When and how often to send a letter of intent?

[VitaminDD]

Hey everyone,

So of all the schools I applied to, I've only gotten one interview that took place last week. Before arriving to the interview, I had emailed an update letter detailing the past year's experiences. I also showed up to the interview with an additional letter of recommendation (I started a position in clinical trials and my MD boss was kind enough to write me a letter to take with me to the interview). The admissions officer told us that we would receive notice of our acceptance/waitlisting 2-4 weeks after the interview.

I felt really good about the interview, but wanted to cover all bases and I've read a lot of things in regards to Letters of Intent, but very little on WHEN they should be sent.

Should I send them before the decision is made or after? Maybe both?

I've read a lot of things talking about how waitlists can be locked and sending anything after won't affect the order. I've also heard that they will re-look at your entire app if you send one out.

FYI, I used the search function and the last relevant thread was 2011, which I feel is too far back to be relevant, and it didn't really answer my question.

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[Goro]

You're aware that at nearly all schools, LOI mean nothing?

To quote my leanred colleague gyngyn "How would you interpret a nonbinding promise from a desperate applicant?"

Updates are OK.

Hey everyone,

So of all the schools I applied to, I've only gotten one interview that took place last week. Before arriving to the interview, I had emailed an update letter detailing the past year's experiences. I also showed up to the interview with an additional letter of recommendation (I started a position in clinical trials and my MD boss was kind enough to write me a letter to take with me to the interview). The admissions officer told us that we would receive notice of our acceptance/waitlisting 2-4 weeks after the interview.

I felt really good about the interview, but wanted to cover all bases and I've read a lot of things in regards to Letters of Intent, but very little on WHEN they should be sent.

Should I send them before the decision is made or after? Maybe both?

I've read a lot of things talking about how waitlists can be locked and sending anything after won't affect the order. I've also heard that they will re-look at your entire app if you send one out.

FYI, I used the search function and the last relevant thread was 2011, which I feel is too far back to be relevant, and it didn't really answer my question.

 

[Lya]

Send the letter of intent after the decision is made, i.e. being waitlisted. But send that letter right before there are some waitlist movements that usually happen in mid May. Check the school-specific thread to see if when this movement usually occurs.

I wouldn't send the letter before the decision has been made: If you end up being accepted without the letter, you are good to go.

 

[VitaminDD]

Send the letter of intent after the decision is made, i.e. being waitlisted. But send that letter right before there are some waitlist movements that usually happen in mid May. Check the school-specific thread to see if when this movement usually occurs.

I wouldn't send the letter before the decision has been made: If you end up being accepted without the letter, you are good to go.

What's the rational or evidence of sending it after being waitlisted rather than before? Why not just send a letter now and then again if I'm waitlisted?

I'm looking at it from a perspective where the admissions committee gets the letter before they convene (which according to the school specific thread will be next Friday).

But then again, to quote Goro: LOIs mean nothing. Wait, then why would this forum advocate them in the first place?

 

[happyfeet1292]

You're aware that at nearly all schools, LOI mean nothing?

To quote my leanred colleague gyngyn "How would you interpret a nonbinding promise from a desperate applicant?"

Updates are OK.

@Goro, do you think that schools' interpretation of LOI would be different if an applicant were already accepted to other schools and sent a LOI to the school they were wait listed at? Does that still come across as desperate?

 

[DRteacher]

Only send them an LOI after the decision has been made and if you are waitlisted. I was waitlisted and sent several brief emails to update my file and to express my continued desire to attend that school. I think admissions committees can appreciate your determination and enthusiasm for attending their program. It can't hurt! Good luck!

 

[DRteacher]

@Goro, do you think that schools' interpretation of LOI would be different if an applicant were already accepted to other schools and sent a LOI to the school they were wait listed at? Does that still come across as desperate?

