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Medical School Update Letter: What Counts, When to Send It and a Template
How a medical school update letter differs from a letter of intent, what counts as a real update, when to send one, how schools take updates, and a fill-in template with examples.
A medical school update letter tells a school what is new since you applied: a publication, a new role, an award, final grades. Send it when you have a real update and your file is still open, usually before an interview invite, while on hold or on the waitlist. Keep it under a page, send it the way the school asks, and once or twice per school at most.
Update letter or letter of intent?
- Update letter: new facts about you, and that you are still interested. Any school that accepts updates, before or after the interview.
- Letter of intent: a promise that you will attend if accepted. One school, after the interview. See the letter of intent guide.
For your first choice, put both in one email: updates first, the promise last.
What counts as an update
Worth a letter:
- A paper, abstract or poster accepted
- A new job, promotion or leadership role
- An award, scholarship or honor
- New grades or a new MCAT score
- A grant, a finished thesis, a program launched
- A full year of clinical work or research
Not worth a letter on its own:
- A few more hours in the same activity
- Anything already in your application
- Plans that haven't happened yet
- Checking in or asking for your status
When to send it
Before an interview invite
Fall and early winter, if something real has happened since you submitted. Schools differ here: Baylor takes updates only before an interview, and Stanford only after an invite. Wait until the school has your complete application.
After the interview, on hold or deferred
The most common time. Send it when you have news, ideally within a few weeks of being placed on hold, and pair it with a letter of intent to your first choice.
On the waitlist
Send one when you are placed on the waitlist, and another in spring if you have new news. Many seats open after April 30, when the AAMC asks accepted applicants to choose one school, and Tufts says hearing that you are still interested helps most after July 1.
How many
One or two per school per cycle. Each one should carry something new. A monthly letter with nothing in it does more harm than good.
How schools take updates
AMCAS lets you change only a few fields after you submit, so updates go to each school. In their own words (checked October 15, 2026), and check your school's policy:
Stanford: Only after an invite
“Updates to an application will be accepted only after an applicant has been invited to interview.”
Georgetown: Portal text, interviewees only
“post-submission updates will be limited to text updates submitted via the online Secondary Application portal.”
Georgetown University School of Medicine, MD application guide
Yale: A PDF upload, any time
“If you wish to submit an update to your application at any time throughout the application season (before or after an interview), you may upload a .pdf document”
Duke: In the portal
“Updates to your secondary application can be made on the ‘Application Updates’ bar on the left navigation menu.”
Vanderbilt: Significant updates only
“We ask that you limit your updates to those that are significant and relevant to your application.”
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, admissions process
More schools, including those that forbid letters of intent, are in the letter of intent guide.
Update letter template
Fill in the fields and copy the email. Nothing leaves your browser.
Example email
109 words
Subject: Application update: Jordan Lee, AMCAS ID 12345678
Example: before an interview invite
Example: from the waitlist, with intent
Sources: AAMC, protocols for applicants, advice from admissions officers on the waitlist and AMCAS postsubmission actions, 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 medical school update letter?
A short letter that tells a school what is new since you applied, such as a publication, a new role, an award or new grades, and that you are still interested. It makes no promise to attend.
When should I send an update letter?
When you have a real update and your file is still open: while waiting for an interview invite, after the interview while on hold, or on the waitlist. Wait until the school has your complete application.
How many update letters can I send?
One or two per school per cycle, and only when each one has something new. A school that sets a limit, or asks for updates through its portal, comes first.
Is a letter of continued interest the same thing?
Nearly. A letter of continued interest is an update letter sent from the waitlist that stresses you still want the seat. If the school is your first choice and you will attend, add a line of intent.
Should I update my AMCAS application instead?
You can't change most of AMCAS after you submit it, and schools have already downloaded your file. Send updates the way each school asks, usually through its applicant portal or by email.