PURPOSE
In a prior study, our group found that personalized acceptance letters had
a positive impact on students’ sense of belonging. However, this project aims
to explore the unknown effects of personalized acceptance letters on student
engagement among medical students at Texas Tech University Health Science
Center of El Paso’s Paul L. Foster School of Medicine (PLFSOM). Student
engagement is crucial to their success, as it enhances academic performance
and promotes professional identity formation. Personalized acceptance letters
may serve as an innovative strategy to reinforce inclusion and better support
students.
METHODS
For the incoming class of 2029, personalized letters were sent out to
prospective students once they were pre-matched to PLFSOM. Surveys conducted
mid-fall semester and mid-spring semester will capture the letters’ effect on
student engagement and sense of belonging. Those who matched will not have
received a personalized letter; therefore, we will compare the surveys of
students pre-matched vs matched. The surveys will account for the letters’
influence on perceptions of institutional support. Additionally, they will
report the extracurricular activities students are participating in and when
they began. We will use a Likert scale to measure student engagement and
sense of belonging. Followed by a Mann-Whitney Test to compare those who did
and did not receive a letter.
RESULTS
In order to assess the level of student engagement among students in
medicine post-personalized acceptance letter, we will be using data points
from December 2025 and April 2026. Results are still pending.
CONCLUSION
It is our belief that personalized acceptance letters will promote medical
student engagement. These letters are the first step in communication between
a matriculant and their institution; therefore, they should be as meaningful
as possible. These letters are a great way to welcome medical students in a
way that makes them feel seen.