Request to defer

Graduate School
1

Hi,

Can someone help me?!!! Emergency.

I applied for a graduate program and now I decided to request a defer enrollment as I want to take a internship and work for one year before going to the graduate school. I think it would be better to have more experience before continuing my studies.

I am bad at writing formal letters such as this request of defer enrollment. How should I write the reasons to get a higher probability of approval?

Thank you very much for your help!

2

If it is a program where you are being offered financial aid in the form of a TA or RA, then you cannot expect to have that same offer after you defer. However if it is a program where you are self-funding, then it should be no problem to defer. No need to make too many excuses, just say that you wish to defer and see what they tell you.

3

I honestly think that you should call someone, not write.

First, check out the program’s website; they might have explicit language about deferrals online and how to request one. For example, my graduate school does not allow deferrals at all; the only deferrals they would approve are 1) military service deferrals (which they are acquired to allow by law) and 2) deferrals for medical reasons, which they decide on a case-by-case basis. A deferral to do an internship would not be allowed; they would deny that and tell you to reapply next year.

If there’s nothing on the website, then pick up the phone and call a departmental administrator. Either s/he can answer the question for you, or s/he will direct you to the person you need to talk to about a deferment. I would practice your reasoning before calling - but basically, explain what you do here. Be prepared to explain how the internship is related to your graduate program, and how working the internship will better prepare you for graduate study and for your career after graduate school. (If the program is unrelated and it won’t prepare you, then I think you have much lower chances of getting this approved unless your department is just the type that doesn’t care about deferments).