only real consequence of revoking on them is a guilty conscience, why not send one to every school that you apply to if it will help you get into their school? :smuggrin:
 
Seriously :thumbup: Can you imagine if a school took back your acceptance, only to tell you that they found a better candidate than you... and wanted to give your spot to that person? Even if that person is a better fit for the program, it would still be unethical to take back your acceptance and give it to someone else.

okay, let's get something straight here... because of the power dynamic, a school's acceptance letter =/= your letter of intent.

i agree that reneging on the "deal" the OP brokered in his/her LOI is kinda shady and more than a little dishonest, but i just wanted to clarify this point. a school is truly (and legally, perhaps?) committing to you with an acceptance. an LOI, regardless of how sincere it is, is just an LOI and is not binding in the same way an acceptance is.
 
What's the point? Why did you send a Letter of Intent if you meant- "here's my LOI, unless a better deal comes along...." And to the person who said it's not ethically binding- did you mean legally binding? I hope so, because if these letters are anything they are ETHICALLY BINDING. I think if the OP wrote this then he/she has made up his/her mind to attend the interview and just wanted people to say it's OK. I don't think this is something to be proud of- I don't think it is a mortal sin, but you are doing something morally wrong (like cheating).
 
Can't we get a school admin (e.g., LizzyM) in here to clarify some of our speculations?
 
Can't we get a school admin (e.g., LizzyM) in here to clarify some of our speculations?

What needs clarification?

An LOI is not a binding contract. There is no ethical dilemma here for the OP if he decides to interview and accept another offer. The AMCAS rules explicitly allow applicants to accept and hold multiple acceptances until May 15.

Should people be sending these strongly worded letters in the first place? Not my place to judge them, but I would not do it unless I was virtually 100 percent certain.

If anything, this really casts a light on the questionable trend in people sending LOIs so early (Dec, Jan, Feb...). I think they carry little weight in this process until perhapls much later in the waitlist season, and the really early interview season letters probably sound immature and desperate to adcoms and may actually hurt your chances...if you send one of these letters in December, adcoms know that you haven't heard from all schools, and it really would sound premature if not immature to be firing off these letters at that point.
 
Do not choose to do something you don't want to do for the next four years just because you wrote a strongly worded letter. Go where you feel you will fit in best. Med schools have thousands of applicants and feel that there are hundreds that are qualified to attend. You might have been accepted, but they probably do not have a strong preference for you over candidate X, Y, and Z. Make the best decision for you, not for the med school. They will manage to move on without you if you go somewhere else.

There is no blacklist; you will not be remembered next year much less down the road for residencies. Don't screw yourself over for the sake of a little document that in the end means nothing.
 
What needs clarification?

An LOI is not a binding contract. There is no ethical dilemma here for the OP if he decides to interview and accept another offer. The AMCAS rules explicitly allow applicants to accept and hold multiple acceptances until May 15.

Should people be sending these strongly worded letters in the first place? Not my place to judge them, but I would not do it unless I was virtually 100 percent certain.

If anything, this really casts a light on the questionable trend in people sending LOIs so early (Dec, Jan, Feb...). I think they carry little weight in this process until perhapls much later in the waitlist season, and the really early interview season letters probably sound immature and desperate to adcoms and may actually hurt your chances...if you send one of these letters in December, adcoms know that you haven't heard from all schools, and it really would sound premature if not immature to be firing off these letters at that point.

Except for the fact that there is an ethical dilemma here- just because something is not a binding contract does not mean you don't have to follow ethical behavior. If you say you promise to do something and don't do it then you have violated a basic ethical code of conduct. People get too caught up in the idea that- if I didn't break a written law then I am an ethical person- not true.
 
Obviously, you like the first school very much or you would not have told them you promise to matriculate there. The offered you admission, perhaps, at least in part, because of your promise. Accordingly, another person was not offered admission.

Do you really want to start your medical career breaking an important promise? I think that would be a terrible idea and, frankly, I am surprised there is not more outrage on this thread.

Legally binding? No. But is that really the question?
 
Obviously, you like the first school very much or you would not have told them you promise to matriculate there. The offered you admission, perhaps, at least in part, because of your promise. Accordingly, another person was not offered admission.

Do you really want to start your medical career breaking an important promise? I think that would be a terrible idea and, frankly, I am surprised there is not more outrage on this thread.

Legally binding? No. But is that really the question?


Thank you! I don't understand why people are encouraging the OP to attend the interview- if the letter "doesn't mean anything" then why was it ever sent!!!!
 
