Which schools seem to value update letters/letters of interest?

[ej37]

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So my stats are slightly below average, and as of now I have only received one interview (result: waitlisted) this cycle and am starting to get pretty nervous...

I know people on this board have mixed thoughts on the effectiveness of these letters, but I was just wondering if anyone has had success with specific schools sending update letters/letters of interest at the pre-interview stage.

Thanks in advance, good luck to everyone else applying this cycle!

 

[PremedIowa]

Give us a list of schools so we can help you with your specific situation.

 

[chiz2kul]

The list of schools that you need to send letters to is the list of schools that you applied to.
All of them
It wldn't hurt your chances, just throw yourself out there, u never know where your luck will be at.

 

[ej37]

Columbia, Cornell, NYMC, Sinai, Einstein, Downstate, Upstate (pretty much every NY school)

Also, Tulane, Rush, UVA, Miami and USC

 

[kalia]

Are more than two letters of reference sent to the school considered overboard?

 

[unsung]

Columbia, Cornell, NYMC, Sinai, Einstein, Downstate, Upstate (pretty much every NY school)

Also, Tulane, Rush, UVA, Miami and USC

Any particular reason for this?

 

[justdoit31]

Are more than two letters of reference sent to the school considered overboard?

each school request a certain number/type of letters. most seem to be around 3-4... I usually did 1-2 science letters 1 non-science and 1-2 personal (physician and volunteer)

there were only a few schools I sent 5 letters to but I did interview at one of them

 

[skijumpbump]

Columbia, Cornell, NYMC, Sinai, Einstein, Downstate, Upstate (pretty much every NY school)

Also, Tulane, Rush, UVA, Miami and USC

As for NY schools:

I know that Albany Medical College will not accept letters, and they will not be added to your file.

A few students at my NYMC interview told me that each time you send them a letter your file is pulled out and reviewed again. So it seems as if they put a lot of value in these letters.

 

[kac714]

A few students at my NYMC interview told me that each time you send them a letter your file is pulled out and reviewed again. So it seems as if they put a lot of value in these letters.

I called NYMC and asked and they said they like getting update letters and to send it via email. Buffalo also sent me a nice email back after i sent mine. upstate and downstate just send form letters. it hasn't resulted in an interview yet though.

 

[singularity2012]

A few students at my NYMC interview told me that each time you send them a letter your file is pulled out and reviewed again. So it seems as if they put a lot of value in these letters.

I called NYMC and asked and they said they like getting update letters and to send it via email. Buffalo also sent me a nice email back after i sent mine. upstate and downstate just send form letters. it hasn't resulted in an interview yet though.

By form letters, do you mean snail mail?

 

[thegreenlight]

WUSTL and Mount Sinai. At each of these school, the dean of admissions told us to send a LOI if the school was our top choice.

I'm pretty sure that most schools (minus, say, Harvard) would take a LOI into consideration.

 

[unsung]

As for NY schools:

I know that Albany Medical College will not accept letters, and they will not be added to your file.

A few students at my NYMC interview told me that each time you send them a letter your file is pulled out and reviewed again. So it seems as if they put a lot of value in these letters.

I dropped off an update letter in person when I interviewed, and the office said it'd get added to my file...

 

[Retsage]

Anyone know if Vanderbilt, Duke, or Dartmouth care?

 

[dienekes88]

Columbia, Cornell, NYMC, Sinai, Einstein, Downstate, Upstate (pretty much every NY school)

Also, Tulane, Rush, UVA, Miami and USC

Send one to Columbia. Dean Frantz will read it. Mention it's your first choice if it actually is.

I think sending a letter of intent played a huge part in my acceptance.

 

[skijumpbump]

I dropped off an update letter in person when I interviewed, and the office said it'd get added to my file...

I was placed on pre interview hold, in the email telling me this great news I was told:

"As a reminder, we do not accept updates or letters of interest sent
to us via fax, "regular mail", or email to supplement the required
documents to complete your file. Unsolicited updates that are sent to
our office will not be added to your file, nor will they be
acknowledged. We will contact you if the Admissions Committee
requests updated information."

I guess if you are on pre interview they don't want to hear from you.

 

[ej37]

Is the general consensus that update letters are better than update emails? (with NYMC as an exception)

 

[devs]

Can someone explain to me what exactly is included in a letter of interest, and when is it appropriate to send one.
I have been interviewed by two of my schools that I am very interested in about three weeks ago. I have not yet heard anything from them. Should I send a letter of interest?

