I was deferred!! Now what? Top 4 steps to take to increase your chances of admission

Being deferred from your top choice can feel like a major setback, but it doesn’t have to mean the end of your college dreams. There are steps you can take and strategies you can employ to make sure that your college application still gets noticed by the admissions committee. In this blog post, we'll discuss what to do when you're deferred from early action college admissions and how best to put yourself in a position for success.

1. Stay Positive: It may be difficult to stay positive when you are deferred, but it's important to keep in mind that college admissions offices consider many factors and deferred applications do not necessarily mean your application won’t receive a positive outcome. Some schools defer students simply because they had too many applications and not enough time to review them all. Others might want to see how many regular decision applications they receive. Although you may never know why you were deferred, it does not mean you were denied.

2. Write a letter of continued interest. If you have been deferred, it’s important to show colleges you are still very interested. Writing your admission officer a letter of continued interest is one way to do this. This type of letter allows you to explain why the college should accept you and reiterate any new accomplishments or changes that make your application more impressive. When writing the letter, be sure to address it directly to your admission officer and use a friendly but professional tone throughout. Additionally, focus on how attending their college would be beneficial for both parties - by highlighting what skills and qualities you could bring to their school as well as how the college can help shape your future career path. Finally, express gratitude towards them for considering your application and give them an update on any recent achievements or developments in your life since submitting the initial application. Let them know their school is your top choice and you will attend if accepted.

3. Send your Fall Grades. Sending in your mid-year report which includes any updated grades since submitting the initial application will also show you are a strong candidate for acceptance. Some colleges just want to see that one more semester of grades to confirm that you can be successful. More often than not senior year is when you are taking challenging classes like Calculus, Physics, and AP Literature. Admission officers want to see that you can handle the challenge and do well. Additionally, if there were any issues with your previous grades such as illness or other factors outside of your control, updating them can provide an explanation and give context why they aren't reflective of your true academic performance. Be sure to submit all relevant documents such as transcripts and new test scores so the college has an up-to-date understanding of who you are as a student.

4. FInally consider applying to more colleges. Perhaps the list of schools you applied to was too competitive. Since more schools have gone test-optional, the number of applications has significantly increased leading to more unpredictability. It might make sense to add more schools to your list if you have not been accepted anywhere. Several universities offer rolling admission as opposed to hard deadlines. Research some universities that offer rolling admission and choose one or two to add to your list. Applying to these types of schools can help increase your odds of getting into college by providing additional opportunities for admission. Additionally, these schools may also provide you with more financial aid options or scholarships to make college more affordable.

It can be disheartening to receive college admissions news that you have been deferred. But don’t despair - there are still plenty of steps you can take to increase your chances of being accepted. From updating your portal with new information and staying in touch with college admissions officers, there are many ways for deferred students to make their case for admission. Taking the right steps can help ensure that you get the college acceptance letter you were hoping for.