Where would you write your letter of intent?

[qwert12345]

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These be my top options right now. All are amazing. I'd be elated to go to any one, but am curious to as what others think.

Yale
Columbia
Penn
Hopkins

 

[lovemesomeTJ]

These be my top options right now. All are amazing. I'd be elated to go to any one, but am curious to as what others think.

Yale
Columbia
Penn
Hopkins

What is it with the Ebonics around here? I've seen it popping up sporadically but enough to cause concern. Time to squash it, people!

 

[Jihad]

What is it with the Ebonics around here? I've seen it popping up sporadically but enough to cause concern. Time to squash it, people!

Hey, don't be hatin on Ebonics.

 

[jerew]

None! If you don't know, don't write one. Wait to get in, go to revisit, and see financial aid. I think if you write one and don't go, that is lame... Takes the value out for other applicants later on.

Just my opinion though. I kept waiting for that ONE school to write the letter for, but I am so undecided, that I just can't, even it hurts my chances of getting in.

 

[ElegantWeapon]

None! If you don't know, don't write one. Wait to get in, go to revisit, and see financial aid. I think if you write one and don't go, that is lame... Takes the value out for other applicants later on.

Just my opinion though. I kept waiting for that ONE school to write the letter for, but I am so undecided, that I just can't, even it hurts my chances of getting in.

I agree with you on the first part-your top choice/favorite medical school is a personal decision. Write one if you can absolutely or only see yourself at this one place, no matter what the cost. If you really feel this way, it won't require answers on an internet forum.

Also, I seriously doubt that it will hurt your chances of getting in. If you were getting rejected, writing a letter would not have helped you anyway. The only way it would make a difference is post-waitlist, where they obviously want people who REALLLLLLY want to be there

 

[jerew]

I agree with you on the first part-your top choice/favorite medical school is a personal decision. Write one if you can absolutely or only see yourself at this one place, no matter what the cost. If you really feel this way, it won't require answers on an internet forum.

Also, I seriously doubt that it will hurt your chances of getting in. If you were getting rejected, writing a letter would not have helped you anyway. The only way it would make a difference is post-waitlist, where they obviously want people who REALLLLLLY want to be there

Yeah, it probably wouldn't make that much of a difference. Of course, the OP is writing it because *maybe* it could help a little. If it never helped, no one would write them. I think post-waitlist is where they are the best though.

 

[JasonE]

Yeah, it probably wouldn't make that much of a difference. Of course, the OP is writing it because *maybe* it could help a little. If it never helped, no one would write them. I think post-waitlist is where they are the best though.

i think the med schools need to write you a letter of intent!

 

[SwineSue]

None! If you don't know, don't write one. Wait to get in, go to revisit, and see financial aid. I think if you write one and don't go, that is lame... Takes the value out for other applicants later on.

Just my opinion though. I kept waiting for that ONE school to write the letter for, but I am so undecided, that I just can't, even it hurts my chances of getting in.

I really don't think it makes much of a difference in admissions...people on here tend to assume things are required just because all the SDN-types are doing them, like letters of intent and thank-you notes... I really can't imagine an admissions committee sitting around going "this candidate is pretty good, but he didn't send that letter of intent we never mentioned and if he wasn't on SDN he'd never have even heard the concept of."

this is just a silly escalating arms race... next year someone on SDN will post that they sent a research results portfolio, or a Christmas card to the admissions office, or an unsolicited essay on why they're a good fit for the school, or a proposed research project they will undertake with one of the schools' faculty members, or will physically visit the admissions office outside of an interview day to 'demonstrate interest,' or anything else you can think up... and then everyone will start doing it. and the admissions committees will be like "uh guys, we didn't ask for any of this, there's a reason we have a standardized admissions procedure"

 

[SwineSue]

Yeah, it probably wouldn't make that much of a difference. Of course, the OP is writing it because *maybe* it could help a little. If it never helped, no one would write them. I think post-waitlist is where they are the best though.

I disagree completely. How would anyone know whether they ever worked or not. You can't ask "hey would I have been admitted if I hadn't written that letter of intent"

 

[Tikka36]

I really don't think it makes much of a difference in admissions...people on here tend to assume things are required just because all the SDN-types are doing them, like letters of intent and thank-you notes... I really can't imagine an admissions committee sitting around going "this candidate is pretty good, but he didn't send that letter of intent we never mentioned and if he wasn't on SDN he'd never have even heard the concept of."

this is just a silly escalating arms race... next year someone on SDN will post that they sent a research results portfolio, or a Christmas card to the admissions office, or an unsolicited essay on why they're a good fit for the school, or a proposed research project they will undertake with one of the schools' faculty members, or will physically visit the admissions office outside of an interview day to 'demonstrate interest,' or anything else you can think up... and then everyone will start doing it. and the admissions committees will be like "uh guys, we didn't ask for any of this, there's a reason we have a standardized admissions procedure"

