When to send "Letter of Interest" after being waitlisted

[ToM812]

Hi All,

If someone is waitlisted for a school 2 weeks post-interview, how many weeks after receiving this news would you recommend they wait before sending a follow-up "Letter of Interest"? I do not want to send the letter too early & it come across as desperate/needy. Similarly, I do not want to send it too early if it is better to save it until later in the season when there is more waitlist movement.

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[Goro]

Don't waste their time or yours. How would you interpret a non-binding contract from a desperate candidate?

And how would you interpret hearing this conversation at your local bar?

Jack [to Jill]: "I know you turned me down to go to the Prom, but I'm still interested in taking you"

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

May be after PTE date?

 

[Blueprint Med School]

It's hard to ever recommend sending a letter of interest, which is just a weaker letter of intent, which has little to no meaning anyway. So, there's not really a "correct" time to send a LOI. If you want to send a LOI, I'd recommend combining it with a significant update in a couple months. A LOI 2 weeks after being waitlisted won't do anything.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[KnightDoc]

Hi All,

If someone is waitlisted for a school 2 weeks post-interview, how many weeks after receiving this news would you recommend they wait before sending a follow-up "Letter of Interest"? I do not want to send the letter too early & it come across as desperate/needy. Similarly, I do not want to send it too early if it is better to save it until later in the season when there is more waitlist movement.

As others have said, these have little to no impact. Of course you are interested -- you applied, paid a fee, and subjected yourself to an interview process. This early in the cycle, they really mean nothing. From this point forward, the level of your "interest" will ebb and flow depending on how the rest of your cycle goes. By putting you on the WL, the school has indicated it might have future interest in you, depending on how the rest of ITS cycle goes.

Bottom line, as frustrating as it is, there is nothing you can do now other than send meaningful updates, to the extent you have them, and reiterate your interest at that time. Your letter of interest might very well morph into a letter of intent in a few months, once you have more visibility into what your options are going to be. At the same time, the school will be closer to making decisions regarding what WL movement is going to look like. At that time, a letter might do something for you, but, not now, and not in a few weeks.

I'm just a premed, not an adcom, but this is what I've observed over the past two cycles. YMMV. Good luck!!!