The majority of students who applied to college using early action or early decision applications typically receive decision letters anywhere from mid-December to late January. Many students will receive a letter stating their admission has been deferred and their application will be evaluated with the regular admission applications. Regular admission applications typically are evaluated from mid-January-March, depending on the college or university. If you’ve been deferred to regular admission, here are some ways to increase your chances for admission and demonstrate your continued interest in the college or university.
First, you’ll want to find out if the college or university you’ve been deferred from is willing to accept additional information that may help them to make a final decision about your application. Most often, colleges and universities will communicate via the deferral letter about whether or not they will consider any additional information you submit. Many colleges will direct you to your student portal for information about how to send any additional materials that you’d like the admissions office to consider. If you’re having difficulty finding out how to express your continued interest in a particular college or university, it is best to reach out to admissions directly. Be very respectful and polite and emphasize that their college is your first choice. You can share that you are very disappointed with the deferral decision, but eager to provide any additional information that they are willing to review. Keep in mind that some universities are very clear and firm about not wanting applicants to send any additional information at all.
Once you have an understanding of how a college would like you to express your continued interest, it is important to do so promptly. If the university requires that you complete a continued interest form, be sure to do so as soon as you are able. If the university is willing to review additional letters of recommendation or midyear grades, make an effort to upload those materials to your portal or send them to admissions as soon as possible. This will not only help the admissions office to see that you are very interested in attending their university, but it will also make it easy for them to continue to review your application in a meaningful way.
Many colleges and universities ask for students to send a letter of continued interest (LOCI) or provide updates using a standard form. For example, this year Georgia Tech would like for deferred applicants to complete a form that they can find in their applicant portal. The Georgia Tech form asks students if they have any changes to their course schedule for the spring semester that they would like to report. Next it asks students to provide any additional information they feel would be helpful to the admissions committee as they make a final decision on the student’s application. They state that updates to the student’s resume and other pertinent information are most helpful. The response is limited to 150 words. Georgia Tech also asks students if they are open to start during the summer semester (June 2023) rather than the Fall. The Georgia Tech continued interest form is just an example, but many colleges and universities use forms that are very similar.
In addition to completing a continued interest form or sending a LOCI, remember to keep your school counselor in the loop about what you will need from them. If the college or university you’ve been deferred from is willing to review your midyear grades or additional letters of recommendation, they will need to be submitted to the institution by your counselor. Be sure to request these items from your counselor in a timely manner.
Finally, it is a great practice to send a quick note via email to your admissions officer letting them know that you’ve completed all necessary continued interest forms and sent relevant materials. You can express that you are eager to hear back about the final admissions decision and that the school is your top choice. You can also ask the admissions officer to please let you know if there is any additional information they need from you.
Once you’ve completed the steps above, you can feel confident that you’ve given your best effort to expressing your continued interest. At Inspirica Pros, we firmly believe that whatever the final decision might be, you will end up at the college or university you are meant to attend, and you will thrive!
