tis the season for college acceptances, rejections, and ... deferrals?
if you’re like me, you might not understand what exactly the deferral from your dream school means, or what you can do to increase your chances of admission after you’ve been deferred. here’s the deal.
what does a deferral mean?
if you applied early decision or early action to a school and got deferred, your application has basically been converted to a regular decision app. while this can be discouraging, it also means that you are free to apply to other colleges, and have no obligation to attend that school if you do get accepted later on. this can be a blessing! take time to explore other options, and get excited about other schools!
if you got deferred and you’re still convinced that this school is your top choice, make sure that you follow up with the admissions committee and get them any additional information they ask for, such as additional test scores, senior year grades, etc. check on the school’s website to see if they will let you submit additional letters of recommendation in support of your application. get in touch with your interviewer and let them know that you were deferred. in some cases, you might even want to take the time to write a deferral letter.
what is a deferral letter?
a deferral letter is a brief (no more than one page) letter to the admissions committee. in it, you’ll thank the admissions committee for reviewing your application, update them on any accomplishments or activities that weren’t reflected in your initial application, and (if and only if this is the case) reiterate that their college is your first choice and that if accepted, you will attend. send this letter in january or february as the committee starts to review regular decision applicants.
do not let your deferral define you.
i was deferred, and ultimately rejected from my ED school. i know it hurts. there is still a chance you will be accepted to the school, but remember that there are other schools out there! i ended up attending a school i got into during the regular decision round, and i love it!
do not let your deferral negatively impact the rest of your application process.
power through and get the rest of those apps in. you got this! if you need to talk about your deferral or your college process in general, my inbox is always open.
