Letter of Intent Help

[nbd13]

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Hey everyone,

First time posting, but have been lurking and reading a ton.

Anyways, I just had an interview today and one of the 2nd year medical students told me I should send a letter of intent. He said that could be the difference between me getting in and someone else. I feel in love with this school! I want in bad!!!!

So a few questions for everyone:

1. What should I included? The 2nd year just said to say you felt the school was a good fit and felt I would fit in well with the atmosphere. BUT what else?

2. How long and in depth should I make it? I was thinking 1 page max.?

3. Anything else you can think of that would be helpful?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Nick

 

[rajaholick]

in my experience letters of intent are to be sent in only if you get on a waitlist
not right after an interview
but others on this board would probably know better...

 

[davis749]

Hey everyone,

First time posting, but have been lurking and reading a ton.

Anyways, I just had an interview today and one of the 2nd year medical students told me I should send a letter of intent. He said that could be the difference between me getting in and someone else. I feel in love with this school! I want in bad!!!!

So a few questions for everyone:

1. What should I included? The 2nd year just said to say you felt the school was a good fit and felt I would fit in well with the atmosphere. BUT what else?

2. How long and in depth should I make it? I was thinking 1 page max.?

3. Anything else you can think of that would be helpful?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Nick

I wrote thank you cards instead of a letter of intent. I tried to write one to every person who interviewed me, the admissions staff, the dean, and anybody else pertinent to the application process. If I had an exceptionally good feeling about the interview, I wrote that. If I felt a connection with the students and faculty, I wrote that. The beauty of the thank you card is that 1) it's a forgotten tradition so it holds sway, 2) it's formal yet allows a very allotted amount of space.

 

[Semicolon]

Personally, I have sent emails to my interviewers after visiting the school, not letters of intent to the admissions office. I agree; they're really for waitlists, but I assume they can't hurt either.

I would just thank my interviewers for their time and tell them what I enjoyed (very briefly) about that particular school.

 

[FutureDocDO]

I wrote thank you cards instead of a letter of intent. I tried to write one to every person who interviewed me, the admissions staff, the dean, and anybody else pertinent to the application process. If I had an exceptionally good feeling about the interview, I wrote that. If I felt a connection with the students and faculty, I wrote that. The beauty of the thank you card is that 1) it's a forgotten tradition so it holds sway, 2) it's formal yet allows a very allotted amount of space.

I wrote thank you cards to the office of admissions to where I interviewed at. I would state what I like about the school and if I could see myself going there. I wouldn't email though, too impersonal. If you really like a school and want to go there, I would state that in the thank you card as well! I did. I got in so who knows. Good luck.

 

[Amy B]

First off welcome! Glad you made the jump from lurker to poster.

I also suggest you would only write a letter of intent if you were placed on a waitlist. For now I would send off an email thanking them for teh interview and telling them you were very impressed with the school, staff, students, etc... and would look forward to them making a decision on your application. Then you just have to sit and wait for their decision.... just my 2 cents. Good luck

 

[213965]

Hey everyone,

First time posting, but have been lurking and reading a ton.

Anyways, I just had an interview today and one of the 2nd year medical students told me I should send a letter of intent. He said that could be the difference between me getting in and someone else. I feel in love with this school! I want in bad!!!!

So a few questions for everyone:

1. What should I included? The 2nd year just said to say you felt the school was a good fit and felt I would fit in well with the atmosphere. BUT what else?

2. How long and in depth should I make it? I was thinking 1 page max.?

3. Anything else you can think of that would be helpful?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Nick

I would recommend sending a letter of INTEREST first and then a letter of INTENT if waitlisted.

The letter of interest should include things like why you feel the school is a good fit for you, what you think you could contribute to the school, and also a good time to update them on what you've been doing since your primary app was submitted a while ago in case you never had a chance to elaborate on that during your interview.

Good luck!!

 

[Premed Worrier]

ironically enough, the one school that i didn't write a thank you letter, or any kind of post interview letter has accepted me...the others, nothing yet

 

[Kateb4]

Hey everyone,

First time posting, but have been lurking and reading a ton.

Anyways, I just had an interview today and one of the 2nd year medical students told me I should send a letter of intent. He said that could be the difference between me getting in and someone else. I feel in love with this school! I want in bad!!!!

So a few questions for everyone:

1. What should I included? The 2nd year just said to say you felt the school was a good fit and felt I would fit in well with the atmosphere. BUT what else?

2. How long and in depth should I make it? I was thinking 1 page max.?

3. Anything else you can think of that would be helpful?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Nick

I disagree with the others. If you are really interested in this school by all means send a letter. Intent or interest, the title does not matter. I did this after a great interview at a school that I was very impressed with and got a call from the director of student affairs to thank me for the nice letter and to inform me that I was accepted. If you wait until you get a waitlist letter, it won't have a bearing on your application until the school reviews waitlisters. Better not to get into that if you are dedicated to the school.

As far as letter content, just thank them for the interview and explain that you were really impressed with the school while you were there and why. Let them know that if accepted you would be honored to accept a seat there. Simple, not more than 2-3 paragraphs. I emailed mine as an attached document to the admissions rep that I knew would get it to the right person before my file was reviewed.