update letter and letter of intent

[c33]

For the school i'm waitlistd at, I want to send them a letter of intent as well as an update on what i've been doing since the interview (research), plus a letter of rec from the PI of the research lab. should i send the letter of intent and the update letter separately in two letters in two envelopes, two letters but in one envelope, or put both in the same letter?

thanks for any advice.

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[Doctora Foxy]

I've been wondering the same thing myself. I think I'm putting it all together. I'm starting w/ a paragraph saying how much i like the school and the letter of ntent stuff, and then i'll update my new activities. Sound ok? I just bought nice resume-type paper too, to make it look professional.

 

[matthew0126]

sounds like a good plan, foxy

i'm thinking of doing something similar. it is kind of distressing to have to prove myself on paper again tho

 

[Doctora Foxy]

yeah me too...I was supposed to do it last week and I keep putting itoff b/c it makes me nervous

 

[ValleyGal]

I disagree - you should send them all seperately. The more times they have to pull your file and the more times you can call to check that they go the letters the better.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

well, it's a weird situation for me. I had to write a letter saying I would accept my spot on the waitlist, so in that letter I said it was absolutely my first choice and I listed a few reasons why. So on the new letter, I think I'll just summarize that and add new activities.

But how long can the letter be? Mine might go over a page, is that ok?

and Valleygal, you might be right about that. The thing is, I want everything to get there ASAP, so if I wait to send my next letter, it could be too late. I'll send another letter in early June to tell them about my summer volunteer experience....but by then it's pretty unlikely I would get in.. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" />

 

[Patiently Waiting]

Dra Foxy,

I wouldn't recommend the length of your letter to be more than a page. Make it concise and to the point. I doubt the Adcoms wanna read the stuff more than necessary.

I second Valleygirl's logic. The more they have to pull your file to put new info in, the more they will be seeing your file and perhaps remembering it. Having said this, I should start working on the letter of intent for my top choice school. What should I put in this letter aside from its being my number 1 choice, etc? I've already sent an update letter so updating of my current activities will make it very redundant.

 

[ValleyGal]

Cool, sounds like a good plan. Just to let you know, the letter about updating your summer volunteer experience probably won't do any good. I asked my advisor if I should do anything this summer because I wanted to get off waitlists, and she said to sit on my ass because adcoms don't care. the only purpose in sending the letter would be to keep them thinking of you!

 

[Doctora Foxy]

Patiently Waiting: Use specific examples (maybe from interview day) about what you loved so much about the school. Try to prove it's your first choice.

Valleygal: I plan to volunteer anyway, so I would just be using the letter as an excuse to remind them how much I love them.

 

[brickmanli]

I wouldn't flood them with letters though, you could piss off the secretary.

Another question: is it best to send the letters closest to May 15 so they'll remember you?

Yet another question: are you sending the same exact letter to both the dean of admissions and your interviewers?

 

[Doctora Foxy]

I think the best time to send it is right now, don't wait til May 15th b/c waitlists can start to move before then.

And I wasn't planning on sending anything to my interviewer, but if you do, don't send the same letter, since they could both end up in your file and that would look weird.

 

[hrtsurgeon2b]

I was just wondering which schools you guys are writting the letter of intent for?

 

[Clarissa]

I didn't send a letter of intent to any schools, but after my interview, in the Spring, I sent two page letters reasserting my interest and updating my application. It worked-- all the schools I wrote them to accepted me. I think as long as you have something to say, it's okay to go over 2 pages. Remember, however, to make the letters as individualized to each school as possible. Also, make sure that it's written as well as possible. These letters are just like the essays that you wrote for AMCAS!

C

 

[lyle]

which schools are you talking about, clarissa, if you don't mind my asking?

thanks!

 

[Doctora Foxy]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by hrtsurgeon2b:
•I was just wondering which schools you guys are writting the letter of intent for?•••••Letter of intent to University of Florida

and yes Clarissa, I'm really interested in knowing what schools those were too! What exactly did you write? Do you think you would have been accepted anyway? And were you on the waitlist, or was it just after interviewing?

Thanks

 

[GATC]

Dr. Foxy, I thought that you had been admitted to a medical school already. Weren't you happy?
As far as sending them more info, I wouldn't send them anything over a page.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

Of course I'm happy, but I'd be happier at a school close to my boyfriend, family, or relatives (ie BU, GW, Temple, or UF). I'm excited to go to CMS, but it's really far from my loved ones.

 

[C U in MD school]

hey everyone,
let me jump in here. i dont think your letter of intent should bee too long and it shouldnt have other info about your application. it should be short (so that they actually read it) and to the point; that you will go there if they take you. if the letter goes on about all the new things you have done since your interview then it may not seem like a letter of intent. i think that's the best thing to do, oh and mail it to only one school.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by C U in MD school:
•hey everyone,
let me jump in here. i dont think your letter of intent should bee too long and it shouldnt have other info about your application. it should be short (so that they actually read it) and to the point; that you will go there if they take you. if the letter goes on about all the new things you have done since your interview then it may not seem like a letter of intent. i think that's the best thing to do, oh and mail it to only one school.•••••So do you think I should write two separate letters? Can I mail them together?

 

[Clarissa]

To answer your questions, I wrote them to Penn, Hopkins, and Harvard. Basically, in the letters, I didn't repeat any of the information that I had previously submitted. Instead, I talked about my senior thesis, my new role in organizing an event on campus, and a new project I had started to help kids. In the last paragraph, I told them about how I felt about the school. The letters ended up being between one and a quarter to one and three-quarters pages.

Good luck!

C