Deferred? Here's What to Do Next
The month of December brings the first round of college decisions. If you applied Early Decision, Early Action, or through some sort of priority application, you will likely begin hearing from colleges this month.
Some decisions will bring joy and relief – acceptance to your early decision college means that you can finally wear that college sweatshirt with a sense of pride and ownership. A denial, while disappointing, will allow you to rethink the other colleges on your list and move on with your life.
But what happens when you’re stuck in-between? The deferral is a kind of non-decision that gives you a second chance at acceptance. But if you really want to have that second chance, you’ll need to take a proactive approach and do what you still can to influence the final decision. Look over your application materials and get real with yourself about the likely reasons for your deferral. Then, start working through these to-do items:
Decide if the college is still where you want to attend. A lot can change when it comes to what schools you’re daydreaming about by the time you start hearing back. The first question you need to ask yourself is whether the school you applied to is really where you want to end up. If it is, keep working on this list. If it’s not, focus your energy on applying to other schools that might be a better fit.
Review your application and ask the college what they need from you. Fresh eyes on your college application can often reveal things you didn’t catch the first time around. While some schools specifically tell students not to submit additional materials, other schools may welcome them. If you are told you may submit additional materials, think carefully about what pieces of your narrative you need to work most on.
Write an (upbeat and positive) deferral letter. Write a one-page letter to the Dean of Admission and the admissions counselor assigned to your geographic area that makes clear your intention to enroll if accepted and re-states all the reasons why you believe you are a good fit for the school. And, get specific: talk about professors by name, check out and refer to the syllabus from a course you’re looking forward to, and reference clubs and other extracurriculars you want to take part in. This is the last opportunity to show them that you’ve done your homework. You’ll also want to tell them about anything you’ve achieved since you submitted your application inside and outside of the classroom. Follow up with a phone call to ask what you might do to improve your standing and then follow through on their suggestions.
If you’re able to submit additional materials, submit them. Consider materials like a senior-year teacher’s recommendation letter affirming your strength in the classroom or your unique intellectual curiosity, updates on extracurriculars or awards, mid-year grades that show continuing upward trends, new test scores, or updated materials from your original application that may need to be corrected or re-written.
Demonstrate interest! If you haven’t visited and can safely with pandemic precautions, visit. But if you can’t, consider additional ways to demonstrate to the school that you’re serious about attending. Here are some ideas from US News and World Report.
Keep applying to colleges. All the above recommendations are not a guarantee that you’ll be accepted regular decision — the statistics vary greatly by school — and you have to wrap your head around that possibility. Rethink all of your options and you’re sure to end up at a top-notch school that’s just as excited about you as you are about it.
You’ve got this.