LOI prior to interview invites?

[medmedman]

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Does a letter of interest really do anything for getting an interview? I'm a NY resident and none of my NY med schools have invited me for an interview (so much for some resident-love). I've gotten a few interviews else where but I obviously would love to stay in NY.

Anyway, I want to send a few LOI but im unsure if it will actually do anything or just annoy them that they have something else to read which doesnt carry any value to begin with...

 

[darkjedi]

Does a letter of interest really do anything for getting an interview? I'm a NY resident and none of my NY med schools have invited me for an interview (so much for some resident-love). I've gotten a few interviews else where but I obviously would love to stay in NY.

Anyway, I want to send a few LOI but im unsure if it will actually do anything or just annoy them that they have something else to read which doesnt carry any value to begin with...

You have nothing to lose at this point and you will definitely not annoy them. If you are genuinely interested in a school it can only help your application by laying out exactly how and why you can make a good fit for the school.

If your application was borderline, it may just throw your application over the edge.

 

[Irish Football]

I've sent several pre-interview LOI/Update Letters to schools, and then a second batch of update letters to a select few. Not one has led to an interview invite for me. Still nothing but silence.

 

[cinamin]

Try it..just make sure you write them well. I sent in a bunch of updates/LOI letters and got two interviews out of them. Hoping for more! I would say only send one to each school (rather than multiple) unless you have significant updates from the past letter.

 

[darkjedi]

to counterbalance irishfootballs experience, I attribute 3 of my 5 interviews directly to a letter of update. some schools are more susceptible than others, sometimes all it takes for someone to give you a chance is a couple more seconds of reviewing your app.

 

[Irish Football]

to counterbalance irishfootballs experience, I attribute 3 of my 5 interviews directly to a letter of update. some schools are more susceptible than others, sometimes all it takes for someone to give you a chance is a couple more seconds of reviewing your app.

😡

 

[MedPR]

I'm regretting not sending one sooner but I'll be sending one this week.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[TheShaker]

Do you guys think the window of time may be closing within the coming weeks? I mean, most schools are wrapping up their interview seasons and a pre-interview LOI will be somewhat useless if it's not sent within a few weeks from now. I ask because I have a few experiences anticipated in the next month that I want to include in the letter but I think it might be too late by then so I'm trying to decide if I should send a lighter LOI without those experiences. 🙁

 

[cinamin]

Do you guys think the window of time may be closing within the coming weeks? I mean, most schools are wrapping up their interview seasons and a pre-interview LOI will be somewhat useless if it's not sent within a few weeks from now. I ask because I have a few experiences anticipated in the next month that I want to include in the letter but I think it might be too late by then so I'm trying to decide if I should send a lighter LOI without those experiences. 🙁

I would do it now as next month may be too late for some schools and it's hard to say which schools stop sending out invites when, so be on the safe side and perhaps send a lighter one now... include grades if you took classes last semester.

 

[Tulkas]

Do you guys think the window of time may be closing within the coming weeks? I mean, most schools are wrapping up their interview seasons and a pre-interview LOI will be somewhat useless if it's not sent within a few weeks from now. I ask because I have a few experiences anticipated in the next month that I want to include in the letter but I think it might be too late by then so I'm trying to decide if I should send a lighter LOI without those experiences. 🙁

Or, you could mention that in the upcoming month you will be doing so and so. I did something similar with the update letter I sent out a few weeks back.

 

[darkjedi]

😡

Ah, I'm sorry Irish Football, I didn't mean it as a slight. Aren't you accepted somewhere already?

Do you guys think the window of time may be closing within the coming weeks? I mean, most schools are wrapping up their interview seasons and a pre-interview LOI will be somewhat useless if it's not sent within a few weeks from now. I ask because I have a few experiences anticipated in the next month that I want to include in the letter but I think it might be too late by then so I'm trying to decide if I should send a lighter LOI without those experiences. 🙁

Highly variable on the school. Some schools have already ended interviews, while others will interview well into March and April. At this point however, if you submitted your application early and still have not heard back, it probably won't hurt you to send an update to remind them your application is still in the mix.

 

[matanpucla]

to counterbalance irishfootballs experience, I attribute 3 of my 5 interviews directly to a letter of update. some schools are more susceptible than others, sometimes all it takes for someone to give you a chance is a couple more seconds of reviewing your app.

congrats on those IIs darkjedi. would u mind sharing which of those places gave u IIs? if you'd rather not its cool, no worries.

 

[Claudin]

congrats on those IIs darkjedi. would u mind sharing which of those places gave u IIs? if you'd rather not its cool, no worries.

Check out his mdapps. He has a beast MCAT score!

 

[darkjedi]

congrats on those IIs darkjedi. would u mind sharing which of those places gave u IIs? if you'd rather not its cool, no worries.

Penn, Chicago and Jeff gave me interviews within a week of submitting a letter of update/interest. Penn and Jeff gave me interviews the same day.

 

[writergirl333]

is there a point in sending a letter of interest if you have nothing spectacular to update?

 

[nabilesmail]

I sent LOI to both Jeff and UCI a few days ago and nothing, ;/

 

[MedPR]

is there a point in sending a letter of interest if you have nothing spectacular to update?

If you can convince them you are legitimately interested, it can't hurt.

 

[Claudin]

Penn, Chicago and Jeff gave me interviews within a week of submitting a letter of update/interest. Penn and Jeff gave me interviews the same day.

Did they send an email back in response to the letter or did they just send you an II right away? I submitted one on Tuesday, but they havent responded. Maybe I'm just anxious

 

[gyngyn]

Be sure to check the school's website to see if they indicate receptivity to such letters. They have no value where I work and will be detrimental if you are specifically instructed NOT to send them.

 

[wanderedtoolong]

Check out his mdapps. He has a beast MCAT score!

same mcat score- LOIs to both of those philly schools, no response.

results may vary. . .

 

[Claudin]

same mcat score- LOIs to both of those philly schools, no response.

results may vary. . .

When did you send the letter to Jefferson? Did they reply at all?

 

[darkjedi]

Did they send an email back in response to the letter or did they just send you an II right away? I submitted one on Tuesday, but they havent responded. Maybe I'm just anxious

For Chicago, they sent me a confirmation of receipt and then a week or so later I received an interview invite. Because my postbac class had heard adcom members from both Penn and Jeff talk, I reached out to those speakers directly with a letter/questions. That was likely the only reason they got back to me so fast.

 

[PDXJen]

I think the LOI works! I sent one to my top choice (OHSU) mid-December and just got an II.

 

[wanderedtoolong]

When did you send the letter to Jefferson? Did they reply at all?

November and no.

 

[TheShaker]

This seems like the most appropriate thread to ask this. Is it ok if I just save my LOI in a PDF file and email it?

 

[MD2017done]

.

 

[gyngyn]

It worked at 2 schools that gave me interviews (1 was a top 20). IF A SCHOOL ACCEPTS THEM, then what have you got to lose?

Nothing, as long as the school wants them. Otherwise, they indicate an inability to follow instructions and will cause your file to be sorted accordingly.

 

[matanpucla]

Nothing, as long as the school wants them. Otherwise, they indicate an inability to follow instructions and will cause your file to be sorted accordingly.

if i cant find anything in the schools website about LOIs, would you say its safe to assume sending one won't hurt?

 

[Claudin]

if i cant find anything in the schools website about LOIs, would you say its safe to assume sending one won't hurt?

Double check with SDN and admissions