One of the steps that we suggest after being deferred is to write a letter of continued interest. When you’re in limbo, it’s completely understandable to get stressed out and overwhelmed, but trust us when we say that taking steps to contact your dream school will alleviate some of your anxiety. There are no guarantees, but you do have one last chance to double down on your interest in X school.
What is a Letter of Continued Interest?
A letter of continued interest, which we have sometimes called a deferral package, is a letter that you send to the admissions office after you’ve been deferred or placed on the waitlist of a school. And while we think that it’s important to tell your dream school that you still want to attend, we are not suggesting that you send a letter of continued interest to every school that you’ve been deferred from. The process is similar to writing another (shorter) supplement, and if you don’t have valid reasons for still wanting to attend, and pertinent updates, you’ll be wasting your time and the time of the person reading the letter.
Deferred Early Decision with No Backup Plan
Before we get into the specifics of the next steps, let’s discuss what being deferred actually means. A lot of students think that colleges defer them “to be nice” or “to not hurt your feelings.” This is not something that colleges do. When you are deferred, you are put into the regular decision pool of applicants. It means that the school wants to see how your application will hold up once everyone else applies.
What to do if You’re Deferred Early Decision
If you’re reading this, you’re in a frustrating boat. It’s fair to feel confused, angry, annoyed, whatever. For a lot of students, deferral can be more confusing than straight-up rejection, because the definition of deferral means that the college’s decision has been pushed off to a later date. Then it can be hard not to feel like you’re being dragged along and, likewise, don’t know how to feel or what decision to make next. We’ve created this post to offer a few simple guidelines about how to proceed once you’ve heard back from your first choice ED school that you’ve been deferred.
What do I do if I’m Rejected ED?
If you’re reading this in the fall, before you’ve heard back from your ED/EA school:
This is a great place to be in. It’s not too late for anything. Start your other supplements today and put just as much work into them as you have into your ED/EA school. Work equally on the array of schools on your list––safeties, targets, and reaches. To find guidance about how to write the supplements for your schools, poke around the blog. We have dozens of detailed blog posts for supplements (like this one, this one, or this one).
When Do I Send My Deferral Package?
Getting a deferral is not ideal. But it’s also not game over. We’re sorry in advance for the corny sports analogy, but sometimes, you just need to take a Rudy approach to life and give it the old college try. If your coach benches you, the last thing you want to do is accept defeat. The moment you are sidelined is the moment to give it everything you’ve got. Train harder than you’ve ever trained, keep up the drills, and get back on that high-protein diet. In this post, we talk about what you can do to stay in the game and how to make sure your timing is on point.
What Does Deferred Early Decision Mean?
If I am Deferred Early Decision is it Still Binding?
The short answer is absolutely not, but please do keep reading.
If you are deferred early decision, you’re placed in the regular decision pool. Schools want to see if your application holds up against the influx of applications coming their way in January. There are some exceptions, but if you’re deferred early decision, you have a very slim chance of getting in at all.
What To Do If You Get Deferred
Acceptance: Why Did I Get Rejected and What Do I Do with Myself Now?
Getting that letter can be really tough. You worked your butt off this year. You spent countless hours studying for standardized tests. You came early to school and stayed late for sports practices and club meetings. You spent time and money with the hopes that they would see in your essays what you, yourself, know you are capable of and yet, it didn’t work out. We know. We’ve been there, too.
Deferred from Early Decision: A Guide to Freeing Yourself from the Upside Down
A Letter to Students About to get Deferred
5 Steps to Take If You Get Deferred
Deferrals can be rough. In fact, we find that they can be rougher than flat-out rejections because at least rejections provide closure instead of thrusting you into Deferral Limbo. While few of our students get deferred, we have developed a step-by-step backup guide for kids who find themselves in .
What Do I Do If I Get Rejected from My Early Decision School?
We know. Just seeing this headline makes you want to slam your computer shut and call in sick from school. Take a deep breath. We’re not saying you’re going to get rejected or even . While, every year, kids do get rejected from the , most of our students get in where they want to go. However, we always recommend a contingency plan because the only thing worse than not getting in is not getting in and having no backup plan. Let’s call this insurance.
The Difference Between a Deferral and a Rejection
What to do if you get Deferred
Many students apply early decision to a school because “they want to be done” with the college admissions process or they believe it will increase their chances of getting in. Despite the higher admit rates afforded by early decision, the majority of seniors will still be rejected or deferred. It’s important to remember that a deferral is not a rejection. If the school really didn’t want you, they would have simply rejected you. The majority of seniors who apply early will not get in; for example, 6173 students applied for the Harvard class of 2020. Only 918 students were admitted, while 4,673 were deferred or rejected.