Stanford 2010!!! Forum

[runnerman]

anyone willing to read my LOCI before I send it off this afternoon?

[Amelie]

anyone willing to read my LOCI before I send it off this afternoon?

I'll take a look at it if you want

[smov_operator]

anyone willing to read my LOCI before I send it off this afternoon?

I'd be happy to.

[theadw]

anyone willing to read my LOCI before I send it off this afternoon?

I can.

[bloodonthetracks]

can someone explain to me what the point is of sending an LOCI prior to being waitlisted/held? i can see why a LOCI is useful if you have new grades, a new job, or just won a major award. but does it make any sense to just send one to say "i still really want to go to stanford" and mention a couple stanford programs that interest you?

[runnerman]

can someone explain to me what the point is of sending an LOCI prior to being waitlisted/held? i can see why a LOCI is useful if you have new grades, a new job, or just won a major award. but does it make any sense to just send one to say "i still really want to go to stanford" and mention a couple stanford programs that interest you?

if you look back a couple of pages on this thread, someone went to an event where Faye Deal said it was important to "stay in communication."

since SLS doesn't, I took that to mean that applicants should. consensus seems to be that at the worst, it can't hurt

[adameus]

can someone explain to me what the point is of sending an LOCI prior to being waitlisted/held? i can see why a LOCI is useful if you have new grades, a new job, or just won a major award. but does it make any sense to just send one to say "i still really want to go to stanford" and mention a couple stanford programs that interest you?

for me the reason I sent one was that I don't think my original application conveyed the fact that I really wanted to go to Stanford.

[ConMan345]

can someone explain to me what the point is of sending an LOCI prior to being waitlisted/held? i can see why a LOCI is useful if you have new grades, a new job, or just won a major award. but does it make any sense to just send one to say "i still really want to go to stanford" and mention a couple stanford programs that interest you?

Here's what I wrote a few pages back:

Just a general note about LOCIs: from what I've heard, Stanford takes them very seriously. I went to an event with the admissions deans from SLS, NYU, Cornell and Duke (you may have as well, they were touring), and Dean Deal hammered home more than anyone the importance of "staying in contact." She put it in the context of a kind of conversation. This is probably counterintuitive given how little Stanford keeps up its end of the "conversation," but is worth noting for those of you thinking of sending a LOCI, or wondering what kind of angle to take. She even left the door open for more than one if you've been waiting for awhile--she probably said "stay in touch," at least four times. Anecdotally, I have a friend who got off the waitlist in August after sending in more than one substantive LOCI.

As to the specific question at hand, my advice is to stress your interest in Stanford but lay off mentioning Yale. The fact of the matter is, many, many, many people are going to be writing that Stanford is their first choice one way or another, so the potential upside is small, while the potential downside of coming off as presumptuous, as others have mentioned, is prohibitive. Just think about all of the other people who might be waitlisted--how can you set yourself apart?

------

I can go into a little more detail. I remember her saying something to this effect: "When we go to your file, it's nice to see that you've been staying in touch. A lot can happen in the months since you applied, and keeping us updated is important." Someone asked what "staying in touch" meant, and she said nothing more than once every 3 months. In all cases, only keep your letter as long as it needs to be to communicate whatever it is you're trying to communicate. Then she said something about a "page full of words" isn't what they're looking for. She ended the discussion reiterating her point, something like "Stay in touch. If it's been a long time since we've gotten anything from you, we'll be disappointed if we go to your file and all it has is something from the fall."

The open questions is: is there a certain threshold of content that justifies a letter, or can you send a simple, "Hey stanford, I really like you"? If it were me, going off of the impression I got from the panel, I would send one even if I hadn't done much. Just a half a page, saying what I had been doing (a la Yale's app), then a couple sentences on why Stanford is the choice for me.

[dudester]

can someone explain to me what the point is of sending an LOCI prior to being waitlisted/held? i can see why a LOCI is useful if you have new grades, a new job, or just won a major award. but does it make any sense to just send one to say "i still really want to go to stanford" and mention a couple stanford programs that interest you?

