Letter of Interest/Update Letter Format

[whattodoahh]

Hi,
I need help writing an update letter...is it the same thing as a letter of interest? Who should I address it to and should I write in bullet format or paragraph? Also who should I email/mail it to?

Any help would be great! Thanks!

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[Pedsbro]

Hi,
I need help writing an update letter...is it the same thing as a letter of interest? Who should I address it to and should I write in bullet format or paragraph? Also who should I email/mail it to?

Any help would be great! Thanks!

They aren't the same. Update letters can be relatively informal. It should be in paragraph form of course..it's still a letter to a professional school. If it's just updating your file with a new job, new class, new experience, etc, I would address it to the admissions office or a contact person there. If it's something major, maybe even address it to the dean of admissions. I sent two update letters earlier this cycle to the dean at one of the schools I applied to, but I had met with him beforehand.

 

[ONUALUM]

Hi,
I need help writing an update letter...is it the same thing as a letter of interest? Who should I address it to and should I write in bullet format or paragraph? Also who should I email/mail it to?

Any help would be great! Thanks!

I was wondering the same thing. Also, is it appropriate to send both an update letter and letter of interest...or would this be considered too much?

 

[strongboy2005]

I was wondering the same thing. Also, is it appropriate to send both an update letter and letter of interest...or would this be considered too much?

I'm considering doing this too, can't the letter be a letter of update/interest?

 

[skiqueen]

I'm considering doing this too, can't the letter be a letter of update/interest?

I did a combo letter of update/interest for three schools. It was a page long, and I spent about half of it talking about why the school would be a good fit for me and vice versa and the other half updating my application. I say give it a shot.

 

[kapiolli]

My applications have been complete since end of August/beginning of September and I am waiting for interviews. Although most schools just ask for patience and say that interviews last until March/April, I feel like checking status sites everyday is not enough.

I graduated this summer and have been working as a tutor/teaching at a private high school since October. I may return to working in my research lab at university if their grant is approved (wont know until late Feb)

Would it be better for me to write an update letter about my full-time job as a teacher and possibly returning to my research lab + expressing my interest in their school OR should I just continue to wait and check my status pages????

Thank you for your input!

 

[student1799]

Would it be better for me to write an update letter about my full-time job as a teacher and possibly returning to my research lab + expressing my interest in their school OR should I just continue to wait and check my status pages????

Of course you should send the letter. Since most schools wrap up their interview invites by some time in Feb (although there are obviously exceptions), now is the time to get in touch with them. Do exactly what you described: talk about your new activities AND express your interest in the school.

A lot of people around here seem to think there are "rules" about what to say in a letter to a school, but I think that's BS. As far as I'm concerned, if you just write to a school and convey some factual information WITHOUT letting them know how much you want to go there, you're wasting your time (and theirs). You MUST sell yourself to the school, in a dignified way--that's what this whole process is about. SDNers who make comments like "that would be sucking up" are missing the whole point, because schools LIKE to be sucked up to (within reason). So go for it.

 

[kapiolli]

Why do you say they wrap up interview invites sometime in Feb!? Most schools say they have interviews from October through March/April.

Can anyone verify which schools stop invites in Feb??

This would be very helpful so I know which letters to work on first.


I have 2 UC schools who haven't asked for secondaries but haven't rejected me neither (although I'm expecting it) AND 2 UC that have completed applications but no word about interviews... I'm guessing that UCs will cont to invite for interviews past Feb. but what about other schools?

Wisconsin Medical College?

St Louis Medical College?

Penn State?

Temple?

Drexel?

NYMC?

Albert Einstein?

Oregon?

Rush MC?



Which of these schools will stop giving invites in Feb!??

THANK YOU

ps- any current medical students at any of these schools have any input? i appreciate your responses )

 

[chad5871]

A lot of schools stop inviting in January. I'd say most are done in late February or early March.

 

[mattng]

Although it is true that schools say they interview into March/April, if you think about it, they send out invites for those slots early (like in January/February). The actual interview doesn't even occur until about 3-4 weeks after the invite. So yes, they say they interview, but those slots have already been filled by those that were invited earlier.