This is your LIFE, do what is best for you.

And if it bothers you, just use it as one of those learning experiences.....when residency interviews roll around, think more carefully before you write strong letters to program directors.
 
What needs clarification?

An LOI is not a binding contract. There is no ethical dilemma here for the OP if he decides to interview and accept another offer. The AMCAS rules explicitly allow applicants to accept and hold multiple acceptances until May 15.

Just because something isn't legally binding doesn't make it not ETHICALLY binding. If you give your school your word that may not legally bind you to the school but it sure as well ethically binds you (depending on your own personal morals...I guess a utilitarian may not agree with that).

And while a school's acceptance letter is obviously far greater than your letter of intent, they are still similar. THey are both making a promise for you to attend the school. One may be a legal document and one may be just a promise, but for a lot of people (for me especially) a promise is just as strong.

Again, it all comes down to your morals and what you believe. I can't refute the fact that you CAN go to the interview and you CAN change your mind and go to the other school. However, you should think about whether you believe it is right to make a promise like that and withdraw it. Think about what that says about your personality, and what that says about you as a future doctor? I don't think breaking a promise is a great way to start a medical career, but that is just me.
 
Thank you! I don't understand why people are encouraging the OP to attend the interview- if the letter "doesn't mean anything" then why was it ever sent!!!!

Exactly. And the reason the medical schools may not take the letters as seriously as they did a few year ago is because they have concluded that people do not keep their promises.

Future applicants, YOU should be outraged. Another arrow in your quiver is being rendered worthless, with each broken promise.
 
Thank you! I don't understand why people are encouraging the OP to attend the interview- if the letter "doesn't mean anything" then why was it ever sent!!!!

The only ethically / morally / legally binding offer of admission is an Early Decision program. Otherwise, AMCAS rules allow you to accept and hold as many acceptances as you wish until May 15.

I will repeat that I think applicants who send these strongly worded LOIs in Dec/Jan/Feb (or well before the end of the admissions process, the finalization of waitlists, and the offering of financial aid) look pretty foolish or immature.

I would not do it until much later in the cycle, if even then. And if you find yourself in the waitlist games after May 15, I definitely would be cranking out the LOIs at that point.
 
The only ethically / morally / legally binding offer of admission is an Early Decision program. Otherwise, AMCAS rules allow you to accept and hold as many acceptances as you wish until May 15.

I just don't understand this.

Do you really not see a promise as an ETHICALLY binding agreement?

He didn't just tell the school he was INTERESTED and that he MAY attend he said he loved it and WILL attend. That ethically binds him because he has promised the school he will attend. It doesn't matter if he didn't sign anything (though really he probably put is name at the end of the letter which could constitute a signature) and the school never officially agreed to it, it is still a promise that is ethically binding.
 
The only ethically / morally / legally binding offer of admission is an Early Decision program. Otherwise, AMCAS rules allow you to accept and hold as many acceptances as you wish until May 15.

I will repeat that I think applicants who send these strongly worded LOIs in Dec/Jan/Feb (or well before the end of the admissions process, the finalization of waitlists, and the offering of financial aid) look pretty foolish or immature.

I would not do it until much later in the cycle, if even then. And if you find yourself in the waitlist games after May 15, I definitely would be cranking out the LOIs at that point.


That is my problem with your argument- you clump together "ethically/morally/legally" like they are all the same thing. They are not. Period. If you tell a friend you will go to dinner with them are you legally bound to it? No. If you skip it are their formal or legal consequences? No. If you don't go to that dinner because another friend has asked you to dinner that you would rather go with are you MORALLY and ETHICALLY wrong? Yes.

The OP is not breaking the law and no one here is disputing that (although a case could be made because it was a written document of confirmation, depending on the exact language of the letter), but the OP is breaking a moral code of conduct by reneging on an agreement. If this is not the absolute opposite of being trustworthy then I don't know what is...
 
Put me down as outraged. I personally think it's pretty crappy to write a "letter of intent, unless something better comes along," as someone earlier so eloquently put it. And there is a distinction between legally binding and ethically/morally binding, as several posters have already alluded to. The OP's situation would definitely fall into an ethical dilemma, but not necessarily a legal one.

Granted, this is probably not a fairly common situation YET, but the med school who may be burned by the OP if the situation plays out as predicted will be extra cautious in extending an acceptance offer to a borderline candidate who writes a fantastic letter of intent (and actually means it) during the next application cycle.

