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Medical School Letter of Intent: When to Send It, Template and Examples
What a medical school letter of intent is, when to send one, which schools accept or refuse post-interview letters, how to structure it, a fill-in template with examples, and the mistakes to avoid.
A medical school letter of intent tells one school, after your interview, that it is your first choice and that you will attend if accepted. Send it to one school only, only if it is true, and only if the school accepts post-interview letters. Keep it under a page: why this school, what you would add, and any real update. It helps most when you are on hold or the waitlist.
Intent, interest or update?
A letter of intent promises you will attend, so it goes to one school. A letter of interest says a school is one of your top choices, with no promise. An update letter shares what is new since you applied, and many applicants end the one to their first choice with a line of intent.
When to send one
- After your interview, once you know your first choice.
- Before the school decides. MD schools may accept from October 15, and Stanford releases decisions between January and March.
- While your file is open: on hold or the waitlist.
- Only if you will attend. If you get in, withdraw elsewhere by April 30, as the AAMC protocols ask.
For each school's interview dates and the full cycle, see the medical school interview timeline.
What schools say
In their own words, checked October 15, 2026. Check your school's policy before you send anything:
Mayo Clinic Alix: Encouraged, via the portal
“Applicants are encouraged to submit update letters, letters of interest, or letters of intent through the admissions portal.”
WashU: Accepted and read
“Letters of interest/intent are also accepted and reviewed. There is no specific format or deadline for update letters or letters of intent.”
Icahn Mount Sinai: After the interview
“The Admissions Office accepts letters of interest at any time throughout the application process and letters of intent after interview.”
Baylor: Intent after the interview, no updates
“Those who have interviewed may send ‘letters of intent’ through the application system, but not updates to their application.”
WesternU (DO): From the alternate list
“You may also provide us with a letter of intent. Simply contact your admissions counselor and they will ensure that your application is updated.”
Weill Cornell: Occasional, real updates
“We are open to receiving substantive and occasional updates.”
Tufts: Unlikely to change the outcome
“at this point in the process such material is unlikely to change the outcome of your application.”
Tufts University School of Medicine, interviewed MD applicants
UCSF: Interest letters not filed
“Letters of interest are not necessary and not included in applicant files.”
UCLA Geffen: Not considered
“No, we do not consider letters of intent. Any follow-up letters or messages to admissions will not be considered.”
Johns Hopkins: Nothing extra at all
“we cannot accept any updates or additional information. Any extraneous materials received will be destroyed.”
ICOM (DO): Only if they ask
“No additional materials are required unless the admissions office specifically requests them.”
Toronto Metropolitan: Only through OMSAS
“Documents or requests to amend an application sent directly to the TMU School of Medicine by email or otherwise will not be reviewed or added to your application.”
Does a letter of intent help?
No published study measures it. In an AAMC article, a University of Toledo admissions dean says letters of intent rarely provide "any certain, actionable information", and Tufts calls waitlist material unlikely to change the outcome. Where a school takes them, a letter can show a held or waitlisted file that you will say yes. It can't replace the interview.
How to structure it
- The statement: First line: it is your first choice and you will attend if accepted.
- Why this school: Two or three specifics from interview day or the curriculum. Cut any line that fits every school.
- What you would add: Tie the school to something you have already done.
- Anything new, then thanks: Any real update since your interview, a one-line thank-you, and your AMCAS or AACOMAS ID.
Letter of intent template
Fill in the fields and copy the email. Nothing leaves your browser.
Example email
117 words
Subject: Letter of intent: Jordan Lee, AMCAS ID 12345678
Example: after an interview, on hold
Example: a DO school, from the waitlist
Mistakes to avoid
Sending a letter of intent to more than one school
It can only be true for one. Admissions offices talk, and a promise you break follows you. Send letters of interest to the others.
Writing to a school that says not to
Ignoring a stated policy tells the committee you don't follow instructions. Check the school's admissions pages and your interview emails first.
Repeating your personal statement
They have read your application. A letter that restates it uses their time and adds nothing.
Praise that fits every school
“Excellent clinical training and a collaborative culture” could be anywhere. Name the clinic, track, course or person that stood out.
Asking for a decision or your waitlist rank
It reads as pressure. Say what you want to say and let the letter do its job.
Sending it too early, or too often
Right after the interview the school hasn't decided anything yet, and a letter every few weeks becomes noise. One letter of intent, plus an update only if something real happens.
Sources: AAMC, protocols for applicants, protocols for admission officers and advice from admissions officers on the waitlist, and each school's page linked above. Checked October 15, 2026. Policies change between cycles, so check your school's policy.
Frequently asked questions
What is a letter of intent for medical school?
A short letter, usually an email, that tells one school after your interview that it is your first choice and that you will attend if accepted. A letter of interest says a school is one of your top choices without that promise. Neither is required.
When should I send a letter of intent?
After your interview, once you are sure the school is your first choice, and while your file is still undecided: on hold, deferred or on the waitlist. If you are placed on the waitlist, send it soon after.
Can I send a letter of intent to more than one school?
No. It says you will attend if accepted, so it can only be true for one school. Send letters of interest or update letters to the others.
Does a letter of intent help?
Sometimes, and only at the margin. Some schools say post-interview letters do not change decisions, and others add them to your file. It helps most when you are on hold or the waitlist, and it can never make up for the interview itself.
How long should a letter of intent be?
Under one page, about 200 to 400 words. Lead with the statement of intent, then two or three specifics about the school, then any real update. If a school sets a word limit, stay under it.
What if I am accepted after sending it?
Keep your word. Accept the offer and withdraw from the other schools where you hold acceptances or waitlist spots, as the AAMC's application protocols ask, so those seats go to other applicants.