It’s the time of year when colleges are releasing decisions for their early application pools, and students can usually expect to receive one of three different decisions: an acceptance (Yay! Congratulations!!), a denial (Take a breath and move forward), or a deferral.
That last decision - a deferral - can be a little bit confusing for students and families. What does it mean exactly? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? To learn a little bit more about what a deferral actually means, check out our latest podcast episode where Lindsey and I discuss what a deferral means for a student’s application as well as what they should and should not do if an application is deferred. Go give it a listen, and then come back here for your action steps.
Here are a few highlights to make sure we’re all on the same page:
A deferral is not a bad thing. It means colleges are going to give your application a thorough second look.
This is an opportunity to add NEW information to your application like first semester senior year grades.
Stick with the college’s follow-up procedure. If they request something, send it. If they ask you not to send something, don’t.
Don’t panic. Don’t beg. Don’t be rude.
Today, we’re going to look a little bit closer at that third bullet point - following up with the college. More specifically, we’re going to talk about what belongs in a Letter of Continued Interest which a student who’s been deferred can send to a college to show they still want their application considered in the regular decision round. Here’s what you need to know!
SHOULD I SEND A LETTER OF CONTINUED INTEREST TO EVERY SCHOOL THAT DEFERS MY APPLICATION?
No. Every school is going to have its own follow-up procedure. Some colleges, especially larger ones who receive a ton of applications, don’t have the capacity to read a letter from every deferred student. They’ve streamlined the process by asking for updated grades and may have students fill out a form in their portal if they want to be considered during regular decision. But if a school gives you the chance to write a letter of continued interest - and many do - you’ll want to take advantage of the opportunity.
WILL A LETTER OF CONTINUED INTEREST really improve my chances?
Trick question! There’s no way to really know. Because you aren’t a fly on the wall in the admissions office, you probably don’t know how many applications were deferred, how many applications are in the regular decision pool, and/or how many applications they plan to accept. There are a lot of unknowns in the college admission process and a lot of factors you cannot control. But something you can control is following up with a college to make sure they know you are still interested!
WHAT DO I WRITE IN MY LETTER OF CONTINUED INTEREST?
Let’s take the letter itself step-by-step and go over what to include. Remember that it’s important to include new information to the colleges and that your tone should be polite and positive.
START WITH GRATITUDE - Let your reader know who’s writing (“My name is First Last, and I am a senior at XYZ High School in City, State” is all you really need here). Thank the admissions reader for reviewing your application and for being willing to give it a second look. Tell them that you are still interested in being considered in the regular decision round. And if the college is your first choice school, go ahead and make that known.
GIVE AN UPDATE - It’s been months since you submitted your application, and things in your life may have changed. Look over the application you submitted and see if there’s anything new you can provide. Do you have new SAT or ACT scores? Did you pull off great grades this semester? Do you have a new leadership position or have you won a new award? Did you mention a personal project in your application that is now complete? This is your chance to talk about them.
Keep this fairly brief - this is not your chance to send a new personal statement.
Not everyone will have updates to give beyond first semester grades. That’s okay! Give any updates you do have and then move onto the next section.
HIGHLIGHT A GOOD FIT - Take a moment to let your reader know why you and the college are a good fit for each other. If the college did not have a “Why Us?” supplemental essay, consider answering that question in a few sentences. If you already answered that question on your application, don’t list the same reasons but think if there’s anything new to include here like a conversation from an alumni interview or something you learned in an information session.
CLOSE WITH GRATITUDE - Just like you started your letter, close by thanking your reader for reading both your letter and reevaluating your application.
WHAT SHOULD I AVOID?
Just like when you were working on “similar but different” essay prompts in your applications, you should make sure that each letter is specifically directed to the college you are writing to. Don’t copy and paste the same form letter to each school - and don’t copy and paste a letter you found on the internet? Notice that I’ve not given you a sample letter? I want you to write your own.
You also probably have a lot of feelings about this decision. While I explain in the podcast why I don’t think a deferral is bad news, it isn’t the response you were hoping for. Any less-than-positive feelings you have are perfectly valid. But they don’t need to bleed into your letter. The tone of your letter should not be desperate, angry, accusatory, or even disappointed. Leave a positive impression and take this opportunity to show how resilient you are.
WHAT DO I DO WITH MY LETTER OF CONTINUED INTEREST?
Put it in the body of an email and send it off to your admissions representative. If you’re not sure who to send it to after you’ve searched through your email history (often your rep will send you an email after you apply!) and checked the college website, look for a general admissions email address.