This is ultimately a decision the OP has to make him/herself and I sympathize with the fact that you are trying to optimize your own experience for the next 4 years. But you made a promise to attend the first school and you wouldn't have done that if you couldn't see yourself spending the next 4 years at that institution, so ultimately, the difference in your experiences will probably be minimal. My 2 cents? Keep your promise.
 
That is my problem with your argument- you clump together "ethically/morally/legally" like they are all the same thing. They are not. Period. If you tell a friend you will go to dinner with them are you legally bound to it? No. If you skip it are their formal or legal consequences? No. If you don't go to that dinner because another friend has asked you to dinner that you would rather go with are you MORALLY and ETHICALLY wrong? Yes.

The OP is not breaking the law and no one here is disputing that (although a case could be made because it was a written document of confirmation, depending on the exact language of the letter), but the OP is breaking a moral code of conduct by reneging on an agreement. If this is not the absolute opposite of being trustworthy then I don't know what is...

Well put.

I seem to recall "Ethics" was a recommended class for people going into medicine. I can see many people skipped the class.

I think it is a VERY important part of being a good doctor.
 
This is your LIFE, do what is best for you.

And if it bothers you, just use it as one of those learning experiences.....when residency interviews roll around, think more carefully before you write strong letters to program directors.

I would argue that what is "best for you" is not to start your professional career with a lie to one of the 130 professional institutions in your field.
 
I just don't understand this.

Do you really not see a promise as an ETHICALLY binding agreement?

He didn't just tell the school he was INTERESTED and that he MAY attend he said he loved it and WILL attend. That ethically binds him because he has promised the school he will attend. It doesn't matter if he didn't sign anything (though really he probably put is name at the end of the letter which could constitute a signature) and the school never officially agreed to it, it is still a promise that is ethically binding.

Then AMCAS should write some rules regarding the use of these letters.

Go to AMCAS (or to any med school website) and find the rules regarding letters of intent, etc...this is a trick question...there are no rules regarding these letters - you will not find any mention of them anywhere in AMCAS or on any med school website. The LOI is a real thing, but the magic ascribed to them by pre-meds on SDN is not.

Take care of your own ****, and let others worry about theirs.
 
Then AMCAS should write some rules regarding the use of these letters.

Go to AMCAS (or to any med school website) and find the rules regarding letters of intent, etc...this is a trick question...there are no rules regarding these letters - you will not find any mention of them anywhere in AMCAS or on any med school website. The LOI is a real thing, but the magic ascribed to them by pre-meds on SDN is not.

Take care of your own ****, and let others worry about theirs.

You need AMCAS to write rules of conduct for you? Hmmm, I have some of my own.
 
I will repeat that I think applicants who send these strongly worded LOIs in Dec/Jan/Feb (or well before the end of the admissions process, the finalization of waitlists, and the offering of financial aid) look pretty foolish or immature.

I would not do it until much later in the cycle, if even then. And if you find yourself in the waitlist games after May 15, I definitely would be cranking out the LOIs at that point.

This is rather irrelevant and unhelpful, as the OP has already sent his letter and is trying to figure out where to go from here.

Do not choose to do something you don't want to do for the next four years just because you wrote a strongly worded letter. Go where you feel you will fit in best. Med schools have thousands of applicants and feel that there are hundreds that are qualified to attend. You might have been accepted, but they probably do not have a strong preference for you over candidate X, Y, and Z. Make the best decision for you, not for the med school. They will manage to move on without you if you go somewhere else.

There is no blacklist; you will not be remembered next year much less down the road for residencies. Don't screw yourself over for the sake of a little document that in the end means nothing.

Wisely said, and a really good perspective to keep in mind.

This is your LIFE, do what is best for you.

And if it bothers you, just use it as one of those learning experiences.....when residency interviews roll around, think more carefully before you write strong letters to program directors.

OP: People do make mistakes, even doctors. Maybe you shouldn't have sent the letter, maybe you should have; all you can do now is try and learn from this and use it to help you with decision making in the future.

Regardless if it was right or wrong, this is your life, and you need to make the best decision for you possible. Whether that means keeping your word, or attending the second school, is something only you can answer. But don't let other's 'outrage' or view on the process decided what's best for you.
 
You need AMCAS to write rules of conduct for you? Hmmm, I have some of my own.

Not rules "of conduct," rules regarding the use of letters of intent by applicants.
 
This is rather irrelevant and unhelpful, as the OP has already sent his letter and is trying to figure out where to go from here.

