You know what won’t increase your odds of admission? Not writing a letter! Submitting a deferral letter is a chance to bend the ear of admissions one more time to not only share new information about yourself (did you book the lead in the school play finally?!), but also assure them of your intent to attend if admitted. You’ve got gumption! You’ve got things to say! And with the help of our expert Advisors, you’ll have an even better chance at succinctly and convincingly reconfirming your enthusiasm for joining their community of students.
The purpose of the deferral letter is to offer new information to admissions and enlighten them as to why you are an excellent candidate. They’ve already read your Common App essay and your supplement(s), so be sure to not regurgitate anything from those. Think of this like a letter to someone you haven’t seen in a while—they want to know what you’ve been up to! Did you win third place in your robotics competition? Have you read the book they referenced in a supplemental question? Keep it positive and upbeat, avoiding any resentment or bitterness about being deferred, and let them know that you are more excited than ever to join their campus community. Our expert Advisors have seen them all, so contact us to sign up for a Deferral Review.
You know how, after halftime during a soccer game, the announcers love to say that subs bring in “fresh legs” to the game? A second look is like bringing in a whole new set of fresh eyes! You’ve most likely read and re-read your essay so many times that you have some blind spots. Maybe that analogy you loved is more confusing than creative. Perhaps your emphasis on your failures is outweighing the joy of your successes. It’s helpful to have a fresh set of eyes look over your material to spot areas of weakness to refurbish and revise—especially if you’re planning on recycling any material from supplemental essays for other schools.
| Day 1 | Receive Notification of Deferral |
| Day 2 | Sign Up for Your Deferral Review with College Essay Advisors |
| Day 3 or 4 | Schedule a Meeting with your Advisor |
| Day 5 and 6 | Work with your Advisor to draft a memorable, persuasive Deferral Letter |
| Day 7 or 8 | Submit Your Deferral Letter (a.k.a. Letter of Continued Interest) to Your Dream School |
Write a deferral letter! Set yourself apart from other deferred applicants by going the extra mile to reconfirm your interest. Interested in running a draft by one of our College Essay Advisors to make sure it’s the best it can be? Get in touch!
The purpose of a deferral letter is to help convince admissions to accept your application upon reconsideration, so give them something new to consider! What have you been up to since you clicked submit? Have your grades stayed up? Has your lacrosse team qualified for state finals? Think about updates to your life that will enrich your profile and share from the heart how committed you are to attending if admitted. And remember, our expert Advisors are here to help!
There isn’t a set percentage of students that gain acceptance after being deferred, and it varies by school. In our experience, the odds are small, but not impossibly small, averaging somewhere between 5 and 15%. Though the odds may not seem to be in your favor, it never hurts to put in the extra effort when you have a chance to share a bit more with admissions about who you are and why their school would be lucky to have you. And remember: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. – Wayne Gretzky” – Michael Scott
Getting deferred is a great opportunity to look at your application and reassess. Did you have a trusted friend or family member give you feedback? It might be time to read through your entries again and perhaps try a new angle! Sign up for a Deferral Review with our trusted Advisors, and we will provide you with honest, expert feedback to make your essays shine!
If you’ve been rejected from your top-choice school, we highly recommend signing up for our Rejection Review Package, so we can provide you with critical, unbiased feedback regarding the quality of your application essays and help you generate a plan for improving your them before you submit your Regular Decision essays.
No, you cannot reapply for Regular Decision admission if you were rejected in the early round of applications. You can, however, make changes to your essays so they’re stronger for your other Regular Decision applications.
Receiving a rejection is a great opportunity to look at your application and reassess. Fear not! Many intelligent and dedicated students get rejected from institutions all over the world every year! But it is time to take stock of what you’ve submitted and try to improve upon it. Did you have a trusted friend or family member give you feedback? It might be time to read through your entries again and perhaps try a new angle or emphasize a different side of your personality or background. Sign up for a Rejection Review with our trusted Advisors, and we will provide you with honest, expert feedback to make your essays shine!
"I got in!! Thank you so much for your assistance – both with my letter of continued interest and helping me to shape up my other essays. I’m going to wait and see if any other schools offer me an acceptance before making a final decision. I am sooo grateful to you and [your team]!"
– CEA Student, Dartmouth, Class of 2028
"We are pleased to inform you that [our son] gained admission to four of his top five schools via the Regular Decision round. Thank you for helping him to see the light and improve his drafts. He was so disappointed (as you know) after receiving his rejection – now he’s spoiled with choice lol! We only wish we had found you sooner."
– CEA Parent, University of Michigan, Class of 2027
