Once you submit your secondaries and the summer dies down, it's time to send update letters to the medical schools on your list!
What is an update letter?
It’s a document you send to medical schools to inform them about your recent activities and experiences that have occurred since submitting your secondaries OR since interviewing at their school.
An Update Letter is a Great Way to:
a) Remind the schools that you still exist
b) Mention new accomplishments since you have applied
c) Show your interest in the schools
The update letter should be sent to all schools that have neither offered you an interview nor have rejected you. In other words, for any school where you're in limbo, you should send this letter.
How is it different from a letter of interest or a letter of intent?
Update letters:
Although update letters might connect your recent activities to the schools’ mission or opportunities, the primary function is to keep medical schools informed about major accomplishments, involvements, and professional development experiences that they wouldn’t have seen in your primary or secondary application. It shows medical schools that you’re dedicated to self-improvement and a growth mindset.
Letters of interest:
This is a heartfelt and sincere letter that focuses on exactly why the school is a perfect fit for you. You typically send this letter only after you’ve sent an update letter and still haven’t heard back from the school. It should include direct connections between your values, experiences, and goals and the school’s mission, opportunities, and programs.
Letters of intent:
This letter is typically sent to ONE school at the end of interview season. This short and sweet document communicates to the school that if/when they accept you, you will choose them above all other options.
When should I send update letters to medical schools?
Update letter #1
October (for schools that are still considering you)
Update letter #2
January (for schools that are still considering you)
Update letter #3
April (for any schools that have put you on a waitlist or where you have interviewed but not yet heard back)
Which schools accept/don’t accept update letters?
Most schools accept them, but some don’t, so MAKE SURE to research individual schools’ websites. If they don’t accept update letters, they usually make that pretty clear in their admissions page, FAQ page, or secondary portal.
Where do I send the update letters?
Some schools have you upload the update letters to their secondary portals, but in other cases, you’ll want to send it via email to the medical school admissions office.
To avoid breaking protocol, try to read the individual policies for different schools on their websites or portals.
Should I paste the letter into an email or attach a document?
On secondary portals, you might have to copy/paste the letter into some kind of textbox. When you have the option, attaching a PDF document looks more professional and ensures the letter’s formatting will appear as intended.
Don’t overthink this. If the letter is compelling, it should be effective either way.
If I email the update letter, what should my subject line be?
Again, don’t overthink it too much. Something like “Your Name - Update Letter” would be fine.
Whom should I address the letter to?
Using “To Whom It May Concern” is never a great idea.
Yes, you don’t know exactly who will be reading it, but putting something like “Dear XYZ School of Medicine Admissions Committee” looks and sounds a lot better.
We wouldn’t recommend putting the dean’s name, since that could come across as presumptuous. The deans are quite busy and unlikely to be reviewing your letter.
How many update letters can I send?
Some schools will place a restriction of one or two updates per applicant, which is usually indicated on their secondary portals or websites.
If the school doesn’t have an indicated limit, you can follow our recommended October-January-April schedule we listed above. Sending a school more than three is typically excessive and not helpful. It might even irritate them.
How long should an update letter be?
A page or less. A few sentences will look rushed or unenthused, but more than a page will turn the reading process into a chore for the schools.
What qualifies as an update? What's significant enough to include?
Your update should be any changes in status, any new accolades, any information that's relevant to your application. Even something as simple as, "I continue to enjoy my challenging research on ____," or "I am working hard to get a paper published," or "I am planning to climb California's highest mountain next month."
What are some do’s and don’ts when writing update letters?
Don’ts:
1. Avoid comments about the school’s admissions timetable
“Since several months have passed without any news from your admissions office…”
“Hope to hear from you soon, especially since I’ve heard that your school tends to send out its second wave of II’s around this time!”
These sentences don’t help your case at all; they convey that you’re “playing the admissions game” rather than showing genuine attraction to the school.
2. Don’t be overly confident
“…how great of a fit I’d be for your incoming class.”
“…I can’t wait to tell you all about it at an interview!”
“If you grant me one of these spots, I guarantee you will not be disappointed!”
It’s good to be confident, but not at the expense of decorum or courtesy. Some letters sound like they’re desperately groveling, which isn’t good either, but you can’t risk any tones of entitlement or self-aggrandizing.
3. Don’t include too many hobbies or personal endeavors
It’s great that you’re running a marathon, and your bodybuilding competition and sailing trip could stand out as unusual gap year activities. BUT don’t let them take up too much space or give them exaggerated importance. They actually have more power if they are kept to a line or two.
Do’s:
1. Include something personal about the school
The more specific, the better. Maybe you read about them in the news, or really liked one of the sample student research projects on their website. It’s nice if you can include some small personal note as part of the impetus behind the letter. If you can personalize it right away, they’re far more likely to finish reading it.
See the example below for reference.
2. Show your trackable progress
Oftentimes letters are packed with continuations or future plans. It’s better if you can show an “after picture” of something you brought up in your application – an event you organized, a publication, a completed project – anything to show your follow through and ability to leave things better than you found them.
3. Connect your gap year activities to the school’s mission/opportunities
If your update letter could be sent to all schools without making any changes, that’s a bad sign. Yes, you can template your update letter from school to school, but you MUST distinguish the school’s program and show your “fit.”
Is there an update letter template I can follow?
Sure - check this one out!
To recap, here are the qualities of strong update letters:
Keep these points in mind, and you won’t go astray! Hopefully it’s the right combination to get you noticed!
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