Letter of Intent (pre-med student)

[EvaSwitchBox20]

So I'm still on the post-interview wait, and I posted this in a pre-med thread, but I thought it'd be a good idea to ask those people who have already gotten to where I can't wait to be! Of the 2 schools I've interviewed at, I'd be extremely happy attending either. As such, I've written up two letters of intent, one for each school. I know it's very debatable whether or not letters of intent really make a difference, but I figure it can't hurt me. If anything, it might just bring my name of for conversation again, if my app happen to have fallen in the background you know, bring it to the top!

So I've written up a drafts of these letters. Obviously, since it's a letter of "intent," I'm not sending both of these out, but I'll decide on that part soon. I could REALLY use some feedback on what I've got so far. I'm debating about a few aspects of this letter, especially the overall length (I've heard all sorts of things on length recc's). In either case, I'd like to keep the letter at least somewhat more confidential. Would anybody here be wiling to give me some good feedback and pointers on my draft? Let me know here, or just PM me, so I can send you what I've got. (Esp if you've maybe written one when you were applying)

Thanks a lot. Good luck to everyone on exams!!

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[japhy]

complete and total waste of time. does not make a difference at all. i served on my school's admission committee as a 4th year medical school and i can tell you any such contact from students was totally disregarded.

don't bother.

 

[Hoju]

I ran that by my school when I was waiting for a decision and was told it would not matter. They already have the bulk of what they are going to use to make their decision. Any little extra tidbits probably won't make much of a difference. Anyway, wouldn't two letters of intent be contradictory?

 

[phospho]

don't bother.

word

 

[DocMcCoy]

I disagree that it is a complete waste of time. Pre-interview, I submitted one to the school I really wanted to attend late in the interview cycle. A week later I got a phone call for an interview invite, then accepted shortly thereafter. Most cases, it probably won't work, but it can't hurt. Good luck, I hope everything works out for you.

 

[thirtyodd6]

It varies with school. I'd contact admissions office and ask if it would help. I called the school where I was wait-listed asking for advice and they straight up told me to write a letter of intent.

 

[He2]

ya, I really think its variable. I was told by some schools they don't care and explicitly said don't send, while others made it clear it makes a huge difference.

 

[GoBeers]

is it really going to bug your moral center if u send both of them out?

pull all the strings to get into a school.

 

[He2]

perhaps LizzyM can comment?

 

[EvaSwitchBox20]

Thanks everyone for your advice so far, definitely some good ideas, and sort of what I was thinking, but I wanted to hear from others, too.

As for both of the letters being contradictory, as I said above, I'm not going to be sending out both. I have both written up, and would edit one as a letter of interest, rather than intent, once I make that decision.

Also, question for the moderator, was this thread moved from the medical student forums? Don't get me wrong, I really like the advice I've gotten from pre-medical students as well, it's much appreciated, but I specifically put a thread over there to get some ideas from people from the other side, with another perspective, based off of advice from another thread in the pre-med forums that I posted.

And yea, I wouldn't mind if LizzyM had some ideas on this one, too?

 

[Go Ducks]

You can send both letters. Just call them "letters of strong interest." Some schools, like Georgetown, won't look at a waitlisted file unless you sent them. Others don't care, but it won't hurt.

 

[mexicochangedme]

send them. i was waitlisted at a school back in november. we were told at the interview that, if we got waitlisted, to send a letter of interest in the beginning of may when they start taking people off the waitlist. i got antsy one day and sent it in a few weeks ago. less than two weeks later, i got the acceptance phone call from the dean (over two months before they traditionally see any waitlist movement). coincidence?

 

[yoz]

you could contact your interviewer and see what he recommends you do for getting off the waitlist. They will probably give u the best advice for their particular school.