OFFICIAL Letter of Intent/Letter of Interest Tips

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Just wanted to say a quick thank you to all the contributors for this particular question. I have been debating about doing a LOI for my top school and after reading the advice on here, I will be sending mine tomorrow! Thanks again.
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Sorry to bump an ancient thread, but I have a question:

Would it be a bad idea to send a LOI to 2 schools that I am waitlisted at? Is it possible that they will find out?
 
somekindof said:
Sorry to bump an ancient thread, but I have a question:

Would it be a bad idea to send a LOI to 2 schools that I am waitlisted at? Is it possible that they will find out?
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Depends on whether you're talking about a letter of intent or a letter of interest. It's perfectly legitimate to write to both schools explaining how much you love the school and letting them know that those schools are still top choices for you.

You really shouldn't write letters of intent to both (i.e. telling both schools that you intend to matriculate if accepted). A letter of intent isn't legally binding but the general consensus around here seems to be that it's kind of a douche move to send letters of intent to multiple schools or to a school where you don't plan to matriculate.
 
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I would matriculate to either school if accepted, but I do favor one over the other
 
hi all,

if we have a clear top choice, would it be better to send a letter of intent to them earlier, i.e. decision pending phase after interview, or after we are potentially waitlisted? would doing the latter help us during the re-evaluation process (assuming there is one)?

a BIG thanks for any input :)
 
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smashweights said:
sent out LOI to the deans of admission. wait list ranking wise, it's unlikely i'd be accepted this year so getting in this year will certainly validate the LOI. keep you all posted.

edit: sent a copy to the dean of the med school under the "can't hurt anything" recommendation of my premed advisor, though she didnt feel he has a lot to do with the admissions process.
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Did you get into this school?
 
question. I was waitlisted in like november, and have sent about multiple updates (one intent, an interests and updates) at the rate of every 4-6 weeks. The school happens to be one where sending lots of updates theoretically helps, and they supposedly like it.

But I feel like I'm out of things to say. Each letter was fairly comprehensive and putting most of my cards right on the table, so i am kind of at a loss as to what to keep writing. Anyone have a similar dilemma? On the one hand I feel I have said all I can say, and I should just be patient, but on the other hand I don't want the school to think I've become disinterested, and I want my name fresh in their heads.
 
patel2 said:
question. I was waitlisted in like november, and have sent about multiple updates (one intent, an interests and updates) at the rate of every 4-6 weeks. The school happens to be one where sending lots of updates theoretically helps, and they supposedly like it.

But I feel like I'm out of things to say. Each letter was fairly comprehensive and putting most of my cards right on the table, so i am kind of at a loss as to what to keep writing. Anyone have a similar dilemma? On the one hand I feel I have said all I can say, and I should just be patient, but on the other hand I don't want the school to think I've become disinterested, and I want my name fresh in their heads.
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Personally I did this last year and ran out of things to say. If you want, you can send another letter of intent further elaborating your desire to attend their institution of higher learning nearing the mid may deadline. That way, they potentially have spots to offer.
 
I want to write a letter of intent to a school. Is it wise to include that I can really only remain waitlisted until a particular date? The school in question starts in mid August but I would have to leave town in early July to start classes at the next best place where I currently have an acceptance.
 
patel2 said:
question. I was waitlisted in like november, and have sent about multiple updates (one intent, an interests and updates) at the rate of every 4-6 weeks. The school happens to be one where sending lots of updates theoretically helps, and they supposedly like it.

But I feel like I'm out of things to say. Each letter was fairly comprehensive and putting most of my cards right on the table, so i am kind of at a loss as to what to keep writing. Anyone have a similar dilemma? On the one hand I feel I have said all I can say, and I should just be patient, but on the other hand I don't want the school to think I've become disinterested, and I want my name fresh in their heads.
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I'm in the same situation. I've run out of stuff to say since end of February, so I haven't talked to them since...but in a week or so I'm going to send a letter of intent reminding them that I'm still interested. Then I'm going to call a week or so after the May 15th deadline (if not accepted yet) and see how the waitlist is moving etc.
 
