Getting deferred can be really hard. Whether you applied Early Decision or Early Action, you were probably invested in getting into the University of Virginia. Maybe it was even your dream school, and this feels like a huge setback. However, this isn’t over. You didn’t get rejected. UVA is still reviewing your application, and there are a couple of things you need to do if you have been deferred.
First, be kind to yourself. If you didn’t have grades, scores, activities, etc., for them to consider you seriously, you would have been rejected. You are a great candidate. However, something gave them pause, and they needed more time to make their decision.
And let’s be clear: It isn’t easy to get into UVA. While, last year, their overall acceptance rate was around 17%, it is much closer to 13% for out-of-state students. During ED, their acceptance rate is around 24%, and EA is around 16%. We didn’t mean to throw a bunch of stats at you, but we just wanted to make the point that all these are competitive tracks. Furthermore, statistics can help with a bigger picture, which is what you need when you are deferred. Ok, enough! Let’s jump into what you need to do.
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The first thing you really need to do here is get your head right. There is work to do, and you must put your best foot forward. Take some deep breaths. Once you’ve done that, it's time to pause on UVA and actually look at your other schools.
Review Your College List
Before you even think about UVA again, you need to ensure you will have a chance at other schools. You should take another look at your college list and make sure it includes target schools (aka schools that are statistically a good fit) and foundation schools (sometimes also called “safeties,” aka schools that you are very likely to get into given your academic profile.) This is the realistic part of your list, and you need the majority of your list to be realistic. We recommend 3-4 targets and 3-4 foundations. That doesn’t mean you can’t have some reach schools as well. UVA was one, and you can also have 1-2 more. You should be looking at data, class profiles, and even probability tools like Naviance/talking to a counselor to make sure your targets are actually targets etc.
You should relook at your list and assess whether it meets our recommendations. If not, you should switch some schools.
Reassess Your Common App Essay
Your Common App essay is likely not terrible. If it was, you would have been rejected. However, whenever we work with deferred students, it is always one of the first things we look at, and it always has room for improvement. Your essay is your biggest opportunity to showcase your personality and character. While it is only one of several factors that colleges look at, it can really make a difference. We specialize in helping students craft standout essays and have compiled our biggest tips in this handy guide. We highly recommend reading it and then reassessing your essay.
Press Submit
This should be a no-brainer, but procrastination is, unfortunately, really easy. Sometimes, students think it is best to wait until the last minute to submit. Don’t wait! Once your applications are ready, submit them. Deadlines tend to sneak up on students, and waiting until the last second will make everything messier and more panicky.
Once you have submitted your other applications, it is time to refocus on UVA.
What UVA Wants
The most crucial step you have to take for UVA is filling out the deferral form on their student portal. They write:
“Students offered deferral must fill out the defer form in their student portal to be considered again in the Regular Decision process. Early Decision students must do this by January 15th. Early Action students must do this by February 24th.”
If you don’t fill out this form, they will not consider you during the RD round.
Grades
UVA also needs your mid-year report. This document is sent by your counselor and has your most up-to-date grades. It is an essential document as it will help UVA make an admissions decision. Your counselor should already know to send this document, but it isn’t a bad idea to double-check with them and ensure it goes to any schools you have been deferred from.
New Test Scores
If you have taken the SAT/ACT since you applied, you can send UVA your new test scores through their student portal (and they request that you do it as soon as the latest scores are available.) However, you can only do this if you applied with scores. If you applied test-optional without scores, they will not review this info.
If you send new scores, they should align with their accepted range. Last year, around 66% of applicants sent scores, and the scores were pretty high. The middle 50% of accepted students either received 1410-1510 on the SAT or 32-34 on the ACT. The rule of thumb here is to ideally only send new scores if they are higher than 1450 on the SAT or 33 on the ACT. However, exceptions should be made based on factors like region, personal improvement, etc. If you are unsure if you should send scores, reach out; we can help.
Can I send anything else?
The short answer is no. They request that you do not contact them with more information and state:
“Other than midyear grade updates or new standardized test results, we will not be able to review any edits to your application or additional information. Please do not send additional information, including recommendations, during this time. We will only accept new standardized test results if you applied with testing.”
And
“Demonstrating your interest in attending is not a factor used in our admission process.”
This can be hard to hear, but you need to respect their boundaries and just wait.
Getting deferred isn’t fun, and it can cause a lot of stress during an already stressful time. Don’t be too hard on yourself and follow these steps for a shot at the best-case scenario: getting in during the RD round.
Need help after a deferral? We have you covered. Reach out here.