Hi, Reader!

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve had the chance to enjoy a restful winter break with friends and family.

We had the chance to take a family cruise, and we loved spending New Year’s on the ship. It’s been a busy year, so I really valued the time to relax, recharge, and read some mindless books on my ​Kindle​ — one of my favorite Christmas presents from last year.

But I’m back in action (though I'm missing the all-you-can-eat-bacon) and have been seeing a lot of Facebook posts about the status of college applications.

As decisions start to come in, students are likely feeling the range of emotions. Excitement at those acceptances, disappointment with denials, and frustration with deferrals. It’s understandable. Being deferred creates a unique kind of limbo — not a rejection, but not yet an acceptance. Luckily, students often have the opportunity to show their continued interest in a school.

Every school handles deferrals a little differently, so while I’ll share some general guidance here, it’s important to follow each school’s specific instructions for remaining in the applicant pool, which could be as simple as clicking a button or as detailed as sending in a letter of continued interest (LOCI).

Here are some common questions I get from students and what I recommend to them:

⭐️ Should students consider sending a follow-up letter of continued interest?
​As long as the school doesn't specifically ask that students not send in a letter of continued interest (some schools, like UVA, make that request), then yes, I'd absolutely send one.

📆 When should students send these letters?
Because we want to share some new information in that letter, I'd wait until students have their first-semester grades in, and they can include those grades in the letter (if they were strong). If there's anything that might be happening closer to the LOCI deadline that students would want to share (test scores, an internship decision, or a new leadership position) to strengthen their application, then students might wait a little bit until they get that news. I spoke with one of my college counselor colleagues, and she generally advises students not to send it in right on the heels of the deferral, just to let the dust settle on the decision and give the student space to reflect on what else they might want to include, including that mention of strong first-semester performance. (Of course, this advice will depend on any deadlines set in the deferral letter.)

✏️ What should students focus on in the letter?
​As mentioned above, this is a brief, focused letter that expresses enthusiasm, provides relevant updates since the student's application submission, and reinforces why they're an excellent fit for that specific institution. (What shouldn't students include? Details about the school's prestige, sports teams, or location!) These resources are really helpful in crafting these responses:

• ​Steps for Writing an Effective Letter of Continued Interest (blog post)
• ​How to Get off College Waitlists (by Writing a Letter of Continued Interest) (6-min. video)
• ​How to Write a Great Letter of Continued Interest: Guide + Example (blog post)

Essentially, students can share any new news (grades, internships, accomplishments, awards/honors, leadership) that would strengthen their application, and they can also share a short bit about why the school has the right resources for their interests and what they're going to bring to the campus. (Again, the content will depend on each school's specific request, and we want to mention something that isn't already in the admission essays/application.)

💻 How long should this letter be? ​
Follow the instructions the school gives, but these are generally shorter than one page (sometimes as short as 250 words).

❓ What else should students consider while they wait?
​While many schools take a limited number of students who have been deferred or who are on the waitlist, it's not a guarantee. So as acceptances come in, students should consider emotionally and practically committing to a college that has offered them firm admission — which might look like submitting a deposit, engaging with that community, and getting excited about this option. Waitlists are unpredictable, with conversion rates varying dramatically by year and institution, so having a solid Plan B is important. If you're ultimately offered admission from the waitlist (often as late as May-July), then you can then make an informed decision between options. The balanced approach combines appropriate waitlist follow-up with genuine enthusiasm for confirmed options!

🙋‍♀️ Do students need to hire help for these letters?
These fact-based letters are much more straightforward than admission essays (and generally shorter, too), and students usually find they can do these on their own, especially with the resources and examples above. If students do feel they need extra support in writing it, I can offer a one-time asynchronous review of the letter, including written and Loom video feedback.

It's a super-competitive applicant pool right now, but it’s important you take the opportunity to show continued interest, if given the opportunity to do so. Anytime you’re given the chance to show more about yourself and why you’re a great fit for a school, take it.

Happy Writing!

Julia

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