Don't excerpt one portion of my response. I said that he should go to the interview and feel free to accept any offers that may arise.
 
Then AMCAS should write some rules regarding the use of these letters.

Go to AMCAS (or to any med school website) and find the rules regarding letters of intent, etc...this is a trick question...there are no rules regarding these letters - you will not find any mention of them anywhere in AMCAS or on any med school website. The LOI is a real thing, but the magic ascribed to them by pre-meds on SDN is not.

Take care of your own ****, and let others worry about theirs.

Jesus man, do you really think the only thing that matters in life are rules written in rule books?



Do you have a girlfriend?

Do you cheat on her? If no, why not? There is no "rule" in a rulebook saying you can't cheat on your girlfriend. Why don't you just go sleep with every hot woman you see in a bar? There is no legal rule against it.

Our society is built both on LEGAL rules and ETHICAL rules that, I would hope, people respect. That doesn't mean you can't break an ethical rule, but you should at least recognize that it is wrong to do so.

if everyone just "watched their own ass" our society would fall apart.

Seriously though, and I'm really trying not to be mean, I would NEVER want you as my doctor. I think ethics are one of the most important things a doctor can have.

EDIT:

And just to clarify:

If he really wants to go to the interview, I agree. LET HIM GO. I just hope that he feels ****ty about breaking the promise. It just amazes me that so many people don't recognize it as a morally dilemma.
 
Then AMCAS should write some rules regarding the use of these letters.

Go to AMCAS (or to any med school website) and find the rules regarding letters of intent, etc...this is a trick question...there are no rules regarding these letters - you will not find any mention of them anywhere in AMCAS or on any med school website. The LOI is a real thing, but the magic ascribed to them by pre-meds on SDN is not.

Take care of your own ****, and let others worry about theirs.

AMCAS needs to write the rules to something that the OP elected to do on his/her own? Remember the LOI is not part of the official applicaiton. It's not like someone demanded the OP to send this. The LOI is an optional and important part of an application that says you will go. If someone needs the AMCAS to regulate a moral thing like this for them then it is very scary to think that person is going into medicine...

Would you propose to your fiancee and say "you're the one I want to be with" just to leave two months later due to the prospect of another? Not legally binding right? Morally binding? Think so!
 
Jesus man, do you really think the only thing that matters in life are rules written in rule books?



Do you have a girlfriend?

Do you cheat on her? If no, why not? There is no "rule" in a rulebook saying you can't cheat on your girlfriend. Why don't you just go sleep with every hot woman you see in a bar? There is no legal rule against it.

Our society is built both on LEGAL rules and ETHICAL rules that, I would hope, people respect. That doesn't mean you can't break an ethical rule, but you should at least recognize that it is wrong to do so.

if everyone just "watched their own ass" our society would fall apart.

Seriously though, and I'm really trying not to be mean, I would NEVER want you as my doctor. I think ethics are one of the most important things a doctor can have.

EDIT:

And just to clarify:

If he really wants to go to the interview, I agree. LET HIM GO. I just hope that he feels ****ty about breaking the promise. It just amazes me that so many people don't recognize it as a morally dilemma.

Go back and read all my responses in this thread and then come back and tell me where I concluded that the writing of these letters without the intent to follow through on the "promise to attend" is OK. I am highly critical of the practice, at least this early in the admissions cycle and before all interviews have been offered and all admissions decisions have been made.
 
AMCAS needs to write the rules to something that the OP elected to do on his/her own? Remember the LOI is not part of the official applicaiton. It's not like someone demanded the OP to send this. The LOI is an optional and important part of an application that says you will go. If someone needs the AMCAS to regulate a moral thing like this for them then it is very scary to think that person is going into medicine...

Would you propose to your fiancee and say "you're the one I want to be with" just to leave two months later due to the prospect of another? Not legally binding right? Morally binding? Think so!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29481521/
 
AMCAS needs to write the rules to something that the OP elected to do on his/her own? Remember the LOI is not part of the official applicaiton. It's not like someone demanded the OP to send this. The LOI is an optional and important part of an application that says you will go. If someone needs the AMCAS to regulate a moral thing like this for them then it is very scary to think that person is going into medicine...

Would you propose to your fiancee and say "you're the one I want to be with" just to leave two months later due to the prospect of another? Not legally binding right? Morally binding? Think so!

Your marriage example is incorrect. Plenty of courts have found the offer of marriage is legally binding (example: damages awarded to a fiance who has quit his/her job or moved in anticipation of the marriage).
 