I am going to throw in my two cents and say that having been in that situation, I think it helps if the admissions committee knows that other schools found you competent/suitable enough for their program. You can mention you were accepted at other schools, but you would still want a spot at their institution because of x, y, z and that you are still interested. It does not look desperate. It shows that you're passionate, determined and are willing to stand up for what you want.

 

[Goro]

Let's see, you're the Dean of Admissions at Yale, and you get a LOI from someone who's been accepted at Rosy Franklin, Quinnipiac, Commonwealth, NYMC and Loma Linda. What would you do?

But frankly, as long as the school doesn't have a policy against LOI, then a LOI can do no harm. Keep in mind that after 5/15, the school will see what cards you're holding.

@Goro, do you think that schools' interpretation of LOI would be different if an applicant were already accepted to other schools and sent a LOI to the school they were wait listed at? Does that still come across as desperate?

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Let's see, you're the Dean of Admissions at Yale, and you get a LOI from someone who's been accepted at Rosy Franklin, Quinnipiac, Commonwealth, NYMC and Loma Linda. What would you do?

But frankly, as long as the school doesn't have a policy against LOI, then a LOI can do no harm. Keep in mind that after 5/15, the school will see what cards you're holding.

What if it's the opposite? As in you hold an acceptance to some top 20s but would rather go to a lower ranked school for personal reasons?

 

[Goro]

I'd tell the Dean to jump quick and admit that kid!

What if it's the opposite? As in you hold an acceptance to some top 20s but would rather go to a lower ranked school for personal reasons?

 

[LuciusVorenus]

I'd tell the Dean to jump quick and admit that kid!

No I didn't mean it like that! Haha. I meant would a letter of intent be necessary in that case then?

EDIT: Or is simply staying on the wait list intent enough?

 

[Goro]

If the interviewee had a bad interview, then no LOI in the world could save him/her. Sometimes we get people who elicit the proverbial "meh" from the interviewers and are waitlisted, but can stil get accepted when the wait-list movement occurs.

No I didn't mean it like that! Haha. I meant would a letter of intent be necessary in that case then?

EDIT: Or is simply staying on the wait list intent enough?

 

[LuciusVorenus]

If the interviewee had a bad interview, then no LOI in the world could save him/her. Sometimes we get people who elicit the proverbial "meh" from the interviewers and are waitlisted, but can stil get accepted when the wait-list movement occurs.

Oh gawd. The paranoia begins. I guess I'll see!

 

[GypsyHummus]

If the interviewee had a bad interview, then no LOI in the world could save him/her. Sometimes we get people who elicit the proverbial "meh" from the interviewers and are waitlisted, but can stil get accepted when the wait-list movement occurs.

What would cause adcoms to go "meh" at an applicant? Just boring to talk to, less than impressive resume/unimpressive scores?

How would an applicant stand out in a good way to the adcoms, besides the obvious high marks in class and mcat?

Furthermore, if someone is borderline app lowerish gpa and mcat, what in your personal opinion and also knowing your peers on adcom, would sway you from "meh wait listed" to "sure, let's take a chance on him/her" ?

 

[Mr Roboto]

My interviewers told me that if I was wait listed I should call the admissions office every week or two to express interest and to send in LOI and updates. Maybe they were trying to trick me.

 

[QuinnTheEskimo]

My interviewers told me that if I was wait listed I should call the admissions office every week or two to express interest and to send in LOI and updates. Maybe they were trying to trick me.

When you call the admissions office, what do they expect you to say? I feel like an awkward phone call could hurt rather than help...

 

[masaraksh]

When you run out of 'updates' to send, just send anything. Poems, Song lyrics, Pictures of cats....

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

An LOI should only be used when you are desperate and have something to add as an update. Otherwise, it's a waste of time.

When I sent my LOI, I wrote how I'd be a good fit, what new shadowing I did and let them know my PI was sending an LOR. I don't know if that helped or the lor or if it was coincidence that I got an interview a week later

 

[T3ckFr3s]

I'm curious, when adcoms look at an applicant's file, are they actual papers or are they usually electronic?

