Letter of Intent: TO SEND or NOT TO SEND?

[Adpotential2025]

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Hello guys,

I have been very fortunate to interview at a school on Spetember 12th but they don't release decisions until March. I loved the school, students seemed very happy and overall felt like it would be a great place to be for my medical education, there is also a physician that is conducting research there that is so close to what I am interested in. I am now confident that if they would offer me a spot I would 100% take it. I just needed advice on if I should send them a letter of intent or not, if yes then when would be a good time to do so.

Would appreciate any input!

 

[Kierkegaard's Bud]

Hello guys,

I have been very fortunate to interview at a school on Spetember 12th but they don't release decisions until March. I loved the school, students seemed very happy and overall felt like it would be a great place to be for my medical education, there is also a physician that is conducting research there that is so close to what I am interested in. I am now confident that if they would offer me a spot I would 100% take it. I just needed advice on if I should send them a letter of intent or not, if yes then when would be a good time to do so.

Would appreciate any input!

M3 here. I kept all of them guessing until I got the best financial aid package, keep in mind it’s a short-lived courtship.

 

[gyngyn]

A letter this early is made without the data required for an informed decision.
It's not the look you want at any school.

 

[AJS59]

Hold to the waitlist (if that's what happens). Only letter you should contemplate right now is if you have any substantive updates for adcoms

 

[Goro]

Hello guys,

I have been very fortunate to interview at a school on Spetember 12th but they don't release decisions until March. I loved the school, students seemed very happy and overall felt like it would be a great place to be for my medical education, there is also a physician that is conducting research there that is so close to what I am interested in. I am now confident that if they would offer me a spot I would 100% take it. I just needed advice on if I should send them a letter of intent or not, if yes then when would be a good time to do so.

Would appreciate any input!

Don't waste your time or theirs

 

[Adpotential2025]

Thank you all for the input! I think it is just the waiting game that is killing me and making feel like I should do something in the mean time. Will hang tight for the time being unless I get some major update in the near future!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

interview at a school on Spetember 12th but they don't release decisions until March

Unless told explicitly to send update letters, a letter of intent for this school will easily be "forgotten" when they start making decisions by the spring. (Note: if the school began making October 15 offers, I would wait until you knew decisions were sent out and you got waitlisted.)

there is also a physician that is conducting research there that is so close to what I am interested in

So you'd be willing to see if that person has space/money for a research assistant? Why not apply for a MS/PhD at the school then? Contact that faculty member first. By the way, unless you're doing a MS/PhD in research, this is a poor reason to choose a medical school.

Beyond MSAR: Additional Resources for Building Your School List | SDN

Compilations like the MSAR, the ChooseDO, the VMSAR, or the ADEA DSE are essential tools to compare your application profile against historical trends,

www.studentdoctor.net

 

[lioneljohn]

Thank you all for the input! I think it is just the waiting game that is killing me and making feel like I should do something in the mean time. Will hang tight for the time being unless I get some major update in the near future!

If you really have nothing to do in the meantime, you could study on your own until you get the decision. That way, you may impress the professors with some prior knowledge. Some more information never hurt anybody, so why not?

 

[Goro]

Thank you all for the input! I think it is just the waiting game that is killing me and making feel like I should do something in the mean time. Will hang tight for the time being unless I get some major update in the near future!

Stay busy!!

 

[Adpotential2025]

Unless told explicitly to send update letters, a letter of intent for this school will easily be "forgotten" when they start making decisions by the spring. (Note: if the school began making October 15 offers, I would wait until you knew decisions were sent out and you got waitlisted.)



So you'd be willing to see if that person has space/money for a research assistant? Why not apply for a MS/PhD at the school then? Contact that faculty member first. By the way, unless you're doing a MS/PhD in research, this is a poor reason to choose a medical school.

Beyond MSAR: Additional Resources for Building Your School List | SDN

Compilations like the MSAR, the ChooseDO, the VMSAR, or the ADEA DSE are essential tools to compare your application profile against historical trends,

www.studentdoctor.net

They said they are open for any updates and follow ups if they are substantial and not mentioned anywhere in my application but didn't mention anything related to letters of intent. I will wait until March to see what they final decision is and if it is indeed a waitlist I will send that letter of intent in. Other than that from what I got from this post is that after my interviews, I will make sure to send those thank you letters in (if they accept them of course) and just wait to hear back. Thank you for the advice!!

 

[Adpotential2025]

Stay busy!!

Trust me I am trying!! Will try harder though and hopefully some new II comes my way to keep me even busier.