Here's what I wrote a few pages back:

Just a general note about LOCIs: from what I've heard, Stanford takes them very seriously. I went to an event with the admissions deans from SLS, NYU, Cornell and Duke (you may have as well, they were touring), and Dean Deal hammered home more than anyone the importance of "staying in contact." She put it in the context of a kind of conversation. This is probably counterintuitive given how little Stanford keeps up its end of the "conversation," but is worth noting for those of you thinking of sending a LOCI, or wondering what kind of angle to take. She even left the door open for more than one if you've been waiting for awhile--she probably said "stay in touch," at least four times. Anecdotally, I have a friend who got off the waitlist in August after sending in more than one substantive LOCI.

As to the specific question at hand, my advice is to stress your interest in Stanford but lay off mentioning Yale. The fact of the matter is, many, many, many people are going to be writing that Stanford is their first choice one way or another, so the potential upside is small, while the potential downside of coming off as presumptuous, as others have mentioned, is prohibitive. Just think about all of the other people who might be waitlisted--how can you set yourself apart?

------

I can go into a little more detail. I remember her saying something to this effect: "When we go to your file, it's nice to see that you've been staying in touch. A lot can happen in the months since you applied, and keeping us updated is important." Someone asked what "staying in touch" meant, and she said nothing more than once every 3 months. In all cases, only keep your letter as long as it needs to be to communicate whatever it is you're trying to communicate. Then she said something about a "page full of words" isn't what they're looking for. She ended the discussion reiterating her point, something like "Stay in touch. If it's been a long time since we've gotten anything from you, we'll be disappointed if we go to your file and all it has is something from the fall."

The open questions is: is there a certain threshold of content that justifies a letter, or can you send a simple, "Hey stanford, I really like you"? If it were me, going off of the impression I got from the panel, I would send one even if I hadn't done much. Just a half a page, saying what I had been doing (a la Yale's app), then a couple sentences on why Stanford is the choice for me.

It sounds like y'all need to go read Dean Deal's blog before deciding whether you need to send LOCIs.

[ConMan345]

"As an applicant, what can you do if you’ve not yet heard from us regarding a decision? This would be an excellent opportunity to get us more information. If your fall grades are now available, get an updated transcript to LSAC so that our records are updated. If you’ve received any new honors or awards, send us details on that. If you’ve started a new job or taken on new responsibilities at your current job, let us know. Approach this as an opportunity to further your case – if there is something that could affect or impact our review of your application, get that information to us. Email is the quickest and most efficient way to accomplish this."

-Dean Deal

[dudester]

Meaghan says:

… If an applicant experiences a life change which comes after the deadline (in my case, a promotion), should he or she submit an addendum detailing that change? Or is it preferable to treat a submitted application as fully closed – in effect, published?

Faye says:

It is indeed a good idea to update your materials in a situation like you describe. It is, as you say, a “life change” and that carries importance. Now, on the other hand, if you were thinking of telling us that you’ve increased the number of hours you’re volunteering with one particular pet project, then I’d say hold off. While that is a worthwhile endeavor in its own right, updating your application with that information will have no impact on the review.
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Jessica says:

I recently founded a new group on my campus, but it falls under areas of interest already listed on my application. Would this be useful information to include in an update?

Faye says:

If your case, I’d say there is no need to update your application. As you state, it’s an area of interest already highlighted. I would also assume, given its recent founding, that you would most likely have little in terms of outcome to discuss at this point. Now, let’s say you are placed on our waitlist (purely hypothetical) down the road. Enough time may have passed that there are now outcomes you can discuss – this would be an excellent time to let us know about the group.
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Mary says:

… When I applied early in the cycle I included a supplemental essay on my interest in Stanford. I later sent your office an update to the application. However, in both cases I overlooked emphasizing that Stanford is by far my first choice.

What would be the best way to convey such a message at this point? I assure you that it is sincere and has been since I first submitted my application.