I don't think I saw this particular scenario, so I'll just ask it.

What if I did sent a letter of intent (you are my absolute top choice) to one school sometime previously, but now I know I will be rejected (ok, let's just say I am rejected).. can I now send a letter of intent to my 2nd choice, which is now my top choice?? I really want to do this, and May 15 is coming up, so I don't know. AND I've already sent my 2nd choice 3 update letters/letters of interest before this.. one in December, March, and April. tankyuu
 
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aredotwice said:
I don't think I saw this particular scenario, so I'll just ask it.

What if I did sent a letter of intent (you are my absolute top choice) to one school sometime previously, but now I know I will be rejected (ok, let's just say I am rejected).. can I now send a letter of intent to my 2nd choice, which is now my top choice?? I really want to do this, and May 15 is coming up, so I don't know. AND I've already sent my 2nd choice 3 update letters/letters of interest before this.. one in December, March, and April. tankyuu
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yes, you can. There are no rules or binding nature to LOIs, and they do not represent any moral obligation to attend if accepted, in the eyes of adcoms either. Your intent can change from one day to another, adcoms realize this, they don't care, and it's part of the reason any letter is viewed no differently than just a show of interest in the school (which may or may not help)
 
Hi, what are everyone's thoughts on sending a letter of interest prior to getting an interview? What should I say in the e-mail?

And should I send it to the admissions office, or the director of admissions? I ask this because if I just sent it to the regular office e-mail, it may be read by the secretary and might not make much of a difference.

Also are there any schools that may not like a letter like this? I know that Albany doesn't accept any follow up letters or updates, so I won't be sending them anything.

Thanks for your help!
 
Smiths11 said:
Hi, what are everyone's thoughts on sending a letter of interest prior to getting an interview? What should I say in the e-mail?

And should I send it to the admissions office, or the director of admissions? I ask this because if I just sent it to the regular office e-mail, it may be read by the secretary and might not make much of a difference.

Also are there any schools that may not like a letter like this? I know that Albany doesn't accept any follow up letters or updates, so I won't be sending them anything.

Thanks for your help!
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Most schools won't accept pre-interview updates.
 
Slack3r said:
Most schools won't accept pre-interview updates.
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Actually I started research after finishing my secondaries, and updated all of my schools with the information. All of them, except Albany, accepted it.

If you meant most schools won't accept pre-interview "letters of interest", then thats a different story.
 
is it too early in the season to send a letter of intent? i interviewed last week at a school and i am certain that's where i want to end up and start my career and i've drafted a letter of intent already. but as i was about to send it i got a little cold feet and was worried that it'd be taken as insincere because it is SO early in the application cycle still. any opinions?
 
citrusguy2010 said:
is it too early in the season to send a letter of intent? i interviewed last week at a school and i am certain that's where i want to end up and start my career and i've drafted a letter of intent already. but as i was about to send it i got a little cold feet and was worried that it'd be taken as insincere because it is SO early in the application cycle still. any opinions?
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Bump. I, too, just got WL'd to a school that was pretty high on my list (not going to say top choice because it's really early, but definitely top 3). Would it be better to just write a letter of interest stating that I am still interested in the school? I sent thank you letters about 10 days after my interview (I made a trip out of 2 interviews, so didn't get home for a week), and I'm not even sure if they got my thank you letters before the decision, which basically talked about what I liked during the day and thanked them for their time.

I also don't have any updates to send since it's only been about 3 weeks since I interviewed and not much has happened (I'm not in school anymore, so no grades either). Any tips?
 
Hey All,

I finished interviewing at my top choice school going into this admissions process and the school is still my top choice. Would it be advisable to write a letter of intent immediately after interviewing?

Also, this may seem like a naive question, but to whom do we send the letter of intent? Dean of admissions or someone else in the admissions department?

Thanks for any advice.
 
I have similar question to the above posters about the timing of the LOI. I was interviewed at this one school in NY about 3 weeks ago and I really liked the school. It has become my number 1 OOS school and they even said at the interview that they are receptive to LOI. Is it too early to write to them?
 
