Sending letters asking to be interviewed or asking for a 2ndary app?

[uphillBattle]

In case certain schools haven't sent you an interview invite after you submitted the secondary application which one of the following are acceptable:

1. Send an email of interest to the admissions contact link stating concisely why you're interested in that school and requesting info about status?
2. Send an email of interest to the Dean (if listed)

Q: Is there a certain time period when these should be sent?

In case certain schools haven't sent a secondary application (without stating that you didn't pass their screen or whatnot), is the following acceptable?

1. Send an email of interest to the AdCom stating that you're interested and all that?

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[ace12345]

I'm not an expert, but I have spoken with expert that have told me sending pre-interview LOIs is not a great idea. Sending pre-secondary or even to the dean is probably a really bad idea. Not trying to be mean, just passing on information.

 

[MedMinded]

I'm not an expert, but I have spoken with expert that have told me sending pre-interview LOIs is not a great idea. Sending pre-secondary or even to the dean is probably a really bad idea. Not trying to be mean, just passing on information.

I've heard the same.

 

[Ismet]

Absolutely do not send an email directly to the dean. Not sure if this accounts for every school, but the dean usually isn't involved much in the admissions process. At best, your letter/email would just be forwarded to the admissions committee. At absolute worst, you're seen as annoying and entitled and your application goes in the trash.

Don't send anything before receiving a secondary. If you don't pass their first screen for whatever reason, a letter stating your interest in their school won't change their mind. If you really want to send something, you can send a brief letter of interest after your interview, but it really doesn't mean anything except for a small number of schools that apparently like to receive LOIs.

 

[Goro]

LOIs are routinely ignored.

In case certain schools haven't sent you an interview invite after you submitted the secondary application which one of the following are acceptable:

1. Send an email of interest to the admissions contact link stating concisely why you're interested in that school and requesting info about status?
2. Send an email of interest to the Dean (if listed)

Q: Is there a certain time period when these should be sent?

If you didn't make it past their secondary screen, and you did something like this, you probably get an immediate rejection letter for being either completely clueless or entitled. However, a large donation check would get generate some interest.

In case certain schools haven't sent a secondary application (without stating that you didn't pass their screen or whatnot), is the following acceptable?

1. Send an email of interest to the AdCom stating that you're interested and all that?

 

[deleted382095]

In case certain schools haven't sent you an interview invite after you submitted the secondary application which one of the following are acceptable:

1. Send an email of interest to the admissions contact link stating concisely why you're interested in that school and requesting info about status?
2. Send an email of interest to the Dean (if listed)

Q: Is there a certain time period when these should be sent?

In case certain schools haven't sent a secondary application (without stating that you didn't pass their screen or whatnot), is the following acceptable?

1. Send an email of interest to the AdCom stating that you're interested and all that?

A prospective student sent an email to my departmental chair asking for a volunteering opportunity after he got rejected from multiple labs. The chair forwarded the email to every single faculty in the department, and my professor was forced to take the student in out of peer pressure; my professor was very annoyed by this because he already told the student no the first time.

Long story short, the student only volunteered for about 2 weeks before he decided to quit. He is now officially on the unofficial blacklist.

 

[uphillBattle]

I'm not an expert, but I have spoken with expert that have told me sending pre-interview LOIs is not a great idea. Sending pre-secondary or even to the dean is probably a really bad idea. Not trying to be mean, just passing on information.

That's odd. There is a section in the sdn 2013-2014 application page where they have a template for an email requesting a status update before the interview basically stating that the applicant is really interested in the interview.

Absolutely do not send an email directly to the dean. Not sure if this accounts for every school, but the dean usually isn't involved much in the admissions process. At best, your letter/email would just be forwarded to the admissions committee. At absolute worst, you're seen as annoying and entitled and your application goes in the trash.

Don't send anything before receiving a secondary. If you don't pass their first screen for whatever reason, a letter stating your interest in their school won't change their mind. If you really want to send something, you can send a brief letter of interest after your interview, but it really doesn't mean anything except for a small number of schools that apparently like to receive LOIs.

