A letter of continued interest (LOCI) is a short letter a waitlisted applicant sends to say they still want to attend, usually with anything new since they applied. At some schools it is close to required. At others it is optional, and sending more won’t help. Here is what named law and business schools say on their own pages, two example letters, and how to write yours.
From law and business schools’ own admissions pagesWaitlist policiesChecked October 29, 2026
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What schools say about LOCIs
The biggest differences are how to send it, how often, and whether new recommendation letters are welcome. Follow your own school’s instructions, which are usually in your waitlist email or status checker.
| School | How to send | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard Law | Status checker only | Strongly suggested. “We are unlikely to move forward with your waitlist candidacy if you do not submit a letter of continued interest.” One page, 11-point font or larger. |
| UChicago Law | Applicant status portal | For the 2026 waitlist, due by May 1. “Letters will only be accepted via the ASO portal.” New recommendation letters: “Please refrain from sending these additional letters.” |
| NYU Law | Reply to the waitlist email | Confirm by reply that you want to stay on the active waitlist. The committee “does not accept letters of recommendation for waitlist candidates.” |
| Duke Law | Check in later in the summer: “weekly isn’t necessary but every 3-4 weeks isn’t out of line.” | |
| Notre Dame Law | LSAC portal or email, not both | “Letters of Continued Interest (LOCIs) are optional” and most helpful in early-to-mid April. “The number of updates that a student submits will not alter their consideration from the waitlist.” |
| Boston University Law | “While emailing us every day is excessive,” keeping the office informed can help, especially as the summer goes on. An additional letter of reference is welcome. | |
| Michigan State Law | “Letters of Continued Interest are encouraged and welcomed.” No more than “one letter every four to five weeks.” | |
| Loyola Chicago Law | Accepts “a one-page statement of continued interest.” “The waitlist is not ranked.” | |
| Maryland Carey Law | Application status portal | “We also recommend letting us know that Maryland Carey Law is your first choice, should that be the case.” |
| Seton Hall Law | Waitlist response form | “The quality of your updates, and not the quantity of them, will be most helpful during the review of your file.” |
| Yale SOM (MBA) | Waitlist Update Form only | Updates sent to the waitlist inbox “will not be included in your admissions file.” |
| Kellogg (MBA) | Waitlist update form | “We discourage the submission of additional letters of recommendation or references from third parties.” |
When to send it
- Not right away, at some schools. Harvard says “For most applicants, it is most effective to wait until late April to draft and submit your LOCI.” (Harvard Law)
- In April at others. Notre Dame says LOCIs are most helpful as it approaches its waitlist review in early-to-mid April (Notre Dame).
- Spaced out after that. Michigan State asks for no more than one every four to five weeks (Michigan State), and Duke says every three to four weeks later in the summer is fine (Duke).
- Answer the response form first. Many schools ask you to opt in. Seton Hall says “If you do not submit the form, we will assume your disinterest in remaining on our waitlist.” (Seton Hall)
What to put in it
- Format it as a letter. Harvard asks for a letter “addressed to our Admissions Committee, with the date included at the top,” and one page (Harvard Law).
- Say why this school, specifically. Notre Dame says a LOCI can include your motivation for law, your level of interest in the school, and your specific interests (Notre Dame). Name a clinic, a class, or a person, not the ranking.
- Say it’s your first choice only if it is. Harvard says that if it is your first choice, “it is helpful to share that in your letter.” Tell one school, and only if you would enroll.
- Add real updates. A new LSAT score, final grades, a promotion, a new responsibility. Seton Hall cares about quality, not quantity (Seton Hall).
- Keep it short. One page is the stated limit at Harvard and Loyola Chicago. Aim for 250 to 400 words.
- Send it the way the school asks. Harvard says “You should not email your letter of continued interest.” Duke and BU want email. Yale SOM ignores updates sent to the wrong place.
Example letters of continued interest
We wrote these two as teaching examples; they are not real applicants’ letters. Names, schools, and details are placeholders. Notice what each one does: a clear statement of interest, one or two concrete updates, and nothing repeated from the application.
Example: A paralegal, first-choice school, two concrete updates
Dear Dean Alvarez and members of the Admissions Committee,
Thank you for keeping my application on your waitlist. [School] is still my first choice. If I am admitted, I will withdraw my other applications and enroll.
Two things have changed since I applied in November. In February I was promoted to senior paralegal at Hart & Lowell, where I now train new hires on document review. I also retook the LSAT in January and scored 168, up from the 164 in my file.
When I visited in March, I sat in on a first-year Evidence class. The professor ran the hour like a hearing, with students objecting from their seats. I left knowing that is how I want to learn law.
I will not send further updates unless something material changes. Thank you for your time and for considering my application again.
Sincerely,
Dana Whitfield
Example: A career changer, no first-choice pledge, one update
Dear Admissions Committee,
I was glad to learn I am on the waitlist, and I want you to know my interest in [School] hasn’t changed.
I’ve worked as an emergency room nurse for eleven years. The part of the job that pulled me toward law was the charting: knowing that a sentence I wrote at 3 a.m. might be read by a lawyer two years later, and that a patient’s case could turn on it. Your Health Law Clinic is the reason I applied, and it is still the reason I hope to come.
One update. Since January I’ve served on my hospital’s patient grievance committee, which reviews complaints and recommends changes to policy. Last month the committee adopted my proposal to give families a plain-language summary of every grievance decision.
Thank you for reading this, and for the care your office has taken with my file.
Best regards,
Marcus Ferreira
Common mistakes
- Telling two schools they’re your first choice. If both admit you, you’ve broken a promise to one of them. Pick one or say neither.
- Sending recommendation letters a school has refused. UChicago, NYU, and Kellogg all say no or discourage them. BU, Seton Hall, and Duke accept them.
- Sending too many. BU calls daily email excessive, and Notre Dame says the number of updates doesn’t change your consideration.
- Rewriting your personal statement. The committee has read it. Use the letter for what’s new.
- Going around the system. Harvard says visiting campus “will have no impact on your waitlist candidacy.”
Get help with your letter of continued interest. Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor, helps applicants write their own waitlist letters and updates: what to say, what to leave out, and how to keep it to one page. She never writes them for you. Working with Lauren is $275 an hour, or $1,250 for 5 hours, and consultations are free.
Contact LaurenOr call or text 951-395-4646.
Applying to law school? See our law school personal statement examples and law school interview guide. Waitlisted at medical school or waiting on the Match? See our guides to medical school letters of intent and update letters and residency letters of intent.
Frequently asked questions
Is a letter of continued interest required?
It depends on the school. Harvard Law says it is unlikely to move forward with your waitlist candidacy without one. Notre Dame says LOCIs are optional. Many schools also require a separate waitlist response form.
How long should a letter of continued interest be?
One page. Harvard Law asks for one page in at least 11-point font, and Loyola Chicago asks for a one-page statement.
When should I send a letter of continued interest?
Usually in April, and as your school directs. Harvard Law suggests waiting until late April. Notre Dame says LOCIs are most helpful in early-to-mid April. Michigan State asks for no more than one every four to five weeks.
Can I send new letters of recommendation while waitlisted?
Some schools accept them, including BU, Duke, and Seton Hall. UChicago Law asks applicants not to, NYU Law does not accept them for waitlist candidates, and Kellogg discourages them.
Should I say the school is my first choice?
Only if it is true and you would enroll. Harvard Law and Maryland Carey Law both say it helps to tell them if they are your first choice. Tell one school, not several.
Every policy and quotation on this page comes from the school’s own admissions page, linked where it appears. Waitlist instructions change each year; your waitlist email takes precedence. Last checked October 29, 2026.