FattySlug said:
I have similar question to the above posters about the timing of the LOI. I was interviewed at this one school in NY about 3 weeks ago and I really liked the school. It has become my number 1 OOS school and they even said at the interview that they are receptive to LOI. Is it too early to write to them?
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input on this question would be much appreciated.

for example, if i interviewed at a school today that I really enjoyed, how long should I wait before sending a letter of interest? Should I combine this letter of interest with an update of things I have been doing since submitting my primary?

If I wait longer, I will have more substantial information to add, like 1st semester grades, but then again, I could always just write a second letter later on with this information.

In a similar scenario, say I am waitlisted at a particular school today. Should I write back immediately or wait a month or two when they might actually be offering more positions.

thoughts?
 
Hi everyone - This question sort of came up, but not quite sure if an answer/opinion was given. I submitted my secondaries a bit late to a couple of schools I applied to, but recently decided that one of them is a top choice after learning more about the school. It's only been a few weeks since my application has been on the "completed" status, perhaps 6 weeks and I haven't heard anything yet. No rejection, no interview invitation.

So my question is: Has anyone written a letter of interest/intent to a school pre-interview? I plan on calling the Admissions office soon, but I'm curious if others have done this, or if anyone knows if this is acceptable.
 
would writing several letters of intent for a competitive advantage to, for example your top 5 schools, be considered dishonest? what could the ramifications be? being that med schools basically cherry pick on a whim from students who poured their life's dreams into an application, theres no harm in trying to level the playing field right? ;)
 
I'd say it's all in the wording of the letter. If you say that you are highly interested and describe why the school is among your top choices then it should be OK to send multiple letters. However if in every one of your letters you say that if you are accepted you guarantee you will attend, that may not be viewed kindly if you get multiple acceptances.

The key is to make a promise to attend to only one school while expressing interest in all the others.
 
iggs99988 said:
would writing several letters of intent for a competitive advantage to, for example your top 5 schools, be considered dishonest? what could the ramifications be? being that med schools basically cherry pick on a whim from students who poured their life's dreams into an application, theres no harm in trying to level the playing field right? ;)
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I think the general consensus is that this should not be done. There was a thread where someone posted about this kind of strategy backfiring (admissions people at two top schools spoke to each other), and it wasn't the only time.

Plus, if you did this, everyone else would do it too, and hence the letters would become meaningless.
 
bbessa1 said:
Hi everyone - This question sort of came up, but not quite sure if an answer/opinion was given. I submitted my secondaries a bit late to a couple of schools I applied to, but recently decided that one of them is a top choice after learning more about the school. It's only been a few weeks since my application has been on the "completed" status, perhaps 6 weeks and I haven't heard anything yet. No rejection, no interview invitation.

So my question is: Has anyone written a letter of interest/intent to a school pre-interview? I plan on calling the Admissions office soon, but I'm curious if others have done this, or if anyone knows if this is acceptable.
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Of four "Letters of Interest" I sent pre-interview, I received 2 interviews, and at least no rejections or anything from the other 2 schools.
 
SellerAl said:
Whats the basis of this statement? I sent Wake a letter last week and got an invite right afterwards.
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I hope this works in my case! {crosses fingers and says a prayer}
 
ialwayslose said:
I think the general consensus is that this should not be done. There was a thread where someone posted about this kind of strategy backfiring (admissions people at two top schools spoke to each other), and it wasn't the only time.

Plus, if you did this, everyone else would do it too, and hence the letters would become meaningless.
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ehh i feel like they would get away with it.
 
danceonskis said:
Of four "Letters of Interest" I sent pre-interview, I received 2 interviews, and at least no rejections or anything from the other 2 schools.
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Really? I recently sent a batch of "Letters of Interest" after my fall grades came out around Christmas time, and so far no new interviews (although no rejections). Hopefully I'll get some "Letters of Interest" luck in the coming days:xf: Note: I sent interest letters not intent letters; you really should only send 1 letter of intent but you definitely can send a bunch of interest letters.
 
robertch8 said:
Really? I recently sent a batch of "Letters of Interest" after my fall grades came out around Christmas time, and so far no new interviews (although no rejections). Hopefully I'll get some "Letters of Interest" luck in the coming days:xf: Note: I sent interest letters not intent letters; you really should only send 1 letter of intent but you definitely can send a bunch of interest letters.
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I sent Letter of Interest as well. I hope things work out for both of us!
 
