Dos and Dont’s for writing a letter of continued interest
gettyIf the college you applied to Early Decision deferred your application, but you still want to be considered in Regular Decision, you should probably write a letter of continued interest right away. Here are some Dos and Don’ts.
In applying Early Decision, you took the big step of promising one college that if they accepted you, you would come. You’ve been hoping for weeks now that in mid-December, you would get the thrilling news that they wanted you as much as you wanted them. Your college search would be over.
But maybe it’s not. Your ED college may have let you know that, while they’re not prepared to offer you an immediate acceptance, they’d like to reconsider your application in the Regular Decision round.
Some students react to this news with a fit of pique, because you feel angry at this perceived rejection. “They rejected me, so I will reject them,” you may think. It’s a good idea to remind yourself that a deferral is not a rejection. They didn’t say no; they said maybe.
You may be feeling disappointed or confused about what to do next. You may even feel determined to do whatever you can to turn that maybe into a yes.
If you do want to keep your hat in the ring—or even just give yourself time to reconsider—write a letter of continued interest. This tells the college that, despite your disappointment, you still wish to be considered for admission in the RD round.
Here are some Dos and Don’ts that may help you get that letter written and submitted right away.
Send The Letter To Your Regional Representative
Do look on the college’s website for the name and email address of the admissions committee member responsible for your region and address your letter to that person. Your regional representative is the person who must advocate for you to the committee as a whole. This person has read your application already and may remember you.
Do upload the letter to your student portal at that college. It doesn’t hurt to also send a copy directly to your regional representative by email.
Don’t address the letter to the college as a whole or the Director of Admissions. They are too far removed from your application.
Acknowledge Your Disappointment
Do state simply that you are disappointed, or that you had hoped for better news. It’s the grown-up thing to do.
Don’t complain. Do not berate the college or accuse the committee of not appreciating your brilliance. This is unlikely to win them over.
Don’t ask why someone else you heard of was accepted, even though they were not as qualified as you; you do not know everything about the other person or about how the college saw that student.
Restate Your Desire To Attend
Do say clearly that you wish to accept their offer to be reconsidered in the RD round. You may wish to say that this college is still your first choice, but only if it truly is.
Don’t compare the college to other colleges to which you will apply.
Keep It Short And To The Point
Do write a one-page letter, unless you are specifically instructed otherwise.
Do give specific reasons why you are keen on attending the college to which you are writing. This is especially important if you see that you did not do a detailed job of explaining this in your original application.
Don’t just gush about the college in general. A special case of this is: Don’t waste time praising a school because it in in the Ivy League.
Additional Information
Do let the regional representative know about any major accomplishments since you submitted your application.
Don’t repeat information you’ve already submitted or that is relatively minor.
Are You Writing To More Than One School?
Do tailor your response to each school that deferred you. This might be what happened if you applied to more than one school under Early Action or another program that is more flexible than ED and so allowed you to apply Early to more than one school. In this case, be sure to tailor your reply to each individual school that deferred you.
Don’t feel you must accept an Early Action offer immediately. If a college offered you admission and said you have until next spring to decide, you may well want to wait and see what other offers you receive in RD.
Ask Your School Counselor to Call
Do meet with your school counselor to see whether they are willing and able to advocate on your behalf. Some school counselors call or write in support of students who have been deferred.
Don’t get angry if your school does not make a practice of advocating for students. Some schools simply don’t.
Finally, Keep Working While You Wait
Do keep up your spirits as you head into the final exams and projects of the year and don’t fall victim to senioritis.
Above all, don’t assume that your ED college will surely admit you in the end. Most colleges defer many more students than they eventually admit. Keep working on your other applications.
But if you want to do everything you can to get accepted at your original ED college, write a letter of continued interest within days of being deferred.