We’re very sorry to hear you’ve been deferred from the University of Pennsylvania. We know this is a difficult time, but it’s more important than ever to think about how to maximize your chances of admission. We called Penn to ask about their deferral rates, but they specifically do not provide information on what proportion of applications are deferred each year. We do know, however, that approximately 16% of those deferred applications are eventually accepted. So, if you’ve been deferred, your chances for admissions are actually higher than those of normal regular-decision applicants. We’re going to talk about how to push your application into that 16%: we’ll outline what to do for the best chances of success.
First, though, it’s best to get all your other applications and schools sorted out. If you haven’t finished your applications to other schools, or if you haven’t sorted out a school list, we’re here to help.
Schools
Maybe you’ve sent out a few other applications, or maybe you were really banking on Penn letting you in early. Either way, if you haven’t applied to at least 10 other schools, this is the place to start. We’re going to construct a balanced list--we’d recommend at least three safeties, four targets, and three reaches--that will help you prepare for the possibility that Penn does not let you in. (If you’re confused by this terminology look here)
Think of schools you’d be genuinely excited to attend, and think long and hard about their locations, sizes, and cultures. Penn is culturally similar to both U Michigan and Cornell: you may want to think of schools like these for your reaches. If you’re really excited about moving to Philadelphia, think about Temple or Drexel for your safeties. Come up with a list of at least 5 (can be more) and make sure you have enough safety schools: these are super important on the off chance that something goes wrong. Look here for more help planning these lists.
Planning Supplements
Now that you’ve chosen your schools, the next task is to plan out your essays for each and every one. Go through the Common App and read through the writing supplements for each and every school: we’d recommend pasting all the prompts into a document so that you can see what you’ve got ahead of you. Plan each essay out: go through each and every supplement and make a plan of what narratives and structures to use. Read through our posts on essay writing; you’ll want to brainstorm thoroughly before starting. Look through our Blog to find guides for just about any college: read through each one for every school on your list.
Once you’ve got ideas for each supplemental essay you’ll start to see some commonalities: many schools will ask variations on the same questions. You can often reuse essays with some slight adjustments: the essay you wrote on Communities for Penn will serve just as well for Cornell.
Writing
Now it’s time to jump in. Start writing your essays for your first schools (maybe start with your safeties) and follow our instructions for every school on your list. Make sure you give yourself enough time: you’ll be writing a number of these in just a couple of weeks, so get started as soon as possible. Once you’ve written an essay, review it with your friends or a teacher. Get some feedback on it and make edits accordingly, and check it twice for spelling and grammar. Do this for all of your supplements until you’re ready to submit.
Odds and Ends
You’ll want to talk to your guidance counselor and inform them of the schools you’re applying to. Talk to your teachers who supplied letters of recommendation and make sure they’re prepared to recommend you to these new schools as well. Send your standardized test scores to your new schools, and then submit your new applications once everything is ready.
Deferral Letter
So, this is probably why you’re reading this post. Now that you’ve gotten all your ducks in a row, it’s time to get back to Penn. You’ll want to focus on drafting a Deferral Letter, which will inform the school of your continued desire to attend. Your Deferral Letter should do two things: update Penn on all the wonderful achievements and successes you’ve had since applying and inform them of your undying loyalty to their school. You’ll want to send this letter in January; wait until you have some new achievements to talk about!
Write a professional letter, and start by informing them of anything interesting you’ve done, any successes you’ve had. Tell them how you did well at the Math Olympiad, or how you won your local chess competition. Whatever it is, try to make it sound interesting and not overtly braggy. Don’t write a laundry list of accomplishments; it’s better to focus on two or three interesting things.
Once you’ve done that, make it clear how likely you are to attend Penn if offered admission. Tell them that you’ll attend if admitted. They care about their yield rate--best to show them just how serious you are. After you’ve written your letter, review it with friends or parents. Edit it for grammar and spelling, and then send it as an email to the Penn Admissions Office.
Now sit back and wait: you’ve done everything you can.
If you’re struggling to get through the admissions process, or you’d like assistance with a nagging question, reach out to us here. We’re always happy to help.