Letter of intent trouble!!!: What would you do?

[fw5tape6kq]

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It's late in the application season, and I have been rejected by 90% of the medical schools I applied to. Here's my very complicated current situation. I have an interview pending at a very good allopathic school in Philadelphia that I really want to go to (let's call it school A), am on the wait list at another local allopathic institution (school B), and just completed an interview at an osteopathic school (school C) that I feel "ok," but not enthusiastic, about.

I would absolutely love to go to school A, but considering the string of rejections I have had earlier this year, I' pretty sure my chances of acceptance at that institution are dubious at best. I am on the wait list at school B, and have a faculty member of that school who knows me personally advocating on my behalf. Nevertheless, the wait list letter I received from that school indicated that I would hear back about my status in May. Lastly, I know an Osteopathic physician with a lot of clout at school C who is willing to write me a letter that almost guarantees acceptance at school C, but only if I am willing to commit to go there 100%.

Here is my dilemma. I really want to write the letter of intent to school A because that is where I would truly love to go. But I'm worried that it would just be a waste of time, considering the weaknesses in my application. I have already been rejected by far "lesser" institutions, and am frankly surprised they even granted me an interview. Perhaps I should send the letter of intent to school B instead... where I might have a sporting, albeit slim, chance, and where a letter might mean more. Lastly, I could abandon all of those options and secure my spot in school C.

Unethically, I suppose I could send all three schools a letter of intent, and go to the best school that accepts me (since these letters are not legally binding). Some of the complicating factors in this situation include that fact that 1) I don't know how "fluid" school B's wait list is, and 2) that I risk alienating the DO I know if I have him write me the letter and don't end up going to school C (in lieu of acceptance at A or B). How do I explain to him that I value the allopathic degree over the osteopathic.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Advice? Help?? How would you resolve this situation.

 

[nemo123]

First off, do not send a letter of intent to all 3 schools. It will look really bad for you to get into all 3 and obviously only be able to choose one school to go to (and the dean will know you lied to him/her). It will also look bad for the faculty members who will be advocating for you unless you want to ruin their relationship with the dean (and ruin your own relationship with them). Don't do it.

As for your other questions, some adcom members have said it looks desperate to send in a letter of intent when you don't have an acceptance yet and schools eventually do get to see where you have been accepted to. As for now, stick with letters of interests and update letters and space them appropriately.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

As for your other questions, you can really only write a letter of intent if you've already been accepted somewhere (because you'll say in your letter that you'll drop all of your other acceptances to attend). .

I agree with the rest of your advice but this is silly. There is no "rule" that you have to state you will drop your other acceptances. It would be perfectly reasonable to write a letter stating that this is your top choice school and you will definitely attend if accepted. No mention of other schools needs to be made.

 

[type12]

I would normally agree that a letter of intent should be for one school, but you sound like you are statistically unfavored. With that in mind, if you are desperate enough to write a letter of intent, then it means med schools are not particularly interested in you.

I'm not trying to be mean, but just trying to paint the picture the medical schools will be seeing when you write the letter. Make sure the three schools you are writing to even are receptive to letters; if they are, then go ahead and send them to all three. Honestly, it's not going to improve your chances.

 

[fw5tape6kq]

First off, do not send a letter of intent to all 3 schools. It will look really bad for you to get into all 3 and obviously only be able to choose one school to go to (and the dean will know you lied to him/her). It will also look bad for the faculty members who will be advocating for you unless you want to ruin their relationship with the dean (and ruin your own relationship with them). Don't do it.

As for your other questions, you can really only write a letter of intent if you've already been accepted somewhere (because you'll say in your letter that you'll drop all of your other acceptances to attend). Some adcom members have said it looks desperate to send in a letter of intent when you don't have an acceptance yet and schools eventually do get to see where you have been accepted to. As for now, stick with letters of interests and update letters and space them appropriately.

Thanks. That's good advice. I did not know that letters of intent are only effective if acceptances have already been offered. I figured that these schools would be more likely to accept me of they knew I was gung-ho about attending their institution. Do you happen to know when medical schools are appraised of the acceptance/rejections of their candidate students at other schools? Is that closer to the summer?

 

[fw5tape6kq]

I would normally agree that a letter of intent should be for one school, but you sound like you are statistically unfavored. With that in mind, if you are desperate enough to write a letter of intent, then it means med schools are not particularly interested in you.

I'm not trying to be mean, but just trying to paint the picture the medical schools will be seeing when you write the letter. Make sure the three schools you are writing to even are receptive to letters; if they are, then go ahead and send them to all three. Honestly, it's not going to improve your chances.

