So, you’ve been deferred. It’s certainly not the end of the world. The good news is that the university to which you applied early wants to take another look at your application and compare it to applicants in the RD pool. You still do have one advantage and that is that they know they happen to be your first choice given that you applied early and were willing to make a binding commitment to attend, if admitted.
- If it’s an opt-in deferral (most are automatic), then make sure you accept the deferral online or in the university’s portal, as directed. Some universities, like NYU, might ask deferred students to write an additional essay in their portal by a specific date.
- Give some thought to whether you wish to ask an additional person to write a letter of reference for you – this can be a teacher from school, a faculty member from a summer program, or someone who knows you through an activity in or outside of school who can shed light to something new or different about you.
- Begin putting together a letter of continued interest, better known as a LOCI.
- Send this to the university in late January, when you can PROVE improved grades and details of one or more amazing projects/extracurriculars, or something significantly new in terms of sports, music, dance, published papers, debating championships, science fair awards, etc., that you have managed to accomplish since your early submission last fall. Most universities will allow you to share this information via their portal.
- Your school counselor will be sending in a mid-year school report with an updated transcript to all the universities to which your have applied. If there is something you want your counselor to include in this submission, be sure to communicate this with him/her.
- Do not pester the admissions office with multiple emails.
- Admissions will initially be focusing on RD applications from January to mid-February. They will likely get to rereading application from deferred applicants sometime in late February.
- At that time, they will be considering their institutional needs as they review your application to see what value you bring to the incoming class.
Focus on your academics for the time being and keep up your marks and activities. If you are waitlisted in late March to one of your top contenders, you will once again be writing a letter similar to this LOCI, updating the university with your new accomplishments. In other words, work hard to have accomplishments to show at that time. Don’t dwell on what’s done and out of your control. Instead, focus on the work at hand. Cheer up, tomorrow is a new day with many new opportunities for you to excel.