Letter of Intent Proofread

[haplessgrapefrut]

Hey guys!

I was just wondering if anyone would be willing to proofread my LOI for me? Is that a thing that can be done here? I just want opinions on if I'm writing too much, too little, or just any other criticism in general. I've been put on the hold list for a school this year (no other acceptances), so I want to make this count.

Thanks in advance, and please PM me if you're willing! I really appreciate it.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[HomeSkool]

Hey guys!

I was just wondering if anyone would be willing to proofread my LOI for me? Is that a thing that can be done here? I just want opinions on if I'm writing too much, too little, or just any other criticism in general. I've been put on the hold list for a school this year (no other acceptances), so I want to make this count.

Thanks in advance, and please PM me if you're willing! I really appreciate it.

Writing a letter of intent is, by definition, writing too much. With no other acceptances, you're just begging. A more productive use of your time would be to evaluate your app and begin strengthening it.

 

[haplessgrapefrut]

Even if the school doesn't know I have no other acceptances? I've heard that writing an LOI has helped some. I've already written it, so do you think sending it would just be detrimental to my application, or not even looked at?

I've already started considering for next year just in case I'm not accepted (applied to several post-bac programs, a clinical and research job I can continue if I'm not accepted to med school or the programs), I just want to make a last-ditch effort for this year.

 

[Kr#36]

Use the search function. Adcoms on this site have said over and over that LOI's are meaningless. They provide no value as your application itself is already a LOI, and it shows you don't have the patience and poise to wait for the results of the cycle like everyone else.

 

[haplessgrapefrut]

Alright, thanks for the advice! Guess I'll just start preparing more for next year then.

 

[Goro]

Even if the school doesn't know I have no other acceptances? I've heard that writing an LOI has helped some. I've already written it, so do you think sending it would just be detrimental to my application, or not even looked at?

I've already started considering for next year just in case I'm not accepted (applied to several post-bac programs, a clinical and research job I can continue if I'm not accepted to med school or the programs), I just want to make a last-ditch effort for this year.

How would you interpret a nonbinding promise from a desperate applicant?

From the wise Med Ed: [What med schools…] accept and desire are two different things. My institution, for instance, will accept practically anything a given applicant wants to forward along, but only rarely do we consider it a worthwhile addition to the package.

And yes, some of us have gotten a little jaded about LOI's. I could fill a barrel with all the post-interview correspondence I have received that has not translated into a single matriculant. This has all gotten mighty complicated and burdensome for what is essentially a zero sum game.

It's generally not burdensome for an applicant to upload something to the portal, and once in a great while it does tip us off with some useful info. I can think of one individual who had a stellar application, like Harvard/Yale/Stanford-worthy, and a superb interview, who sent us several updates and a LOI. We were somewhat perplexed by this person's tenacious interest in our program. Turns out there were family/geographical reasons behind the whole thing, the applicant just never felt comfortable directly playing that card.

When it comes down to waitlist time I will scan through what folks have uploaded post-interview. The vast majority of times it has no impact. Occasionally I have seen it hurt people's chances. Come to think of it, in my experience this is probably more likely, than such correspondence having a positive impact.

See https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/loi-and-interviews.1252832/#post-18849958

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/i-told-a-school-id-go-if-accepted-now-not-so-sure.1187022/#post-17497608

Withdrawing Acceptance from school I sent a Letter of Intent to

for classic examples of why most Admissions deans treat these as lies.

 

[892002]

You could write a very strong letter of interest? Talk about all of the reasons why that school is the best fit for you, but don't outright say you'll attend if accepted.

 

[WIMNFamilyMed]

Even if the school doesn't know I have no other acceptances? I've heard that writing an LOI has helped some. I've already written it, so do you think sending it would just be detrimental to my application, or not even looked at?.

1- who has told you it helped them
2- how did they know specifically a LOI made the difference?
Unless the school calls and says “hey we will accept you since you want to go here really bad as we noticed in your LOI” that would be the only way to know it made a difference, and I 100% doubt a school has said that.

 

[Kr#36]

You could write a very strong letter of interest? Talk about all of the reasons why that school is the best fit for you, but don't outright say you'll attend if accepted.

How is that beneficial?

 

[892002]

How is that beneficial?

Because you’re letting the school know why that school is a good match for you without sounding desperate.

 

[chaim123]

Because you’re letting the school know why that school is a good match for you without sounding desperate.

All LOI's generally sound desperate. The only good use for them is if you think the school will yield protect you, and you want to show you are serious about attending them. If your application doesn't show why you're a good fit, then a personal letter won't tip the scale.

 

[892002]

All LOI's generally sound desperate. The only good use for them is if you think the school will yield protect you, and you want to show you are serious about attending them. If your application doesn't show why you're a good fit, then a personal letter won't tip the scale.

Sometimes your application won’t adequately show how good of a fit you are because you submitted it back in the fall, and you’ve had experiences since then that have made you a better fit. It also doesn't take into account what you learned about the school during the interview. In addition, having a letter that eloquently sums up why you're a good fit can be beneficial.

Letters of intent sound desperate. Letters of interest don't. If you're asking someone out, it's like the difference between saying "I really like you! We have XXX/YYY in common!" vs saying "You're the most beautiful person in the world. If you go out with me, I'll stop talking to everyone else and we can be together forever and ever and ever." The latter sounds desperate/creepy while the former is not.

However, if the school has explicitly said they do not accept updates, then neither is a good idea, but all of the schools I've interviewed at said that they welcome and encourage communication.

 

[Kr#36]

All LOI's generally sound desperate. The only good use for them is if you think the school will yield protect you, and you want to show you are serious about attending them. If your application doesn't show why you're a good fit, then a personal letter won't tip the scale.

This is correct and has been hammered home ad nauseam by adcoms on these boards.