Faye says:

You’ve already included a supplemental essay highlighting your interest in SLS so consider the task done and cross that item of your to-do list. If, down the road, you’re placed on our waitlist, think about reiterating that interest at that point.
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Nate says:

For those of us still in university, would taking on an additional leadership role in a high-profile campus organization that is not mentioned in one’s application warrant an update?

If so, would it be appropriate to send the update as part of a letter of continued interest or should only a short addendum be sent?

Faye says:

If the additional leadership role is substantive and adds sufficiently more to your plate, then do a brief addendum. If not, let things stand. You don’t want us reading through additional paperwork only to find out that you’re only doing a bit more than you were before. Use your best judgement in determining whether this added responsiblity needs to be brought to our attention.


It seems like what Dean Deal means by "keep us informed" is that she's interested in receiving LOCIs that address important "life changes" that "add sufficiently more to your plate." Ideally, those "life changes" would not be so recent that "you would most likely have little in terms of outcome to discuss at this point."

I would think twice before going down this path:

I would send one even if I hadn't done much. Just a half a page, saying what I had been doing (a la Yale's app)

[bloodonthetracks]

thank you for the responses, everyone. this is very helpful.

in my particular case, i feel i did not convey why i wanted to go to stanford in my application (aside from having an alum write a letter of rec for me). do you think it is appropriate to write a LOCI that briefly describes my particular interest in stanford? i should note that this interest relates directly to my current job, which i can update them on (though there is nothing terribly substantial to update).

[Reedie]

thank you for the responses, everyone. this is very helpful.

in my particular case, i feel i did not convey why i wanted to go to stanford in my application (aside from having an alum write a letter of rec for me). do you think it is appropriate to write a LOCI that briefly describes my particular interest in stanford? i should note that this interest relates directly to my current job, which i can update them on (though there is nothing terribly substantial to update).

Here is what I sent:

I'm writing to inform you of my continued interest in Stanford Law. Stanford is still my first choice, and I would be very excited to have an opportunity to attend. Attached please find an updated version of my resume in a different file format. Apparently the formatting on my previous copy did not transfer in the way that I had intended.

Remember, they have no shortage of documents to read. I'd keep it simple and to the point. Then again, it's not like I have any special insight into what they think.

[adameus]

thank you for the responses, everyone. this is very helpful.

in my particular case, i feel i did not convey why i wanted to go to stanford in my application (aside from having an alum write a letter of rec for me). do you think it is appropriate to write a LOCI that briefly describes my particular interest in stanford? i should note that this interest relates directly to my current job, which i can update them on (though there is nothing terribly substantial to update).

in my case I more wanted Stanford to know THAT I wanted to attend and less so WHY I wanted to attend. In my head I was concerned that they would look at my application and say this guy will probably get in at Harvard and it doesn't really look like he has any interest in us, why don't we let someone in who is interested in us instead? (I could very well be completely delusional in believing that they would think this, but I think we are all delusional when it comes to our own applications). Basically I wanted Stanford to feel the love! as I think that can go a long way. If a school believes that you are not likely to attend, they are probably less likely to offer you admission than someone equally strong who they believe is likely to attend.

[adameus]

thank you for the responses, everyone. this is very helpful.

in my particular case, i feel i did not convey why i wanted to go to stanford in my application (aside from having an alum write a letter of rec for me). do you think it is appropriate to write a LOCI that briefly describes my particular interest in stanford? i should note that this interest relates directly to my current job, which i can update them on (though there is nothing terribly substantial to update).

Here is what I sent:

I'm writing to inform you of my continued interest in Stanford Law. Stanford is still my first choice, and I would be very excited to have an opportunity to attend. Attached please find an updated version of my resume in a different file format. Apparently the formatting on my previous copy did not transfer in the way that I had intended.

Remember, they have no shortage of documents to read. I'd keep it simple and to the point. Then again, it's not like I have any special insight into what they think.