My GPA and MCAT are pretty good (3.95 and 34), I applied early, and have a great research experience under my belt. As such, I'm pretty sure my rejections are the result of a lack of clinical exposure and or volunteering. That's why, in these letters, I'm including information about how I'm currently volunteering 8 hours a week at a hospital. As such, these letters are both an update and an expression of interest, which is why I thought they might help.

 

[fw5tape6kq]

I agree with the rest of your advice but this is silly. There is no "rule" that you have to state you will drop your other acceptances. It would be perfectly reasonable to write a letter stating that this is your top choice school and you will definitely attend if accepted. No mention of other schools needs to be made.

Do you think it helps to show a school that you are that committed?

 

[nemo123]

I agree with the rest of your advice but this is silly. There is no "rule" that you have to state you will drop your other acceptances. It would be perfectly reasonable to write a letter stating that this is your top choice school and you will definitely attend if accepted. No mention of other schools needs to be made.

Lol whoops, I thought I edited that part out...

Thanks. That's good advice. I did not know that letters of intent are only effective if acceptances have already been offered. I figured that these schools would be more likely to accept me of they knew I was gung-ho about attending their institution. Do you happen to know when medical schools are appraised of the acceptance/rejections of their candidate students at other schools? Is that closer to the summer?

I believe if you've been accepted, schools know sometime in February, and if you're waitlisted, that school will know sometime in April (don't quote me on these months). And eventually sometime in the summer, the office will know where everyone else was accepted.

 

[Goro]

LOI have no weight on AdCom decisions.

If you really don't want to be a DO, improve your packet and apply next year to more MD schools.

It's late in the application season, and I have been rejected by 90% of the medical schools I applied to. Here's my very complicated current situation. I have an interview pending at a very good allopathic school in Philadelphia that I really want to go to (let's call it school A), am on the wait list at another local allopathic institution (school B), and just completed an interview at an osteopathic school (school C) that I feel "ok," but not enthusiastic, about.

I would absolutely love to go to school A, but considering the string of rejections I have had earlier this year, I' pretty sure my chances of acceptance at that institution are dubious at best. I am on the wait list at school B, and have a faculty member of that school who knows me personally advocating on my behalf. Nevertheless, the wait list letter I received from that school indicated that I would hear back about my status in May. Lastly, I know an Osteopathic physician with a lot of clout at school C who is willing to write me a letter that almost guarantees acceptance at school C, but only if I am willing to commit to go there 100%.

Here is my dilemma. I really want to write the letter of intent to school A because that is where I would truly love to go. But I'm worried that it would just be a waste of time, considering the weaknesses in my application. I have already been rejected by far "lesser" institutions, and am frankly surprised they even granted me an interview. Perhaps I should send the letter of intent to school B instead... where I might have a sporting, albeit slim, chance, and where a letter might mean more. Lastly, I could abandon all of those options and secure my spot in school C.

Unethically, I suppose I could send all three schools a letter of intent, and go to the best school that accepts me (since these letters are not legally binding). Some of the complicating factors in this situation include that fact that 1) I don't know how "fluid" school B's wait list is, and 2) that I risk alienating the DO I know if I have him write me the letter and don't end up going to school C (in lieu of acceptance at A or B). How do I explain to him that I value the allopathic degree over the osteopathic.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Advice? Help?? How would you resolve this situation.

 

[fw5tape6kq]

LOI have no weight on AdCom decisions.

If you really don't want to be a DO, improve your packet and apply next year to more MD schools.

Let's say school B is offering an acceptance after a spot opened up. It's down to me and someone else on the wait list with a similar application. Don't you think they'd would pick the student who expressed a vocal interest in the school over someone who didn't?

 

[fw5tape6kq]

I should also mention that I'm volunteering at the very hospital school B is associated with. And it's a relatively small hospital at that.

 

[Goro]

No. Anyone can say "I want to come to your school".

It might come down to something as simple as your GPA or MCAT score, depending upon the whim of the Dean.

Let's say school B is offering an acceptance after a spot opened up. It's down to me and someone else on the wait list with a similar application. Don't you think they'd would pick the student who expressed a vocal interest in the school over someone who didn't?

 

[fw5tape6kq]

Damn. I guess all I can do at this point is proceed under the assumption that I'm going to have to re-apply in June...which kind of sucks, because it doesn't give me as much time as I'd like to strengthen my clinical/volunteering detriments. I am sure this has been asked before, but I am at a disadvantage to apply to schools that rejected me previously?