Other schools may not be as explicit, but why would you give up an opportunity to let your first choice know more about you. Why would you assume your “additional letter reiterating your strong interest in School X” would be of no value. I bet you it is because all of those over worked public school GC said not to bother - it means less work for them. The reason a lot of those private schools students have additional edge is because their GCs are paid to go that extra mile. If your GC is not willing to help out then you could do it yourself.</p>
<p>In my son’s case, I think he felt “it can’t hurt”. Who knows what if anything helped but I can’t believe what he did hurt his chances. And it certainly showed interest. </p>
<p>@BTMell, @oldfort, I am with you on this. I don’t think it would hurt by updating the school, it should help with new information. It shows the student’s initiative. Patience and passivity are not virtues when it comes to the deferral or waiting list of a college.</p>
<p>Just found out from another thread that Stanford has a web page for applicants to update their applications, even though it does not apply to us. It shows that colleges do expect applicants to update their applications with new information.</p>
<p>One very helpful thing the OP can do is to stop using the term “dream college”, even if only in jest. Don’t perpetuate the adolescent myth that there is a dream college. There is no dream job. There is no dream spouse. There is no dream house. Life is filled with a series of decisions and trade-offs, and if the family can start to pivot towards “you will have a terrific college experience regardless of where you end up” you are likely to have a happier April (and the next four years) even if your D gets admitted to every single college she applied to.</p>
<p>It is late in the game to perpetuate the dream college business.</p>
<p>And to your specific question- update if there’s something meaningful and substantive (one more “book award” for a kid who already listed two “book awards” on the application is not meaningful.) But try to maintain the right tone with your D on the updates- not “Wow, this is going to make or break”, but more of a “let’s let them know they are still your first choice”.</p>
<p>I wasn’t saying it was a bad idea to send in the latest grades or improved tests scores or new awards. I was questioning the idea of sending in an additional essay (assuming the applicant already sent all the required essays and used up the allotted words.) Maybe that would make a good impression on someone, but to me it would strike me as the applicant feeling that the rules the school made for their process which apply to other applicants somehow don’t apply to them. That would not impress me favorably. And if there is a limit on the number of letters the school will accept, exceeding that limit also seems unwise to me.</p>
<p>Clearly Cornell said, “you are welcome to submit an additional letter reiterating your strong interest in Cornell.” Unless a school specifically says do not send us additional essay or information, I would make every effort to show love. </p>
<p>mathyone, I’m with you. I have consistently heard that (assuming it is true), letting a deferred school know that the school remains the student’s first choice and, if admitted, will attend is not only appropriate but encouraged. If any new information is available (as mentioned above, stellar semester grades, a new award, etc.) then that too should be communicated. While I’m not saying one shouldn’t, I have never heard of people submitting a new/revised statement of intent type letter/essay and, personally, would not have encouraged my kids to do so. </p>
<p>In my situation, one of my daughter’s was deferred from her ED school and she followed the advice above and was ultimately accepted. Happy happy day in our house. Good luck to anyone who’s senior is in this position.</p>
<p>About a month after she was deferred from her first choice, DD wrote a letter. She stressed (1) still my first choice (2) if admitted with attend (3) these are reasons why it’s still my first choice (nothing about the other schools - focus on the good about this one. Spend some time looking at their online newspapers, rateyourprofessor dot com, news articles in the general media rather than just the stuff on the admissions pages. This shows effort.
(4) included an extra recommendation from an off campus source (Common App didn’t allow that in 2011) as well as a statement about her current grades and honors. She was admitted! I wouldn’t bombard them - just one simple well organized packet and letter. </p>
<p>S is a HS senior and he was deferred EA from 7 schools. He chose two to pursue with emails about how he really wanted to go there. One of those schools hasn’t responded yet; the other one has now waitlisted him. At another deferred school (that he wasn’t crazy about and did not send emails to) he was ultimately accepted.</p>
<p>Hi - my younger son was deferred so in the ensuing three months he had his golf coach send a recommendation letter to the coach at the college with a copy to his adcom. He also received a nice award during that period. He emailed both the adcom and the coach about that. And then maybe 2-3 weeks before decisions for RD were released, he emailed both (coach and adcom) letting them know it still was his top choice, etc. I don’t know if any of the above helped, although the school does say they value interest in the school, but he was accepted RD and is now attending. </p>
<p>He didn’t ask his GC to send anything - he did it himself. He emailed and didn’t send a letter. He’s finishing up his freshman year and loves where he ended up. I think he was amazed when he opened the mailbox to a large envelope but we’re happy it happened.</p>