Simple is definetely good. In the harvard thread a week or so back there were people who were trimming their LOCI's down to 800 words. that is waaaaay too long and what you are trying to say will get lost amongst all the other garbage. My thought is absolutely no more than 400 words including the addresses on the letter.

[bloodonthetracks]

thank you for the responses, everyone. this is very helpful.

in my particular case, i feel i did not convey why i wanted to go to stanford in my application (aside from having an alum write a letter of rec for me). do you think it is appropriate to write a LOCI that briefly describes my particular interest in stanford? i should note that this interest relates directly to my current job, which i can update them on (though there is nothing terribly substantial to update).

in my case I more wanted Stanford to know THAT I wanted to attend and less so WHY I wanted to attend. In my head I was concerned that they would look at my application and say this guy will probably get in at Harvard and it doesn't really look like he has any interest in us, why don't we let someone in who is interested in us instead? (I could very well be completely delusional in believing that they would think this, but I think we are all delusional when it comes to our own applications). Basically I wanted Stanford to feel the love! as I think that can go a long way. If a school believes that you are not likely to attend, they are probably less likely to offer you admission than someone equally strong who they believe is likely to attend.

thanks. so did you stress particular programs/aspects of the school in your LOCI?

[Reedie]

Simple is definetely good. In the harvard thread a week or so back there were people who were trimming their LOCI's down to 800 words. that is waaaaay too long and what you are trying to say will get lost amongst all the other garbage. My thought is absolutely no more than 400 words including the addresses on the letter.

Their admissions page says that they want updates e-mailed, so I'd do that instead of sending a letter.

Personally, I'm not too worried. I see a denial in my not too distant future, so there isn't much pressure.

[hiromoto45]

I sent my loci yesterday but I haven't gotten a confirmation of receipt yet, how long does it take them to reply? Should I be worried?

[Core]

I sent my loci yesterday but I haven't gotten a confirmation of receipt yet, how long does it take them to reply? Should I be worried?

No, can take 2-3 days.

[Kronk]

I sent my loci yesterday but I haven't gotten a confirmation of receipt yet, how long does it take them to reply? Should I be worried?

No, can take 2-3 days.

Do they send that automatically or do you ahve to ask? Just wondering.

[Core]

I sent my loci yesterday but I haven't gotten a confirmation of receipt yet, how long does it take them to reply? Should I be worried?

No, can take 2-3 days.

Do they send that automatically or do you ahve to ask? Just wondering.

Automatically, in my experience.

[Kronk]

I sent my loci yesterday but I haven't gotten a confirmation of receipt yet, how long does it take them to reply? Should I be worried?

No, can take 2-3 days.

Do they send that automatically or do you ahve to ask? Just wondering.

Automatically, in my experience.

Damn. ITT, I find out Stanford never received my LOCI three months ago.

[pleasepickme]

Still nothing in my mailbox in the midwest. It's getting to the point where I don't really know which I fear more when I go check, that there will be something there or that the silence will continue.

[CardinalRules]

Damn. ITT, I find out Stanford never received my LOCI three months ago.

They probably found it but never got around to sending the confirmation. Stanford's email communications have been spotty in my case; they didn't send me a completion email until I wrote them to ask about it, but my file had long before been complete.

[Dignan]

Do they send that automatically or do you ahve to ask? Just wondering.

Automatically, in my experience.

Damn. ITT, I find out Stanford never received my LOCI three months ago.

In my experience, law schools can be pretty irregular about confirming the receipt of LOCIs and other forms of communication. At CLS, for example, I did not get a response when I emailed them about a scholarship offer from another school, even though most others were receiving confirmation by email. When I called them two weeks later, they confirmed that they received my email and that "we try to confirm receipt of emails, but sometimes we get overwhelmed." A couple of others had similar experiences.

I don't know about how SLS operates, but it's possible (likely?) that they just neglected to send you a confirmation email. If it's really bothering you, it wouldn't hurt to call and ask. I think the worst that can happen is that they'll decide to reject you again.