As for a letter of interest or a letter of intent, I think right now is probably the best time to do it. Personally for me, I wrote a combination of interest and intent. What I said was how the school was the best match for me. Why I thought I would be a good fit and try to hint to them that you plan on staying in the area. Schools like to keep their physicians in the area. For the update, I included by transcript with it as well as what I've been doing since I applied (I was done around August). But I think the emphasis has to be on why you think the school is a good match. Don't just go to their site and list off everything they already know like, "your curriculum is integrated so I think I would learn best" or "you have a lot of clubs and I like clubs" etc... The best way is to relate a personal experience, make it sound genuine. At this stage of the game, letting the school know that you're still interested, whether it be pre/post interview wouldn't hurt.

 

[student1799]

I have 2 UC schools who haven't asked for secondaries but haven't rejected me neither (although I'm expecting it) AND 2 UC that have completed applications but no word about interviews... I'm guessing that UCs will cont to invite for interviews past Feb. but what about other schools?

I'm not from CA, but I've seen a ton of posts on SDN indicating that the UCs are very different from most other schools. They are incredibly slow about giving out secondaries and interviews; I've read posts here by students who got interview invites as late as April, and were admitted. But don't take that as any indication of how other schools do things.

As for when a school stops issuing invites, the only sure way to know is to ask them. Different schools seem to fill up their slots much earlier than others. For example, I got an invite for Rosalind Franklin on 1/8, and the interview date is 1/27. But when SUNY Upstate invited me in late October, the earliest available date was 2/25!

As to the schools on your list, I only have specific knowledge of two: MCW and NYMC. I've seen posts by people who've received MCW invites recently, and the invite itself is explicit that their class is already full and the interview is only for the waitlist. NYMC, on the other hand, interviews through April (although their slots filled up before Christmas, and you have to wait for a cancellation to get a date if they invite you now). However, their interviews are not for the waitlist, but for real, live places in the class.

 

[Bahadur]

but what about other schools?

St Louis Medical College?
Temple?

Those two interviewed until March/April of last year. SLU is also a little bit different because they offer regional interviews a few days to each geographic location (in CA and one other state that i forgot... maybe more i'm not sure).

 

[muggle911]

If you write the letter to the dean of the school, do you send it to the dean's email (or snailmail eitherway) or should you just send it to the general admissions email?

 

[fuzzywuz]

Is it acceptable/appropriate to mention my acceptances to other schools in my letter of interests?

I really want to show them I'm serious about them despite my other acceptances. I got this advice from a doc who reads apps for the committee. But she gave that advice with the misunderstanding that I was going to write a letter of intent.

ideas?

 

[muggle911]

Is it acceptable/appropriate to mention my acceptances to other schools in my letter of interests?

I really want to show them I'm serious about them despite my other acceptances. I got this advice from a doc who reads apps for the committee. But she gave that advice with the misunderstanding that I was going to write a letter of intent.

ideas?

there are +/- to doing this. Positive = you don't want to come off desperate in your letter so telling them you have other acceptances makes you look appealing. Negative = the school might think that you are less likely to chose them over the other schools where you have been accepted.

 

[muggle911]

If you write the letter to the dean of the school, do you send it to the dean's email (or snailmail eitherway) or should you just send it to the general admissions email?

could someone help me with this please?

thanks

 

[chad5871]

could someone help me with this please?

thanks

I sent my letter of intent to the Dean's email with a CC to the general admissions email. I also sent a physical copy of the letter to the Dean c/o the admissions mailing address. Probably overkill, but this way I can be sure they get my letter and it gets placed in my file.

 

[muggle911]

thanks chad!

 

[dreamer9]

do you think it's overkill to write a letter of intent after a recent interview if you've already written a letter of interest pre-interview?

 

[fuzzywuz]

do you think it's overkill to write a letter of intent after a recent interview if you've already written a letter of interest pre-interview?

Absolutely not. Especially since its post-interview.

 

[dreamer9]

Absolutely not. Especially since its post-interview.

Thanks for the reply! Should I touch upon some of the same points I mentioned in my LoInterest or do you think that will be too repetitive? I was also wondering how powerful a Letter of Intent is if you're writing to a pretty high ranked school. Do you it comes off as being a tad arrogant or I am just reading wayyyy into all of this?

 

[dreamer9]

Absolutely not. Especially since its post-interview.

