waitlists without LOI

[curiouslygeorge]

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So what do you all think? Are you less likely to get an acceptance offer form a school to which you have been waitlisted if you never wrote a letter of interest/intent or sent updates?

If a school sees that you have been offered admission to another school (specifically a more highly "ranked" one), do you think that they are more likely to reject you?

Just wondering.

 

[nockamura]

Personally, I don't think LOI's make an ounce of difference. You hear all these stories about how people wrote a LOI and magically got in, but for everyone of those stories there are another 20 people who wrote LOI's and didn't get in.

As far as schools rejecting you because you got in to a higher ranked school, I doubt that has much effect either. Think about it, if you didn't want to go to the lower ranked school, why are you applying there and/or staying on their waitlist? Here's an example: you get accepted to Harvard, but you stay on Tulane's WL. Tulane sees that you got into Harvard and have remained on their WL, therefore, Tulane sees that Harvard is not your number one choice and they might as well send you an acceptance. If Harvard were your top choice, you would have turned down your remaining acceptances and WL spots.

 

[ramblinwreckie]

take a look at the Columbia waitlist thread. that's ridiculous stuff.

 

[fishtacos]

Has anyone, or does anyone know of someone that has gotten off the waitlist without writing a letter of interest?

 

[bostonabe]

Personally, I don't think LOI's make an ounce of difference. You hear all these stories about how people wrote a LOI and magically got in, but for everyone of those stories there are another 20 people who wrote LOI's and didn't get in.

As far as schools rejecting you because you got in to a higher ranked school, I doubt that has much effect either. Think about it, if you didn't want to go to the lower ranked school, why are you applying there and/or staying on their waitlist? Here's an example: you get accepted to Harvard, but you stay on Tulane's WL. Tulane sees that you got into Harvard and have remained on their WL, therefore, Tulane sees that Harvard is not your number one choice and they might as well send you an acceptance. If Harvard were your top choice, you would have turned down your remaining acceptances and WL spots.

I don't think this is true...many students stay on the waiting list just to see what happens, i.e. to adjust their "batting average".

To the OP. It cannot hurt you to write a letter of intent, only help. So you might as well write one, especially if you do have a top choice school.

Admissions offices are busy. They spend a lot of time reviewing candidates. Now think about it from their point-of-view. Their time is important, and they want to be as efficient as possible. If they have many qualified applicants on the waitlist to choose from to fill the class, the best applicants for them are the ones they know won't turn down a spot if it is offered to them. Accepting candidates who don't express strong interest is risky, becuase it might turn out to be wasted effort. Thus I strongly recommend you write a letter to one school telling them how you feel.

 

[eena]

will writing an LOI help even though the school has a ranked waitlist?

I don't think this is true...many students stay on the waiting list just to see what happens, i.e. to adjust their "batting average".

To the OP. It cannot hurt you to write a letter of intent, only help. So you might as well write one, especially if you do have a top choice school.

Admissions offices are busy. They spend a lot of time reviewing candidates. Now think about it from their point-of-view. Their time is important, and they want to be as efficient as possible. If they have many qualified applicants on the waitlist to choose from to fill the class, the best applicants for them are the ones they know won't turn down a spot if it is offered to them. Accepting candidates who don't express strong interest is risky, becuase it might turn out to be wasted effort. Thus I strongly recommend you write a letter to one school telling them how you feel.

 

[nockamura]

Not after they rank you.

 

[lfesiam]

i sent 2 LOI, contacted interviewers, dean of admission, and the last LOI = 1 full page single space...I was one among the first group they took off the waitlist (5/3/05).

 

[del taco]

i sent 2 LOI, contacted interviewers, dean of admission, and the last LOI = 1 full page single space...I was one among the first group they took off the waitlist (5/3/05).

were your interviewers on the admissions committee?

 

[nockamura]

Isn't sending 2 LOI's a faux pas?

 

[Ambs]

Isn't sending 2 LOI's a faux pas?

I don't think so -- so long as you don't say the same thing in both of them (obviously). You can first send in a letter stating your strong interest in the school, what you liked about it, and how you would fit in well with their program. You can follow that up with another LOI stating your continued interest with updates about yourself.

 

[NorCalGirl]

Has anyone, or does anyone know of someone that has gotten off the waitlist without writing a letter of interest?

Yes, this happened to me. I didn't write a LOI after my interview, but I did write one in order to GET the interview. Months and months later, I was taken off the waitlist!

 

[nockamura]

I guess we're saying that LOI means letter of interest and not intent.

 

[bostonabe]

will writing an LOI help even though the school has a ranked waitlist?

If the waitlist is ranked, there is really nothing you can do to change your place on the list...just leave it to fate.

I guess we're saying that LOI means letter of interest and not intent.

no, I think lfesiam and Ambs are referring to a letter of INTENT. It seems some applicants express their strong interest by sending more than one letter to the same school. (Not two letters of intent to two different schools.)

 

[bostonmed24]

I believe that an LOI probably won't help the chances of getting off a waitlist, but probably won't hurt either. But, I think extensive calls, letters, and emails hurt more than people think. It also probably varies by schools...some my find it annoying and over the top, while others believe it shows strong interest.

In the past an LOI may have meant more, but since almost everyone writes one these days I doubt it makes much difference. Also, another recc is probably won't help either. I mean anyone can get a good recc to send.

It's a matter of fate....

 

[nockamura]

Ok. Yeah, it would be ok to send 2 loi's to one school, but not 2 different schools.