Ten tips for Working from Deferral to Acceptance
Getting deferred from a college is painful yet full of promise. It is good because the college is still interested in you and has put you into the regular applicant pool. It is good because the college can now see your fall grades and learn more about you. It is bad because the odds of deferred admissions are lower than applying regular, and waiting another four months for a potentially negative answer is agony. So these tips are all prefaced on the assumption that you are submitting other outstanding other applications. You will find a college that suits you and makes you happy!!!!
1. When your first trimester or semester grades come out, write an updated email/letter of interest to the school.
- Highlight your fall accomplishments and stress how these grades reflect your true commitment to academics.
- You can mention a project or paper of which you are very proud.
- Also stress any other updates…such as leadership, athletic or other fall updates.
- In the letter stress your renewed interest in the college.
2. Make sure your counselor sends in your fall grades along with a mid-year report.
3. Ask a senior year teacher, who has not already written you a letter to this school, to write you a letter of recommendation. This letter should really emphasize all your talents and reasons why you belong at deferred school.
4. If possible, put together a portfolio…of one special talent
5. Get an updated letter of recommendation from your guidance counselor or even have counselor contact the school personally.
6. Contact your alumni or campus interviewer–if you think you had a good interview…Thank the interviewer again and then ask for any advice about moving from deferral to admissions.
7. Do not ask people who do not have major contacts with school to contact school. Do not have anyone other than school teachers and officials write letters. The only other exception would be someone for whom you did a major project this year…volunteer leader, youth group…only someone who can attest to new work this year and who knows you really, really well.
8. If possible, visit the institution one more time and revisit the admissions office to remind them of your interest.
9. Basically, do at least one new contact with the school per month until April.
10. Remember, now also focus on the other schools on your list and devote significant time to those applications. There is more than one great college option for you!!!
