Hey deferred kiddos! I too was in this rather unfortunate place last year and had lost hope for being accepted RD. BUT… I got in and am one semester into my Princeton life. Coming here has been the greatest decision I’ve ever made. What I am convinced tipped the scales in my favor was continued contact with admissions until March 31st. Two days after my deferral, I sent a Letter of Continued Interest, most notably saying that I certainly would attend Princeton if accepted. My guidance counselor sent a letter. A month or two later, I sent an update letter. I’d gotten a job and done a few other things with extracurriculars. My guidance counselor called. I then sent in some samples of academic work I was really proud of. My guidance counselor called again, I think. I then sent a thank you letter a week before decisions, thanking them for considering my application and such.
I guess I just pestered them enough that they had to accept me :). But really, I later met the admissions counselors who were in charge of my region and they remembered me (and my guidance counselor) fondly! If you are dead-set on Princeton, I’d recommend this route. It really worked for me, and I’m so glad it did. Best of luck!