Letter of Intent Etiquette

[ThatsAmore]

.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

Yes, mention your other accept, and delineate the reasons why your #1 school is the place for you, just as you did above.

 

[Goro]

Also make sure that the school actually takes LOI!

 

[ThatsAmore]

Yes, mention your other accept, and delineate the reasons why your #1 school is the place for you, just as you did above.

Ok thank you! Just to clarify should I mention my acceptance explicitly by name or just say that I would choose this waitlisted school even though I hold an acceptance elsewhere?

 

[Goro]

Ok thank you! Just to clarify should I mention my acceptance explicitly by name or just say that I would choose this waitlisted school even though I hold an acceptance elsewhere?

Yes, name names

 

[mdkombucha]

Would naming names of your other acceptances be beneficial if said school is a T5 (Harvard, Stanford, etc.) and "higher ranked" than your current acceptances? I've been told to just generically say "other acceptances" in that case since those schools aren't lacking for candidates.

Also, would it be beneficial to mention that your significant other received a full-merit aid scholarship and hopes to matriculate into the medical program given that I am accepted off the waitlist or does that sound too threatening? Should I just leave it as my partner and I hope to matriculate together?

 

[KnightDoc]

Would naming names of your other acceptances be beneficial if said school is a T5 (Harvard, Stanford, etc.) and "higher ranked" than your current acceptances? I've been told to just generically say "other acceptances" in that case since those schools aren't lacking for candidates.

Also, would it be beneficial to mention that your significant other received a full-merit aid scholarship and hopes to matriculate into the medical program given that I am accepted off the waitlist or does that sound too threatening? Should I just leave it as my partner and I hope to matriculate together?

No school is lacking for candidates, so that's not the issue. The issue is that no T5 is going to be impressed that you are willing to give up a T50 if they take you, so there is nothing to be gained by naming names.

As for suggesting that your SO might not take their money if they don't take you, I don't really see how that works for you. Maybe if your SO reaches out and says s/he will commit if the school takes you???? Do the adcoms think this might be effective? @gyngyn @LizzyM @Moko ??????

 

[mdkombucha]

No school is lacking for candidates, so that's not the issue. The issue is that no T5 is going to be impressed that you are willing to give up a T50 if they take you, so there is nothing to be gained by naming names.

As for suggesting that your SO might not take their money if they don't take you, I don't really see how that works for you. Maybe if your SO reaches out and says s/he will commit if the school takes you???? Do the adcoms think this might be effective? @gyngyn @LizzyM @Moko ??????

Yea, to be fair, I do hold an acceptance to another T5 (well...T10 with this year's rankings I guess) and 2 other T20s, but I get the feeling they aren't going to be impressed regardless so probably just sticking with generic "other acceptances."

And I'm not sure, my SO mentioned that this scholarship they won is pretty prestigious and funded by an outside entity so maybe the school would really want them to go in order to bring that money in? They said they would be willing to reach out on my behalf but I feel that may be a bit weird, so I was just wondering whether to include that at all in my next LOI or just leave it at "really hope to matriculate to a school with my partner."

 

[ThatsAmore]

.

 

[Banco]

I think you're overthinking it.

Send the letter of intent, say that you have a current acceptance at X that you're grateful for, but for Y reasons your school is a better fit for me. You can throw in your brief update about publications etc. in there too, but keep it brief. And then play the waiting game. I think timing wise late April to Early May is probably ideal.

 

[KnightDoc]

Yea, to be fair, I do hold an acceptance to another T5 (well...T10 with this year's rankings I guess) and 2 other T20s, but I get the feeling they aren't going to be impressed regardless so probably just sticking with generic "other acceptances."

And I'm not sure, my SO mentioned that this scholarship they won is pretty prestigious and funded by an outside entity so maybe the school would really want them to go in order to bring that money in? They said they would be willing to reach out on my behalf but I feel that may be a bit weird, so I was just wondering whether to include that at all in my next LOI or just leave it at "really hope to matriculate to a school with my partner."

Outside scholarship is a new twist. If it's not funded by the school itself, then it does not signal an overwhelming desire of the school to throw money at your SO to drive a decision to attend. I honestly don't know, which is why I tagged a few adcoms to weigh in.

Your desire to attend school with your SO explains your motivation, but does not address the question of why a T5 that took a pass on you during the first round should elevate you above everyone else and take you now. Will they lose your SO if they don't? Would that motivate them to take you in order to keep your SO? If so, is this point better made by the person begging to be pulled from the WL, or by the superstar SO with the prestigious outside scholarship?

I'd LOVE to hear what the adcoms think, because I honestly don't know, and don't know whether any amount of begging actually moves the needle at this tier of school. The people who receive As at this tier tend to receive multiple As, so it's not like the schools go out of their way to only admit applicants who don't have other options at this tier because they are sensitive to yield or are afraid of competing with their peers.

If it's Harvard we are talking about, 75% of ALL of their admitted students end up enrolling, so it's unlikely sending them a letter telling them you will enroll if admitted (for whatever reason) will be a great shock to them or would be used to make a decision. OTOH, the prospect of losing your SO if they don't take you (if that is, in fact, a real possibility), might actually move the needle if your SO is such a star. If this ends up being the point you want to express, wouldn't it be better coming from your SO? Adcoms???

 

[KnightDoc]

I think you're overthinking it.

Send the letter of intent, say that you have a current acceptance at X that you're grateful for, but for Y reasons your school is a better fit for me. You can throw in your brief update about publications etc. in there too, but keep it brief. And then play the waiting game. I think timing wise late April to Early May is probably ideal.

This^^^^^.

@ThatsAmore -- you have literally made 8 posts since yesterday asking the exact same question in multiple threads. The simple answer is that you are stressing about nothing.

No, it's not rude to name the school. And no, dropping one T50 school's name in a LOI another T50 school is not going to make a difference. You can explain why you want to go to their school without dropping the name, or with dropping the name. Just do whatever feels right to you.

If they are receptive, your reasons for wanting to attend, and the relative strength of your application as compared to other people on the WL, are going to drive a decision. Not whether or not you have another another A, or whether it is rural, urban or suburban, or whether or not you name names. Good luck!!!