<p>If you are EA/ED deferred, is it beneficial to send in a Letter of Interest separate from and before the mid-year update?</p>
<p>What’s a letter of interest?</p>
<p>Depends on what the letter will say. If it regurgitates the “why you” essay in the main application, it’s a waste of time in my mind. If it brings something new to the table, it might be worth it. If it is a pile-on (i.e. the GC already phoned the adcom or wrote a note, if it just summarizes the mid year update with nothing new, if it’s going to highlight something sub-optimal in the original application that should be better left unhighlighted, than no.</p>
<p>bovertine, apparently at least one of the schools on S1’s list would like to know if he is still interested in the school after being deferred. I don’t know if there are more schools like this, and I don’t know if he’s already missed the window for an effective letter of interest.</p>
<p>^^^ Oh, okay. I thought it was some special standard document. In that case, I don’t know.</p>
<p>If the student is really interested in the school and would attend if accepted, I think a letter is appropriate and reasonable. If it’s just a feather in the cap school, what would the student say that is different from the original application? Also some kids have a “if they dont’ want me I don’t want them” attitude. When one of my oldest S’s colleges asked for first semester senior grades before making a decision my son dropped the school from his “list” like a hot potato since no other school on his list wanted “more information.”</p>
<p>If your s is still interested in the school, it is a good idea to let the school know, and definitely to include any updated information (any new awards, grades,etc) that can strengthen his application. Good luck!</p>
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<p>We did this at son’s #1 school when he was deferred during EA. We faxed it. The letter basically said “I’m still interested and I’ve attached some supplemental material for your consideration.” We attached some articles he had written for the school paper.</p>
<p>The school invited deferrals to send in supplemental information and even gave a fax number, so I figured ‘why not?’ I don’t think it hurts to send a letter of continued interest to a school you have been deferred. </p>
<p>PCP, didn’t your son just win a major Intel award? That is definitely worthy of a letter.</p>
<p>PCP: you don’t state whether this school was ED or EA…IMO, if it’s EA, a letter of interest is absolutely appropriate separate and apart from a mid year report…</p>
<p>ED, yea, you can send it, but if a binding application the first time didn’t let the school know of your son/daughter’s TRUE interest then a letter certainly won’t, considering a positive admissions decision NOW is not binding…</p>
<p>Curious, was it EA or ED?</p>
<p>Thanks to all.</p>
<p>MomLive, yes, we are also hoping the Intel thing should help.</p>
<p>rodney, I was trying to be generic and make this thread applicable to more folks. In S1’s case, he was deferred at couple EA schools. Thanks for pointing out the subtle difference on how colleges view EA deferred vs. ED deferred.</p>
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I understand kids doing this with waiting lists, where issues of housing and signing up for classes come into play, but I really don’t understand it with deferrals. A deferral means you didn’t make the first cut. It doesn’t mean you weren’t good enough to be accepted eventually, and at many schools it means you were good enough - they would have rejected you if you weren’t. It absolutely means if you do anything noteworthy the college should hear about it and you are lucky to be given a second chance to tell them. Of course you should also be looking closer at the other schools on your list since it’s clear you weren’t a shoe-in at the EA or ED school.</p>
<p>^Apparently, at some schools a lot of deferrals never bother to send in the requested additional information. University of Georgia states that almost 50% of their EA deferrals never go on to compete the application process. Now, UGA’s EA round is stats only, which I suspect attracts a lot of kids for it’s easy application process. The RD requires an essay and teacher recommendations and apparently a lot of those who were deferred were just looking for an easy admit or they were ticked off that they didn’t get in EA, so they can’t be bother to complete the application. I don’t really understand this attitude. If it’s worth applying EA, then it should be worth finishing the process for RD. I believe a large percentage of deferrals at UGA get in during RD (I know that’s not true at more selective schools).</p>
<p>I get that mathmom, but try telling that to some kids that are decisive. My oldest saw it as “wishy-washy”…he saw it as you either want me or you don’t and any indication of procrastination on the part of the college was enough to make him go in another direction. It’s OK, all kids are different and I’m not a fan of the concept of procrastination either so how my kids reacted didn’t bother me. That said, if someone is deferred EA/ED or experiencing delays in a decision from a rolling school they really want to attend and it matters much to them, it never hurts to raise your hand and say “pick me please.”</p>