 

[snowflakes]

Let's see, you're the Dean of Admissions at Yale, and you get a LOI from someone who's been accepted at Rosy Franklin, Quinnipiac, Commonwealth, NYMC and Loma Linda. What would you do?

But frankly, as long as the school doesn't have a policy against LOI, then a LOI can do no harm. Keep in mind that after 5/15, the school will see what cards you're holding.

I thought I read elsewhere on SDN that schools can see your acceptances before 5/15?

 

[pDeluxe]

I thought I read elsewhere on SDN that schools can see your acceptances before 5/15?

Only if they accept you as well. After May 15th, they can see any and all acceptances (or lack thereof).

 

[ace12345]

So if I sent an update just before decision, not after the WL decision, will that be of any consequence when/if they go through re-review later?

 

[Goro]

This is a very good question. Some people just appear unenthusiastic at interviews. It might be that they really don't want to be doctors but mom/dad are pressuring them into it, or they don't like the school once they've arrived on campus, or they're just too uptight. Some people are just quiet and mousy. OPther people may rely too much on canned answers or, something I really hate, start to answer a question but then veer it off to the canned answer.

What would cause adcoms to go "meh" at an applicant? Just boring to talk to, less than impressive resume/unimpressive scores?

Be enthusiastic about what you love, and display your passion or Medicine. There's a differenc between wanting to work in the service of others, and merely wanting to do procedures or research.

How would an applicant stand out in a good way to the adcoms, besides the obvious high marks in class and mcat?

This is very hard to describe. Sometimes you get a gut feeling that "this person I'm willing to take a chance on, despite the 3.01 sGPA". I always look at applicants to try and visualize them wearing the white coat and thinking would I be comfortable having them touching my kids? My clinical collagues and students feel them same way..."would I want this person as a collague?"

Furthermore, if someone is borderline app lowerish gpa and mcat, what in your personal opinion and also knowing your peers on adcom, would sway you from "meh wait listed" to "sure, let's take a chance on him/her"

Unless it's something major, I doubt it. Although, if you're applying to a DO program and have only now just received the DO LOR, that might help. But saying "I just spent another 100 hours at Beth Israel Hospital scribing in the ER and spent 50 hr in a clothing drive for Syrian refugees" probably won't help, unless you had 0 volunteer hrs.

So if I sent an update just before decision, not after the WL decision, will that be of any consequence when/if they go through re-review later?

 

[ace12345]

This is a very good question. Some people just appear unenthusiastic at interviews. It might be that they really don't want to be doctors but mom/dad are pressuring them into it, or they don't like the school once they've arrived on campus, or they're just too uptight. Some people are just quiet and mousy. OPther people may rely too much on canned answers or, something I really hate, start to answer a question but then veer it off to the canned answer.



Unless it's something major, I doubt it. Although, if you're applying to a DO program and have only now just received the DO LOR, that might help. But saying "I just spent another 100 hours at Beth Israel Hospital scribing in the ER and spent 50 hr in a clothing drive for Syrian refugees" probably won't help, unless you had 0 volunteer hrs.

So if I sent an update just before decision, not after the WL decision, will that be of any consequence when/if they go through re-review later?

Thanks for the reply, I was mostly concerned with whether or not they had seen the update. So what you are saying then is when they do select students from the waitlist, it is primarily based on the application itself, interviews, etc. and not supplementary information from updates?

 

[Goro]

Correct, because the updates are unlikley to contain anything earthshakingly positive, unless there's a substantial donation check in there. I have heard of Deans who simply go down the list, GPA by GPA. I don't know if danes use something like a LizzyM score, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Thanks for the reply, I was mostly concerned with whether or not they had seen the update. So what you are saying then is when they do select students from the waitlist, it is primarily based on the application itself, interviews, etc. and not supplementary information from updates?