Newbie to "Why X" essays and LOCI - clarification needed Forum

[BetterLateThanNever1]

Hi all. So for some brief background:
- 3.76 LSDAS GPA
- 163 LSAT
- strong softs (CPA, 1 year at PwC, Master's in Accounting, online startups with high revenues)
- 13 apps submitted (all sent between 1/9-1/20)
- 3 responses so far (Miami, Cardozo, Southern California accepted)

I keep seeing references to a "Why Penn/Columbia/etc." essay and I'm getting nervous I missed something.

Were these "Why X" essays supposed to be included with my initial app (for Penn, I chose a different optional essay than Why Penn)?

Are these something I should complete and send in now as an addendum to my outstanding apps?

And finally, what is a LOCI (continued interest I'm guessing), when is it appropriate, and what are the contents?

Thanks for all your help!

[isuperserial]

Hi all. So for some brief background:
- 3.76 LSDAS GPA
- 163 LSAT
- strong softs (CPA, 1 year at PwC, Master's in Accounting, online startups with high revenues)
- 13 apps submitted (all sent between 1/9-1/20)
- 3 responses so far (Miami, Cardozo, Southern California accepted)

I keep seeing references to a "Why Penn/Columbia/etc." essay and I'm getting nervous I missed something.

Were these "Why X" essays supposed to be included with my initial app (for Penn, I chose a different optional essay than Why Penn)?

Are these something I should complete and send in now as an addendum to my outstanding apps?

And finally, what is a LOCI (continued interest I'm guessing), when is it appropriate, and what are the contents?

Thanks for all your help!

Why X essays are not required in most cases. For some schools however, (Michigan, Notre Dame) it's highly recommended. It's also recommended if you're a borderline candidate, or just want an extra slight edge in admissions.

If you feel like you want to send in a Why X essay after your app is in, you'll have to talk to someone else about what the protocol is on that. It probably wouldn't hurt your app.

LOCI is commonly sent in after you get waitlisted. It's your chance to express your continued interest and make grand gestures of love for the school like, "if I'm accepted, I will immediately withdraw all other apps and write you a personal song." Feel free to do a search for other LOCI examples to give you an idea, but the general gist is to just express your continued interest and give them updates on your classes or your job or various accomplishments.

[BetterLateThanNever1]

Thank you!