I recall there being an MDApps page with a sample LOI. Does anyone have a link to it? I need it to see how to format my LOI.
 
Can one do a letter of intent prior to receiving yes/no/maybe from the school?

Or is that the whole point?

Thanks
 
EBTrailRunner said:
I recall there being an MDApps page with a sample LOI. Does anyone have a link to it? I need it to see how to format my LOI.
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It isn't a super big deal. Just write:

Dear So and So

I <3'd your school blah blah blah. This is why I <3'd you blah blah blah. This is why I think I'm a good fit blah blah blah. And thus, I want to emphasize my interest/intent of attending your school if accepted.

Sincerely,

DerpDerpDerp
 
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Are you sending these letters via email or snail mail? Which is more practical for admissions?
 
I sent a letter of interest soon after getting waitlisted at one school in January. However, there is still quite a bit of time until I expect real waitlist movement in May. Should I continue to send letters of interest, say every month? I already sent an update letter, but I'm not sure whether sending multiple letters of interest would help.
 
I got waitlisted at my top choice school and was wondering what steps would be appropriate here. In your opinion, would it be a good idea to send a thank you letter (for waitlist) soon after I received their decision, a letter of intent/update letter in about a month or two, and another letter of intent come May 15? How often should we be in contact with the AdCom? Don't want to be a pest...

Also, is it okay to contact your interviewer to thank them for the decision and let them know that you are still very much interested in the school (and why)?

Thanks for your feedback! It's so nice to know that people are so willing to help each other out on SDN :)
 
In a letter of interest to my first choice school, should I mention that I have acceptances and have had a scholarship interview at another school (without mentioning exactly which ones, though I guess schools can see where you've been accepted starting in April)? I want them to know that other schools really do want me, but I don't want them to question whether or not I will actually attend if accepted.
 
ambergris said:
In a letter of interest to my first choice school, should I mention that I have acceptances and have had a scholarship interview at another school (without mentioning exactly which ones, though I guess schools can see where you've been accepted starting in April)? I want them to know that other schools really do want me, but I don't want them to question whether or not I will actually attend if accepted.
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just think about that one for a second.
 
If I'm going to send an update (summer grades, volunteering/work experience) and a LOI (intent, not interest) to a school post-interview, should I combine the two into one letter? Or just send two emails?
 
does LOI hold more weight after decision or post interview? i'm so confused... = . =
 
MedPR said:
If I'm going to send an update (summer grades, volunteering/work experience) and a LOI (intent, not interest) to a school post-interview, should I combine the two into one letter? Or just send two emails?
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These people have to deal with a high volume of stuff - personally I'd combine them. However, it doesn't hurt to call and ask the admissions office.

wind0angel said:
does LOI hold more weight after decision or post interview? i'm so confused... = . =
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If a decision has already been made then it will have zero impact, obviously. You'll want to send in a LOI post-interview, usually if/when you are waitlisted.
 
tarheel1408 said:
These people have to deal with a high volume of stuff - personally I'd combine them. However, it doesn't hurt to call and ask the admissions office.



If a decision has already been made then it will have zero impact, obviously. You'll want to send in a LOI post-interview, usually if/when you are waitlisted.
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got it! thanks =]
 
How long are your letters of interest/update? Should I keep it to a page?
 
Catalystik said:
Yes.
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I wrote a 7 page paper thoroughly dissecting every reason for my desire to attend. I even formated the LOI as if it were thesis... Should I expect a rejection now?

;)
 
I'm currently on hold at my top choice school post-interview, and a decision will be made regarding my status on January 21st. I'm wondering if it would be better to send a letter of intent right now, or to wait until after they make a decision in case I get waitlisted?
 
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