 

[kac714]

By form letters, do you mean snail mail?

didn't see this post til now. they sent emails.

 

[justdoit31]

I sent my Letter of Interest to the Director of Admissions at my top-choice school and had an interview invite less than 4 hours later. It could have been luck and connections but I think it could be better to send by email because it goes straight to the inbox of who you want to read it and some will look at it before they print it for your file.

In general of letter of interest is best to get the interview or after an interview to remind them of your interest (usually you wait several weeks)

A letter of intent says you would go there 100% if accepted and withdraw from all other schools. So devs if you know you are totally wanting one of the schools you interviewed as your #1 then you would send a letter (remember some schools have not sent out all interview invites yet)... also remember that a letter of intent means you will accept the financial package they give you. Of course you could write the letter and change your mind but it makes you look bad and like a major suck-up

 

[soundesign]

I sent my Letter of Interest to the Director of Admissions at my top-choice school and had an interview invite less than 4 hours later. It could have been luck and connections but I think it could be better to send by email because it goes straight to the inbox of who you want to read it and some will look at it before they print it for your file.

In general of letter of interest is best to get the interview or after an interview to remind them of your interest (usually you wait several weeks)

A letter of intent says you would go there 100% if accepted and withdraw from all other schools. So devs if you know you are totally wanting one of the schools you interviewed as your #1 then you would send a letter (remember some schools have not sent out all interview invites yet)... also remember that a letter of intent means you will accept the financial package they give you. Of course you could write the letter and change your mind but it makes you look bad and like a major suck-up

Kind of a stupid question, but what do you put in the email subject line? It just seems like "Letter of Interest" is a bit too "blunt," so to speak, even despite its accuracy.

 

[justdoit31]

Kind of a stupid question, but what do you put in the email subject line? It just seems like "Letter of Interest" is a bit too "blunt," so to speak, even despite its accuracy.

I just said "letter of interest- my name"
It might have been blunt but I wanted to keep it short and sweet.
I will say my letter was very captivating and not just a "I like your school for reason x,y,z" I talked about the connections in very poetic terms and I think it helped

 

[soundesign]

I just said "letter of interest- my name"
It might have been blunt but I wanted to keep it short and sweet.
I will say my letter was very captivating and not just a "I like your school for reason x,y,z" I talked about the connections in very poetic terms and I think it helped

Ah, thanks for your input.

A few students at my NYMC interview told me that each time you send them a letter your file is pulled out and reviewed again. So it seems as if they put a lot of value in these letters.

I called NYMC and asked and they said they like getting update letters and to send it via email. Buffalo also sent me a nice email back after i sent mine. upstate and downstate just send form letters. it hasn't resulted in an interview yet though.

Who at NYMC would you send it to? Just the general admissions email they have listed on their website? or is their another email address there? I can't seem to find the emails, or even listings of any admissions people on their site at all.

 

[87138]

Jefferson - very much appreciates letters/contact of any type (phone calls, etc)

Penn State - discourages it

 

[engineeredout]

Bumping.

So I was going to send LOIs (pre interview) via snail mail, but now should I be sending it via e-mail?

Specifically Stony Brook is my 100% hands down top choice, but I also wanted to send a letter of interest to NYMC, buffalo, and drexel as well.

 

[rocketbooster]

Bumping.

So I was going to send LOIs (pre interview) via snail mail, but now should I be sending it via e-mail?

Specifically Stony Brook is my 100% hands down top choice, but I also wanted to send a letter of interest to NYMC, buffalo, and drexel as well.

You should email all of them because the school receives it that day and will add it ASAP. Snailmail just delays them from receiving your update. Why would it look better if you snailmailed it? When you email it, they just print it off themselves and add it. Just embed (copy/paste) the update letter into your email. Send the letter to the general medical admissions emails of the schools. It's always the email address that appears under the contact of the admissions office on that school's website. If you really want to be sure you have the correct email, then use the email they first contacted you with to notify you of their secondary.

That's what I did to all my schools about a week ago. I didn't call ahead or anything asking if it was okay. They're either going to notify you or not about adding it to your file via a rely to your email.

I received responses back informing me they added it to my file from 7 of the 12 schools I sent updates. I got responses from Buffalo and Jefferson. I did not hear anything from NYMC or Drexel.