What about after a secondary but before interview?

A prospective student sent an email to my departmental chair asking for a volunteering opportunity after he got rejected from multiple labs. The chair forwarded the email to every single faculty in the department, and my professor was forced to take the student in out of peer pressure; my professor was very annoyed by this because he already told the student no the first time.

Long story short, the student only volunteered for about 2 weeks before he decided to quit. He is now officially on the unofficial blacklist.

Well in this situation, I didn't get outright rejected. For the schools where I didn't get a secondary, I was planning on sending a 'interested in applying' email. For the schools where I got a secondary but didn't get an interview, I was planning on sending a 'interested in interviewing' email.

After interview involves other letters which I'm not referring to here. For the two above situations, what would you recommend?

 

[Goro]

Wow, you're just not getting it, are you? Tell you what, send that letter to the Dean, Provost and Chancellor of the University. That will probably generate some movement.

Well in this situation, I didn't get outright rejected. For the schools where I didn't get a secondary, I was planning on sending a 'interested in applying' email. For the schools where I got a secondary but didn't get an interview, I was planning on sending a 'interested in interviewing' email.

After interview involves other letters which I'm not referring to here. For the two above situations, what would you recommend?[/quote]

 

[uphillBattle]

Wow, you're just not getting it, are you? Tell you what, send that letter to the Dean, Provost and Chancellor of the University. That will probably generate some movement.

Well in this situation, I didn't get outright rejected. For the schools where I didn't get a secondary, I was planning on sending a 'interested in applying' email. For the schools where I got a secondary but didn't get an interview, I was planning on sending a 'interested in interviewing' email.

After interview involves other letters which I'm not referring to here. For the two above situations, what would you recommend?

[/quote]


I just wanted his input on the same question. Based upon the responses, I think I'll hold off on sending any emails requesting interviews or secondaries.

 

[uphillBattle]

Wow, you're just not getting it, are you? Tell you what, send that letter to the Dean, Provost and Chancellor of the University. That will probably generate some movement.

Well in this situation, I didn't get outright rejected. For the schools where I didn't get a secondary, I was planning on sending a 'interested in applying' email. For the schools where I got a secondary but didn't get an interview, I was planning on sending a 'interested in interviewing' email.

After interview involves other letters which I'm not referring to here. For the two above situations, what would you recommend?

[/quote]

Also meant to the AdCom not the dean or anybody like that.

 

[Mad Jack]

Into the trash it goes...

 

[Escape_Goat]

I think the exception to the pre-secondary letter would be in situations where the applicant was pre-screened for undergrad GPA but completed a post-bacc or SMP successfully. In those instances, their cumulative GPA may still be <3.0, which may cull them from the pool initially, but completion of a PB it SMP may earn them reconsideration.

 

[uphillBattle]

I think the exception to the pre-secondary letter would be in situations where the applicant was pre-screened for undergrad GPA but completed a post-bacc or SMP successfully. In those instances, their cumulative GPA may still be <3.0, which may cull them from the pool initially, but completion of a PB it SMP may earn them reconsideration.

Essentially what you're saying is after the initial screen, if the person completed a PB/SMP successfully, then sending an update letter with their final GPA might work. Yea, that would be a different situation from my scenario because none of my GPAs are below a 3.0 and I haven't yet received my Fall 2013 grades but it makes sense.

 

[Ismet]

I think the exception to the pre-secondary letter would be in situations where the applicant was pre-screened for undergrad GPA but completed a post-bacc or SMP successfully. In those instances, their cumulative GPA may still be <3.0, which may cull them from the pool initially, but completion of a PB it SMP may earn them reconsideration.

grad school/postbacc GPAs are reported separately.

 

[Escape_Goat]

grad school/postbacc GPAs are reported separately.

Yes they are. But you can still be screened initially because of your uGPA. A letter or email is usually enough to get you a secondary though.