Thanks for the reply! Should I touch upon some of the same points I mentioned in my LoInterest or do you think that will be too repetitive? I was also wondering how powerful a Letter of Intent is if you're writing to a pretty high ranked school. Do you it comes off as being a tad arrogant or I am just reading wayyyy into all of this?

 

[chad5871]

Thanks for the reply! Should I touch upon some of the same points I mentioned in my LoInterest or do you think that will be too repetitive? I was also wondering how powerful a Letter of Intent is if you're writing to a pretty high ranked school. Do you it comes off as being a tad arrogant or I am just reading wayyyy into all of this?

I would try to talk about things you noticed on your interview day that are more of a "feel" thing rather than factual information. You can also mention stuff that was in your previous letter but word it differently or approach it from a different angle. Also, make sure to convince them that you are a perfect fit for their program and that having you as a student would be a benefit to them.

Also, it's not arrogant at all to say "If I'm accepted to your school, I will attend."

 

[Druzie]

The only thing I've seen about length is that it should be about a page. But if it's a combine update and letter of interest, how can I possibly make it fit on one page?!!!!!

 

[skiqueen]

The only thing I've seen about length is that it should be about a page. But if it's a combine update and letter of interest, how can I possibly make it fit on one page?!!!!!

I think its ok if it goes a little over a page. One of mine did. Still, I would hesitate to send anything longer than a page and a half single spaced. If its much longer you run the risk of them not reading it carefully, skimming over it, and basically your main points will lose their punch. I think it really is best to be as concise and clear as possible both about your interest in the school and especially about your updates. Good luck!

 

[Druzie]

I think its ok if it goes a little over a page. One of mine did. Still, I would hesitate to send anything longer than a page and a half single spaced. If its much longer you run the risk of them not reading it carefully, skimming over it, and basically your main points will lose their punch. I think it really is best to be as concise and clear as possible both about your interest in the school and especially about your updates. Good luck!

Yes, this was my feeling also. *sigh* I'll keep hacking away at it...

 

[chad5871]

My LOI was a page and half, but that's only because of the typical business letter stuff (return address, date, recipents name/address, etc.). It was probably one page worth of text.

 

[muggle911]

Is it okay to send a letter of interest pre-interview and then another one post-interview?
(I don't want to send a letter of intent b/c I don't have a clear first choice yet since I'm still interviewing).

 

[Nafis64]

When you send an update letter to the Dean, can you just say Dean of Admissions or you must know their name? Also, is it fine to just say Dear Admissions Committee?

 

[PhiAlpha]

Post being waitlisted, I would like to write a combined update letter / letter of interest to a school. Does it make sense just to write to the dean or also to my interviewers. Or should I send the same letter to each interviewer and the dean. Or should I address, the dean and my two interviewers in the same letter and send them all a copy. Or should I send each an individual letter?

Thanks

 

[Mitalie]

Do you all think its a good idea to drop the letter of interest when I have my interview next week with them? I was thinking since I am there already..can I just drop it off personally at the admissions office? I love this school already and want to hand in my letter of interest to them personally..do you guys think its a good idea?

 

[DAPI]

Do you all think its a good idea to drop the letter of interest when I have my interview next week with them? I was thinking since I am there already..can I just drop it off personally at the admissions office? I love this school already and want to hand in my letter of interest to them personally..do you guys think its a good idea?

No need to give them a letter if you already have an interview invite. Save the letter incase you get waitlisted.

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile.

 

[cwrig14]

Bringing this thread back....
I was told my a receptionist that I should email my update letter. What I forgot to ask, was if I should put the letter in the body of the email or attach it in a word document.
I use pages and although I can save the letter as a .doc, I find it likely the formatting may become altered.
Thoughts?

 

[MinneSnowta]

Bringing this thread back....
I was told my a receptionist that I should email my update letter. What I forgot to ask, was if I should put the letter in the body of the email or attach it in a word document.
I use pages and although I can save the letter as a .doc, I find it likely the formatting may become altered.
Thoughts?

I would just send it as a PDF attachment. Looks much more professional IMO

 

[cwrig14]

I would just send it as a PDF attachment. Looks much more professional IMO

Sounds like a good idea. Thank you for the response