What is a letter of continued interest (LOCI)?

A brief update to admissions when you remain interested—often after deferral or waitlist. It adds something new since your application; it does not replace your personal statement.

Can I use ChatGPT to write a LOCI?

For structure after you write the one new fact by hand. Do not paste your entire application or let the model invent achievements, visits, or faculty names.

How long should a LOCI be?

Often one page or less—sometimes 150–300 words if the school specifies. One update, clear continued interest, optional brief fit line. Not a second essay.

Should I humanize my LOCI?

After the new fact is true and you removed repetition from your original statement. Humanizing empty enthusiasm produces polished empty enthusiasm.

Humanize LOCI (One New Fact, Not a Second Essay)

A letter of continued interest (LOCI) answers one question: "What is new since we read your file—and do you still want to attend?" ChatGPT LOCIs rephrase your personal statement, add generic passion, and sometimes invent spring grades, campus visits, or faculty conversations that never happened.

Humanizing without a real update produces a second generic essay admissions already rejected once.

What admissions offices want in a LOCI

Element	Weak AI LOCI	Strong waitlist / deferral LOCI
Purpose	Repeats application themes	One concrete update since submit
Length	Three pages of passion	Brief; respects their reading load
Fit	"Dream school" boilerplate	One program-specific detail you researched
Tone	Desperate or entitled	Grateful, factual, still interested
Ask	Demands admission	States interest; follows school instructions

Many schools publish LOCI guidance—follow it exactly. Some want email; some want a portal upload; some say do not send extra materials.

One new fact—not a second personal statement

Before ChatGPT or Human Writes, write by hand:

The update — one sentence only: new grade, publication, job change, award, meaningful project milestone, or authorized visit note
Why it matters — one sentence linking the update to your readiness (not a life story)
Continued interest — one sentence naming the school; optional one fit detail (course, lab, opportunity—not flattery)
Logistics — enrollment intent if admitted, or "I remain fully committed" if policy allows

If you cannot name (1), wait until you have something true—or send a two-sentence interest note without AI padding.

Your personal statement workflow already did the scene work. Do not re-narrate childhood. The LOCI is an appendix, not a rewrite.

Typical LOCI structure

Adjust to the school's template, but most effective letters look like:

Opening — thank you; context (waitlist / deferral) in one line
Update — the new fact with specifics (course name, date, outcome)
Fit (optional) — one line showing you still understand the program
Close — continued interest; contact info; follow their process

Section	Humanize?	Why
Grades / awards / dates	No	Verifiable facts
School and program names	No	Spell-check manually
Opening and close	Light, one pass	Often template-stiff
"Why still us" line	After fact locked	Easy to over-write

Paste opening and closing paragraphs into Human Writes once. Restore every proper noun and number exactly.

Before and after (update paragraph)

AI update:

Since applying, I have continued to pursue my passions and grow as a student. I remain deeply committed to your institution's values of excellence and innovation. I would be honored to contribute to your vibrant community.

After one new fact locked:

Since I applied in November, I earned an A in AP Calculus BC (spring transcript enclosed per portal instructions) and led our robotics team to regional finals—roles that strengthened the quantitative foundation I described for the engineering track I requested.

Second version gives readers something to file, not another adjective stack.

Workflow

Read the school's waitlist or deferral instructions twice. Note format, length, and whether LOCI is welcome.
List only facts that happened after your submit date. Discard everything else.
Draft four sentences from the list—not from "write a letter of continued interest."
Compare against your original personal statement; delete any repeated anecdote.
Optional: one program-specific line from the website or a recorded info session—no invented coffee with a professor.
One Human Writes pass on stiff polite prose.
Proofread names; have a counselor or trusted reader confirm tone.
Disclose AI editing if the institution requires it.

For first-year voice work (different document), stay on the personal statement guide. LOCI borrows tone, not content.

What not to do

Send a LOCI when the school says not to.
Repeat your personal statement with synonyms.
Invent visits, meetings, or "updated" grades still in progress.
Name another school as leverage unless policy explicitly allows comparison.
Humanize five times until your one fact disappears into fluff.

Detector scores matter less than duplicate content and missing updates. Readers remember your file. See best practices for humanizing.

Bottom line

LOCIs win on one verifiable update since apply, clear continued interest, and brevity that respects the reader. Human Writes is the polish pass after your fact sentence is true—not a second personal statement.

Paste stiff opening or closing paragraphs on Human Writes when your update is a fact you can attach to a transcript or portfolio link.