Go back and read all my responses in this thread and then come back and tell me where I concluded that the writing of these letters without the intent to follow through on the "promise to attend" is OK. I am highly critical of the practice, at least this early in the admissions cycle and before all interviews have been offered and all admissions decisions have been made.

I realize you are critical of the process, but that just makes me more skeptical of your views.

In the part I quoted you said the "magic" ascribed to it is purely by people on SDN. That shows you do NOT recognize the ethical value of a promise (a letter of intent is a promise)

If you do not recognize a moral/ethical obligation of a promise, why would you suggest using the letter at all? If promises mean nothing then the letter is MEANINGLESS, regardless of when you send it in.
 
The only ethically / morally / legally binding offer of admission is an Early Decision program. Otherwise, AMCAS rules allow you to accept and hold as many acceptances as you wish until May 15.

I will repeat that I think applicants who send these strongly worded LOIs in Dec/Jan/Feb (or well before the end of the admissions process, the finalization of waitlists, and the offering of financial aid) look pretty foolish or immature.

I would not do it until much later in the cycle, if even then. And if you find yourself in the waitlist games after May 15, I definitely would be cranking out the LOIs at that point.

So what you mean is they shouldn't be used because they look immature and meaningless, but if you do it then go crazy and break the promises because you can attend other schools and "crank out" LOIs? To go with my previous analogy, why not propose to 5 women in one night to marry you? Ask them all, then pick among the one that says yes? Figure it out...
 
Your marriage example is incorrect. Plenty of courts have found the offer of marriage is legally binding (example: damages awarded to a fiance who has quit his/her job or moved in anticipation of the marriage).

What about my example?

A relationship is not legally binding, so why do you not cheat on your girlfriend?

If you had a 100% assurance (even if this can't happen in reality, assume it for the sack of this hypothetical ethical question) that you would never get caught and nothing bad would happen regarding your relationship, would you cheat? If no, why not?

EDIT: Unfortunately, I have to head in to lab to score some recombinance. I'll be on later.
 
Your marriage example is incorrect. Plenty of courts have found the offer of marriage is legally binding (example: damages awarded to a fiance who has quit his/her job or moved in anticipation of the marriage).

You are taking my example a little too literally. What if the offer was only verbal? How can the court prove it was said and the ring wasn't just a gift? And don't say "common sense" because I am finding on this thread that common sense isn't so common anymore. Read what I said about multiple proposals too.

And couldn't a med school go after someone legally if they write a letter? They wouldn't because it's a waste of time when they have tons of other applicants lined up, but I bet they could...
 
So what you mean is they shouldn't be used because they look immature and meaningless, but if you do it then go crazy and break the promises because you can attend other schools and "crank out" LOIs? To go with my previous analogy, why not propose to 5 women in one night to marry you? Ask them all, then pick among the one that says yes? Figure it out...

After May 15, it is every man for himself. First come, first served. I would not hesitate to send out LOIs to schools that have me on their waitlist at that point.

I was pretty clear on my position regarding the LOIs people send before the interview season is over - I do think that an applicant who sends a strongly worded LOI too early in the cycle looks desperate if not immature, and I assume that at least some adcoms would feel the same way.
 
After May 15, it is every man for himself. First come, first served. I would not hesitate to send out LOIs to schools that have me on their waitlist at that point.

I was pretty clear on my position regarding the LOIs people send before the interview season is over - I do think that an applicant who sends a strongly worded LOI too early in the cycle looks desperate if not immature, and I assume that at least some adcoms would feel the same way.

I agree that sending them early is foolish if you don't mean it, but I also think that sending them late is foolish if you don't mean it. If your idea of cranking out LOIs in May means cranking out letters of interest then I agree 100%. If cranking out LOIs means cranking out multiple letters of intent then I have a problem.
 
So to all those on this thread, here's my dilemma:

I've submitted a letter of intent to my state school, only to be waitlisted. At this point, I've been told its a numbers game and depends on how many people decide to withdraw. However, I also sent a very strong letter of interest to NYMC, as it seems a little bit more attainable for me (at least I'm hoping).

I'm considering asking my supervisor, who is also on the admissions committee at UMaryland to write a letter of support to NYMC because I was foolish enough to not get a LOR from him at the beginning of the process. I don't know what good it would do in the decision at NYMC but I feel like I need something more than my good, albeit run-of-the-mill undergrad committee letter. At the same time, I don't want to jeopardize my chances at Maryland.

Ideas?
 
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