 

[engineeredout]

You should email all of them because the school receives it that day and will add it ASAP. Snailmail just delays them from receiving your update. Why would it look better if you snailmailed it? When you email it, they just print it off themselves and add it. Just embed (copy/paste) the update letter into your email. Send the letter to the general medical admissions emails of the schools. It's always the email address that appears under the contact of the admissions office on that school's website. If you really want to be sure you have the correct email, then use the email they first contacted you with to notify you of their secondary.

That's what I did to all my schools about a week ago. I didn't call ahead or anything asking if it was okay. They're either going to notify you or not about adding it to your file via a rely to your email.

I received responses back informing me they added it to my file from 7 of the 12 schools I sent updates. I got responses from Buffalo and Jefferson. I did not hear anything from NYMC or Drexel.

So I would be better off directly putting the letter in the e-mail instead of attaching it as a word document?

 

[rocketbooster]

So I would be better off directly putting the letter in the e-mail instead of attaching it as a word document?

Yes because what if you happen to save your update letter in Word 2007 format and they still use 97-2003? You can save it as the older format to make sure. If you copy/paste it, then there will be no format issues no matter what.

I separated the copy/paste part with lines. So like.....


------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Blah Blah,

Blah I'm tight now with this update. Interview me.

Sincerely,

Blah

-------------------------------------------------------------------


There ya go. I did this with the above format because the first school I sent an update to a few months ago told me to embed it in the email. I received an interview invite 2 weeks later. I think I was going to get an interview soon anyway, but it gave them more info to ask me in the interview. Most of what they were interested in during the interview came out of that update letter. Actually, the only part of my application they asked about was from the update letter haha.

 

[guestdoc]

When I sent a letter of interest to one school (via email), I called a few days later to check that it had been added to my file. It hadn't, so I'm glad that I called! Maybe something to think about... Letter does good when letter is in file--that's an old chinese proverb.

 

[rocketbooster]

When I sent a letter of interest to one school (via email), I called a few days later to check that it had been added to my file. It hadn't, so I'm glad that I called! Maybe something to think about... Letter does good when letter is in file--that's an old chinese proverb.

That's a good idea. I think I'll do that for the 5/12 schools I didn't get a reply from. Thanks!

 

[rocketbooster]

I got a confirmation from one of the schools via phone.

Creighton's admissions office is closed from Dec. 23rd to Jan. 5th. They get 2 weeks off for the holidays? Are you kidding me? They're a professional office! hahaha

 

[brianjg]

Someone mentioned Rush before...when I sent mine I actually got an email reply the same day that said "thanks for the updated info, etc" but that, although the letter would be added to my file, it would have no bearing on an interview or acceptance and wouldn't be provided to interviewers. This is pre-interview letters, though, so maybe those of you on the waitlist have had different experiences.
As for Creighton, they encourage updates, but when I sent mine they said to resend it after the 5th.

 

[bostonista]

Hi!

I thought I'd ask here - how do I make it clear that I'm writing a Letter of Interest rather than a Letter of Intent? I'd like to write a letter of interest to my two top schools, but I want to make it clear that it's a letter of interest, and not a letter of intent. I can't write a letter of intent at this point because there are so many extraneous factors (like $$) so even though I have an absolute favorite school, I can't commit to it.

If I were to write a letter that says how much I enjoyed my interview and how much I'm looking forward to the school, but I don't say "I will go there", is that clear enough? Or should I say "Letter of Interest" in the title?

 

[levodopa]

I'm bumping this because I think it's a really valuable thread. Does anyone have any other schools that are responsive to letters of interest and/or intent?

 

[MedPR]

I sent one to Tulane and never heard back.. it was a post rejection loi though.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[femoralgirl]

Does anyone know the U of MN's preferences for letters of interest and updates?

 

[Fuska2012]

Anyone know if Einstein, Case, or Temple likes them pre-interview?

 

[ReptarBar]

when do you send letters of intent? is 1-2 months after submitting your secondary OK? or should it be at some specific point in the season?

 

[AM390]

when do you send letters of intent? is 1-2 months after submitting your secondary OK? or should it be at some specific point in the season?

bumping this thread.

how long after submitting secondaries did you wait to send letters of interest? my status says "under review" at most schools but have been placed on pre-interview hold at a couple as well.

 

[medicinerus]

I'm going to bump this because I can't find any real information on it, and think it could be very helpful. I know it is too early in the season currently, but when should LOI be sent out, and what should they be comprised of? Thanks!

 

[GandalfTheWhite]

Interesting thread. I would like to know if Texas schools value LOIs as well. Might consider sending them in September/early October if I don't get any interview invites.