If you received a deferral decision from the University of Pennsylvania, or Penn, or UPenn, you have every right to be annoyed. You put in the work, and you crafted a strong enough application to not get a ‘no’ — but something just didn’t click. For some reason, Penn wasn’t sold on making you a Quaker. The good news is that you still have a shot, and we’re here to help. First, though, some stats.
The overall acceptance rate at Penn last year was 6%, and the acceptance rate for international students was even lower — a mere 3.5%. Obviously, that’s a really low acceptance rate, but it’s important to put it in context. For the class of 2027, 49% of the incoming class applied Early Decision. That includes students who were deferred and then accepted in the regular decision round, so Penn loves to pack their class with kids who love Penn more than anywhere else. They don’t like playing second fiddle!
Penn deferred you because they want to review your application again, “in the context of the Regular Decision pool.” So, they like you, but not enough to offer you a spot without knowing who else they would be saying no to. Getting in now could feel like a lost cost, especially as they’ll be receiving tens of thousands of applications in the regular decision round, but Penn has a strong track record of accepting a large number of deferred students in the regular decision round. In the recent past, they’ve eventually accepted over 9% of deferred applicants, which is significantly higher than the 6% overall acceptance rate.
In this blog post, we’re going to break down what Penn wants from you post-deferral and how you can increase your chances of acceptance in the regular decision round. We also lay out what else you need to be working on to make sure that you have a successful college admissions experience regardless of what Penn ultimately decides.
If this all feels more than a little overwhelming, we’re here to help! We work with driven students to gain admission to exceptional schools.
What Penn Wants
The only thing that Penn requires from you after a deferral is a Mid-Year Report. Your school counselor will submit this in the same way as they did your counselor recommendation or report, or your transcript. This is required to be done in February, so make sure that your counselor knows it is expected of them. They have a lot on their plate, so kind and respectful reminders are often appreciated!
Penn also permits you to “send additional information that sheds new light on your candidacy.” This needs to be submitted through the Penn Applicant Portal, and you can only submit an update once, so don’t rush to do it. They also want you to be thoughtful in what you include, as only significant updates are appreciated. We call this update a “Letter of Continued Interest.”
Letter of Continued Interest
Your Letter of Continued Interest should be no more than one page single-spaced, and should include up to three significant updates with context for each. Only include information that was not part of your initial application, and that has happened since you submitted your early application. You also need to clearly reaffirm that Penn is your first-choice school and that you will attend if you are accepted. This is true even if you are actually seriously considering a second choice.
As you are writing, include specifics about the Penn programs you are interested in taking part in, and submit by the end of January.
Test Scores
The last piece of the deferral puzzle is an optional one. If you did not submit test scores in your initial early application, you do have the option of submitting them now.
What Else You Need to Do
As you prepare your Letter of Continued Interest for Penn, there’s other work to be done if you want to have a successful college application experience. You have a strong chance of getting into Penn eventually, but it’s definitely not a certainty (in fact, less than 10%) — so you need a back-up plan that you’d be genuinely happy with.
1. Review Your College List
A well-balanced college list is the foundation of a successful college application cycle. It’s quite possible, though, that you haven’t given yours a strong look since you decided to apply to Penn ED. We get it. Getting an early application in requires focus, but now it’s time to broaden your view and really weigh your options.
If you did not get into any schools in the early round of admissions, you need to apply to 2-3 ‘safety’ or ‘foundation’ schools and 2-3 target schools. You can also apply to 2-3 reaches, and don’t let your deferral from Penn turn you off to tippy-top-tier schools in general. If you weren’t qualified at all, Penn would have rejected you. With a deferral, you at least know that you have a shot at one of the best colleges in the country.
As you review your college list, you may be realizing it’s not where it needs to be. If that is the case, we can help. We are experts at crafting the perfect college list for each student we work with.
2. Upgrade your Common App Essay
Once you’ve finalized your college list, you need to re-evaluate your main college essay. Even professional writers can find fault with their work, and you aren’t a pro even if you get A’s in English. We believe that strong essays tell a story that is compelling and personal. It should be unique to you while also speaking towards universal themes that any reader can connect to. To see if your essay fits this brief, take a look at our guide on the 24 do’s and don’ts on how to write an acceptance-winning college essay.
If your current essay falls short of the mark, you still have time to write your best work. We help deferred students turn average essays into outstanding pieces of acceptance-winning writing. Check out our essay ‘bootcamp,’ to get an idea of how we get this done.
3. Get to the Finish Line
This may seem obvious, but you’ve got your work cut out for you. There are supplements to write, essays to refine, and updates to send. At this point, the best thing you can do is to work methodically, setting aside a little time every day to chip away at the mountain that is college applications. Taking a bit-by-bit approach will also help you submit outstanding applications without taking time away from your coursework. After all, the most important piece of your application — and your Penn update — truly is your report card.
Getting deferred from Penn is frustrating, but it isn’t the end of your college application saga. There’s work to be done, so get to it!
We are really good at working with driven and passionate students to craft acceptance-winning applications. If you want to get into a dream college, send us an email.