👍

 

[LIDO]

I really don't think it makes much of a difference in admissions...people on here tend to assume things are required just because all the SDN-types are doing them, like letters of intent and thank-you notes... I really can't imagine an admissions committee sitting around going "this candidate is pretty good, but he didn't send that letter of intent we never mentioned and if he wasn't on SDN he'd never have even heard the concept of."

this is just a silly escalating arms race... next year someone on SDN will post that they sent a research results portfolio, or a Christmas card to the admissions office, or an unsolicited essay on why they're a good fit for the school, or a proposed research project they will undertake with one of the schools' faculty members, or will physically visit the admissions office outside of an interview day to 'demonstrate interest,' or anything else you can think up... and then everyone will start doing it. and the admissions committees will be like "uh guys, we didn't ask for any of this, there's a reason we have a standardized admissions procedure"

I visited the admissions office / toured the medical school prior to interviewing.....and got to know some of the faculty. I was accepted to that school on October 15. Sometimes you need to go the extra mile......you just need to know when and how.

 

[ElegantWeapon]

I really don't think it makes much of a difference in admissions...people on here tend to assume things are required just because all the SDN-types are doing them, like letters of intent and thank-you notes... I really can't imagine an admissions committee sitting around going "this candidate is pretty good, but he didn't send that letter of intent we never mentioned and if he wasn't on SDN he'd never have even heard the concept of."

this is just a silly escalating arms race... next year someone on SDN will post that they sent a research results portfolio, or a Christmas card to the admissions office, or an unsolicited essay on why they're a good fit for the school, or a proposed research project they will undertake with one of the schools' faculty members, or will physically visit the admissions office outside of an interview day to 'demonstrate interest,' or anything else you can think up... and then everyone will start doing it. and the admissions committees will be like "uh guys, we didn't ask for any of this, there's a reason we have a standardized admissions procedure"

oh crap I already had a grant proposal ready and offered to take my interviewer out for a night on the town when we won the Nobel 😛 jkjk

Edit: good observation though Sue, I definitely agree with the analogy of an escalating arms race

 

[GoBeers]

write an LoI for each school. duh.

 

[bobsmith]

I disagree completely. How would anyone know whether they ever worked or not. You can't ask "hey would I have been admitted if I hadn't written that letter of intent"

The only time I've seen this is when a person has been really really persistent with their letters of intent (I mean, almost to the point of ridiculousness, sending multi-page updates every month, etc).

So yeah, I totally agree with you about the idea of this "escalating arms race." Ultimately, though, I think it's just a way for applicants to feel like they have some sort of control over a situation that's (probably) completely out of their hands. And while it might not help, it certainly wouldn't hurt, right?

 

[SwineSue]

I visited the admissions office / toured the medical school prior to interviewing.....and got to know some of the faculty. I was accepted to that school on October 15. Sometimes you need to go the extra mile......you just need to know when and how.

there's no way to know that you wouldn't have gotten in without making that visit. obviously. do you think they checked some box that says "visited admissions office prior to interview"? the people in the admissions office are mostly secretaries...
if schools considered things like this, then "demonstrated interest" would be included on those standard lists of decision criteria, you know the ones that go 'grades, mcat, interview, activities, maturity, motivation, etc.'

 

[SwineSue]

The only time I've seen this is when a person has been really really persistent with their letters of intent (I mean, almost to the point of ridiculousness, sending multi-page updates every month, etc).

So yeah, I totally agree with you about the idea of this "escalating arms race." Ultimately, though, I think it's just a way for applicants to feel like they have some sort of control over a situation that's (probably) completely out of their hands. And while it might not help, it certainly wouldn't hurt, right?

this is most certainly true

 

[LIDO]

there's no way to know that you wouldn't have gotten in without making that visit. obviously. do you think they checked some box that says "visited admissions office prior to interview"? the people in the admissions office are mostly secretaries...
if schools considered things like this, then "demonstrated interest" would be included on those standard lists of decision criteria, you know the ones that go 'grades, mcat, interview, activities, maturity, motivation, etc.'

Yes, my visit was beneficial. I find no need to go into detail, but I can attest to the fact that meeting different faculty members and developing a conversation can be beneficial. You need to meet actual faculty and not only secretaries......BUT I should also mention that I have heard of secretaries having a voice at a few schools.....so never underestimate the staff.

Is this common? Probably not. Like I said earlier, it depends on your specific situation, when you act and in what matter you present your situation.

Good luck everybody with your applications.