<p>hi, i was deferred to columbia ED and was going to write a letter to Columbia outlining why Columbia is still my first choice. Also, I plan to write another one when the results of the January SAT comes out, because i'm pretty sure my score will improve.
would this annoy them? should i just mail them once my scores come out? the thing is, my SAT score will come out mid Feb and it will probably be early march once they read my letter (i'm planning to mail it so its harder to ignore) and they might have already re-read my app.
do adcom really get annoyed if deferees send in emails when there is no update on accomplishments? or would sending in more letters raise my chances for showing continued interest?</p>
<p>updates should be sent in with accomplishments, if there are no new accomplishments, then no update is called for. Just send in the Jan SAT score and that'll be good enough. Columbia doesn't want to hear you rant about why they're still first, you applied ED, so they know they're first on your list. </p>
<p>They have no obligation to read this extra essay that you send in, if they do, it'll be a 15second skim to check for substance, there's no way they'll reread your app because of it. It'll only pss them off when they find an absence of substance, and make them more likely to reject you. Calm down, there's no way to game the system, just keep your fingers crossed.</p>
<p>I'm going to disagree slightly...</p>
<p>I actually have a great friend, who wasn't quite GPA-strong at all...and when I say at all, I mean low 3.0's...did well on the SAT, but still didn't feel confident so he sent a letter explaining why he wanted to go to that school (it was a top school, but for privacy sake...), and it wasn't any letter, it was a page long...</p>
<p>I can't say definitely do it, or don't do it...if you feel it TRULY epitomizes how strong your feelings are, I might try it! And part of that letter would have to include what more you've done to show just how much you want to go to Columbia. But reread the letter...if you think it might sound to an adcom just like any ordinary letter, where the name "Columbia" could be switched out with any other school name...I would definitely not send that letter in...</p>
<p>This is the best advie I can give, think carefully before you send it in! I guess is my answer to the question...</p>
<p>"I mean low 3.0's...did well on the SAT, but still didn't feel confident so he sent a letter explaining why he wanted to go to that school"</p>
<p>and he probably got in despite the letter, i think it's a risk not worth taking. Denzera had a low 3.3s HS gpa and got in because of great standardized test scores, great ECs and a gap year / his essay. It's not unheard of for top colleges to take low 3 GPAs, they just need a heck of a lot else to compensate, including a tough work load and probably for the applicant to come from a very tough school to start out with. </p>
<p>There's nothing to suggest that the letter had anything to do with your friend's acceptance. The op has applied ED, they know columbia is her first choice, if being first choice changes because you get deferred then you probably shouldn't have applied Ed in the first place, and probably shouldn't be accepted either.</p>
<p>You should send something, at least to let them know you're still interested and an acceptance in the regular round would insure that you would attend. It doesn't have to be more than that.</p>
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"I mean low 3.0's...did well on the SAT, but still didn't feel confident so he sent a letter explaining why he wanted to go to that school"</p>
<p>and he probably got in despite the letter, i think it's a risk not worth taking. Denzera had a low 3.3s HS gpa and got in because of great standardized test scores, great ECs and a gap year / his essay. It's not unheard of for top colleges to take low 3 GPAs, they just need a heck of a lot else to compensate, including a tough work load and probably for the applicant to come from a very tough school to start out with.
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<p>Right. I know a couple friends who got 3.4-3.5 HS GPAs. But they went to elite schools that send lots of kids to Ivies, and they had good class ranks despite the GPAs due to grade deflation.</p>
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You should send something, at least to let them know you're still interested and an acceptance in the regular round would insure that you would attend. It doesn't have to be more than that.
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<p>To me, this seems like a waste of time, but I could be persuaded otherwise if an adcom told me that it would matter. Your word nothing in the RD round because it's no longer a binding commitment. Your Why Columbia should speak to why Columbia is perfect for you.</p>
<p>[You</a> Got Deferred. Now What? - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/defer/]You”>You Got Deferred. Now What? - The New York Times)</p>
<p>My daughter sent a note saying she was elected into Cum Laude.
In the meantime she was accepted early with a scholarship 
to USC.</p>
<p>But Columbia is still #1 :(</p>
<p>But…we are realistic.</p>
<p>on a previous thread i asked a similar question…one response (i believe it was adgeek but i could be wrong) was that columbia essentially expects a letter. i don’t have much to update on (presidential scholars candidate…that’s about it) but i’m writing one just in case. i think it’s less of a risk to send one then it is to not.</p>
<p>congrats stalkermama, i was too lazy, and missed the deadline, so i did regular. i was also deferred from columbia ed</p>