You applied to the University of Chicago early, and it hasn’t worked out like you expected. A yes is ideal, but at least a no is definitive and clear. Being deferred, though, is like the worst of both worlds. You aren’t in, but you also can’t grieve not getting into a dream school. That said, we don’t want you to wallow for too long. It still is possible to get into the University of Chicago after a deferral, and it’s absolutely possible to have an outstandingly successful college application experience—if you’re willing to put in the work.
First, though, let’s talk numbers. The University of Chicago offers Early Action, Early Decision I, and Early Decision II in addition to the standard Regular Decision option. Like most universities, early applicants have a higher acceptance rate. However, that number can be misleading. Prospective athletic recruits, significant legacies, and other ‘special’ applicants all apply early, and they basically know they are getting in before they press submit. So, those applications skew the stats. Overall, Chicago receives around 40,000 applicants and accepts only 4.8%. That’s slim for everyone, which is why the university isn’t a safety for anyone and is a target for only a very select few. For most with perfect grades, and nearly perfect or perfect scores, UChi is still a reach. This is good news and bad. Not getting in early isn’t shocking, but being deferred means you’re still in the game.
In this post, we’ll break down what you need to do to, first, have a successful college application experience and, second, to increase your chances of getting into the University of Chicago.
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Before you focus on strengthening your UChicago application, you need to zoom out and address the big picture. If you get into college early, you can often be ‘one and done.’ But after a deferral, the next step is to look back at your college list.
Review Your College List
Reassessing your college list is a crucial part of the post-deferral process. It’s possible that you thought super hard about pulling together a well-balanced and comprehensive college list before you submitted early to UChicago, but it’s just as likely that you didn’t do one because you didn’t think you would need it. If you fall into the former category, it’s still worth giving it another look. If you fall into the second group, though, you’ll need to do some groundwork.
A strong college list is a balanced college list. This means having a small number of reaches, and a larger number of targets (schools you are likely to get into) and foundations (schools you are nearly certain to get into). Don’t skimp on the foundations, even if you are super confident. Acceptance rates have plummeted in recent years and schools that use to be a sure thing aren’t anymore. This is frustrating, but it’s also life. So, we have to work with it to create a college list that is realistic, with some dreaming and aspiring, and a college application strategy that pushes you past the ominous statistics.
Reassess Your Common App Essay
The core Common App essay is a huge part of your application strategy. A stellar common app essay isn’t going to get you into a school that’s wildly out of your league based on your grades and scores, but it can tip the scale in your favor and result in acceptances to schools that, statistically, were far reaches.
We’ve yet to meet a common app essay that can’t be improved, so start by taking a look at our official guide to the 2024-2025 Common App essay. It may also help to look at admissions essays we’ve worked with students on in the past that led to outstanding acceptances. Then, look back at your essay. If it doesn’t hit the high bar we set, there’s work to be done. This won’t impact your UChicago application, of course, but making strategic edits (or even an overhaul) now can be transformative for your college application process.
Press Submit
Finally, you need to submit — and not just on the deadline. We encourage students to submit applications when they are ready. Very little strong editing happens between when your application is done and the deadline. Maybe it’s something about being nervous, or something about being excited, but we find that students who get antsy start making edits that are not, well, optimal. The best way to avoid this is to simply submit.
Back to The University of Chicago deferral process
Once you’ve prepped your regular decision applications (or even submitted them), it’s time to get back to the University of Chicago. Rushing to do this first won’t aid your application, as they will not review your updates until after the winter deadlines. With that in mind, take a deep breath, slow down, and move methodically with what comes next.
First, UChicago needs your mid-year transcript. Your school counselor should send this automatically, but it’s worth respectfully double-checking to ensure it happens.
Next, you need to complete and submit the Defer Response Form, which they will send to you (so check your email). On the form, you can elect to move to Early Decision II or Regular Decision. If you want to get into UChicago and it remains your first choice, you need to select Early Decision II.
After doing the Defer Response Form, you need to write a Letter of Continued Interest. They suggest this can be uploaded to the UChicago account or emailed to your regional admissions counselor. We like doing both, because sometimes redundancy is your friend.
But what goes in the Letter of Continued interest? Let’s break it down.
Confirm Your Interest
This one should be super obvious. Open your letter with something like “Dear University of Chicago admissions,” then get into saying that, yes, you will attend UChicago if accepted. This needs to be in the first 2 sentences of the letter, as it sets the stage for why you are updating them at all — you still want this!
Next, you want to share a small (emphasis on small) number of updates to your application that could influence their decision. This does not include, say, your parents adopting a dog. It should, however, include things like a new recognition or award, having research published, being elected or appointed to a leadership position, or anything else that you would have included on your application should it have happened before you initially submitted.
Finally, you need to close the letter with a reminder that you will attend if accepted and a polite sign-off.
They don’t give you a word limit, but they don’t want a novel. “a thoughtful note of one to two paragraphs can help us understand and consider your continued interest.” This is plenty of space to fit everything we’ve outlined above.
You can also add additional supplemental materials through the Portfolio and Upload Materials sections of the applicant portal, which isn’t required. We approach opportunities like this with caution, as you don’t want to dilute your application. The Letter of Continued Interest should pack a punch, watering it down with a bunch of other things to look at doesn’t help you. If you are going to add anything, we suggest that it bolsters something mentioned in the Letter of Continued Interest.
The university is clear on some things they absolutely don’t want you to do as well. They don’t want to meet with you, and they don’t want you to call them. They don’t want you to try to rewrite your essays, and they encourage only “small new additions” through the Letter of Continued Interest and supplemental materials – emphasis on small.
Once this letter is complete, treat it like any other application. Edit, review, edit again, and then submit. Getting it off your plate will feel like a weight off your chest.
You can get into the University of Chicago after a deferral, but how you respond to the deferral makes a massive difference. If you’re feeling unsure, we can help.
We help top students get into exceptional colleges, even after a deferral. Email us to learn more.