 

[Goro]

Sometimes your application won’t adequately show how good of a fit you are because you submitted it back in the fall, and you’ve had experiences since then that have made you a better fit. It also doesn't take into account what you learned about the school during the interview. In addition, having a letter that eloquently sums up why you're a good fit can be beneficial.

Letters of intent sound desperate. Letters of interest don't. If you're asking someone out, it's like the difference between saying "I really like you! We have XXX/YYY in common!" vs saying "You're the most beautiful person in the world. If you go out with me, I'll stop talking to everyone else and we can be together forever and ever and ever." The latter sounds desperate/creepy while the former is not.

However, if the school has explicitly said they do not accept updates, then neither is a good idea, but all of the schools I've interviewed at said that they welcome and encourage communication.

When you apply to a school, they know you're interested.

Amd anyone who would believe a letter from an Admissions Dean that says "yes, please send an app to our school!" deserves to lose that app fee.

 

[haplessgrapefrut]

I was considering sending one because my interviewer didn't ask why I was interested in all, only what I had done in my gap year. The secondary also doesn't ask any questions, it's just a simple "put in your personal info and send" type of secondary. Other than telling a few stories in the interview, they don't know specifically if it's just another on my list or if it's a school I'm really passionate about, and I'm assuming those who send letters of interest tailored to that school would get a heavier consideration than someone with the same scores and similar extracurriculars would get, in a tip the balance kind of way.

 

[Kr#36]

I was considering sending one because my interviewer didn't ask why I was interested in all, only what I had done in my gap year. The secondary also doesn't ask any questions, it's just a simple "put in your personal info and send" type of secondary. Other than telling a few stories in the interview, they don't know specifically if it's just another on my list or if it's a school I'm really passionate about, and I'm assuming those who send letters of interest tailored to that school would get a heavier consideration than someone with the same scores and similar extracurriculars would get, in a tip the balance kind of way.

You assume incorrectly

 

[LavarBall]

I can help you proofread it. Just hit control+A and then backspace. Should be good to go

 

[DBC03]

Which school are we talking about and what is its policy on updates? You’re probably better off with a nicely worded update letter that expresses what you have accomplished over this past year and how that makes you an excellent fit for the school. Leave off any wording of intent. Again, this is very School specific. Some schools welcome updates and want to be told how amazing they are, others do not. Is it a ranked or tiered or open waitlist? You cannot change your rank on a ranked waitlist, so this would be fruitless in that situation. Also keep in mind that as of April 1 all schools can see where you have (or have not) been accepted, so this school will know that you do not currently hold acceptances.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[Jdp00921]

Hey guys!

I was just wondering if anyone would be willing to proofread my LOI for me? Is that a thing that can be done here? I just want opinions on if I'm writing too much, too little, or just any other criticism in general. I've been put on the hold list for a school this year (no other acceptances), so I want to make this count.

Thanks in advance, and please PM me if you're willing! I really appreciate it.

If you want to send an update, I say go for it. I doubt it'll make a difference at this point in the cycle, but if it'll make you feel better to update the school and inform them of your interest with a formal letter, just do it. At most (unlikely) it'll help and at least, it's tossed in the garbage. No big deal either way.

 

[kb1900]

As a counterpart to the conventional wisdom on SDN, many schools WANT a letter of INTENT. A good example is Hofstra or georgetown - both of which explicitly/implicitly ask for one or something along those lines.

 

[FlavivirusProtease]

Have you sent them a thank you letter after your interview? If you did, I think sending another letter letting them know you really want to go to the university does sound very desperate. That should have been communicated to them in your interview thank you (Which doesn't come off quite as desperate as a letter of intent). So if they already know you want to go to the university, why would telling them that again make them change their minds?

 

[FlavivirusProtease]

"I really like you! We have XXX/YYY in common!" vs saying "You're the most beautiful person in the world. If you go out with me, I'll stop talking to everyone else and we can be together forever and ever and ever."

I don't know, both of those sound a little desperate/creepy.

 

[DBC03]

I don't know, both of those sound a little desperate/creepy.

Yeah - a few schools request these, or want letters of interest if you wish to remain on the waitlist. In some ways, it might save them time when selecting people off the waitlist. Since this is school specific, it's helpful for the OP to review the school-specific thread and see what is suggested. As long as the school does not forbid updates or further communication (many schools do, so be careful), a carefully worded update may not hurt.

 

[WIMNFamilyMed]

I was considering sending one because my interviewer didn't ask why I was interested in all, only what I had done in my gap year. The secondary also doesn't ask any questions, it's just a simple "put in your personal info and send" type of secondary. Other than telling a few stories in the interview, they don't know specifically if it's just another on my list or if it's a school I'm really passionate about, and I'm assuming those who send letters of interest tailored to that school would get a heavier consideration than someone with the same scores and similar extracurriculars would get, in a tip the balance kind of way.

What school is this to? As said above, it’s really school specific if they actually want a letter or consider it a waste of their time to open.

 

[haplessgrapefrut]

It's for UTHSC, and their final waitlist is ranked at the end, but I'm pretty sure they haven't made it yet since some are still interviewing throughout April. Yeah I misunderstood the intent vs interest letters, so what I've really got is a letter of interest. I did send them a thank you letter after my interview with the usual "I enjoyed our conversation, *insert remind of what we discussed*, I really love this school!" I interviewed about a month and a half ago, so I don't have any real updates to give them either, other than "we finished this experiment in my lab and are planning another."

 

[Kr#36]

I interviewed about a month and a half ago, so I don't have any real updates to give them either

This is your answer.

 

[haplessgrapefrut]

Alright, thanks everyone for the advice! I guess my impatience was eating at me, but I'll just have to play the waiting game. Meanwhile, I need to start making plans for next year...