Getting deferred can be a real bummer. You worked hard on a great application to one of UPenn’s four undergraduate schools: The College, Wharton, Engineering, or Nursing. You took your time to research the school and write your essays. More importantly, you probably fell in love with Penn (at least, enough for it to be your early decision choice). For all that work to be met with a deferral letter feels really disappointing. However, we want to highlight the silver lining here: you weren’t rejected. You still have options here, and there are a few steps that you 100% should take.
First, give yourself some claps. If you weren’t Penn material, you would have been rejected and not deferred. You have the scores, grades, resume, etc., to have gotten in; just something made them pause. They want more time to look at your application and how it might fit into the overall incoming class. We know it might not feel good, but you should still be proud of yourself even if it isn’t the best outcome (yet).
Furthermore, it is hard to get into Penn! Last year, their early decision acceptance rate was around 14.8%. However, early decision acceptance rates are usually a little superficially high. Remember, this is when many recruited student-athletes, kids of big donors, and legacies apply. And, yes, even the Ivy League cares about recruited student-athletes. Likely, the ‘real’ early acceptance rate is probably more likely around 8%. (This is still higher than the overall acceptance rate of 5.8%, but still…) Sorry to throw some numbers at you, but we wanted to give you a complete picture of admissions at UPenn before we break down the next steps you should take.
If getting deferred has you down or worried, we would love to help increase your odds! Reach out here for a dedicated counselor who can walk you through this process.
The real first step is to take a breath, check in on yourself, and get into the right headspace. This process takes a little work; you want to go into it with the right vibes. Once you have done that, follow these four steps:
Take Another Look at Your College List
Chances are, since you planned on getting into Penn ED, the rest of your list could use a little love. You might need to reassess. Being deferred from one school doesn’t mean you need to delete all of the reach or top-tier schools off your list, but you should be careful if your list skews towards super-elite schools. We always think that college lists should be balanced. You need to make sure that you have at least three “target” schools and three “foundations” (aka “safeties”) on your list.
You should also double-check that these schools are actually targets and foundations. You need to check their stats. While you can do some of this through class profiles and Common Data sets, if your school counselor has access to probability tools like Naviance, you should also ask for their help.
Reassess Your Common App Essay
It’s only one part of your application, but it is one of the factors that can be a “make or break” for elite admissions committees. Students often come to us after being deferred, and usually, when we look at their Common App essays, it is obvious that there is room for improvement. You really want to shine in your essay. We have a great Guide to the 2024-2025 Common App Essay if you don't know where to start. We specialize in helping students craft next-level essays that can help them get into statistically unlikely schools, so please trust our advice on this one and give your essays a meaningful edit. Our blogs are a great place to start; however, if you need more help, we would be happy to assist! Just reach out.
Hit that Submit Button
Procrastination is easy, especially when your confidence may have recently taken a dig. But you need to get back on the (metaphorical) horse. Don’t wait til the last moment to submit your other applications. You don’t have much time between ED decisions and RD deadlines. We suggest students submit applications as they are ready and not wait till the last minute.
Once you have finished your other apps, it is time to refocus on Penn. Last year, Penn admitted approximately 9.5% of candidates whose applications were deferred during ED. That’s actually higher than last year’s RD acceptance rate (which was closer to 5%). So there is still a chance; you just need to give them some important information in the interim.
What Penn Wants
Penn has a great FAQ document on what they need from you, and it's fairly specific. But we will also break it down (along with our tips.)
Mid-Year Grades
The first thing Penn needs is a Mid-Year report from your counselor. This report gives an update on your senior year grades. It is essential for them to know your recent academic performance. Your counselor should already know to do this automatically; however, we advise students to double-check with their counselors and ensure they send this report to Penn. Dot those Is and cross those Ts!
Update Letter
Penn allows students to send one update through their Penn Applicant Portal. We are going to say that again: “ONE update.” You want to make that update count, and it should come in the form of a well-crafted letter. Sometimes, this is called a Letter of Continued Interest. If done right, this letter should not only cover any significant updates you may have but also remind Penn how great you are and that they are your top choice school.
You don’t need to include everything in this letter. Ideally, it is only about 300 words. You want to be clear and concise. You should start your letter by thanking the committee and reaffirming your love for Penn. You have already written two supplemental essays about why you want to attend Penn. Don’t overcomplicate it; just make sure it comes through that you are excited and hopeful for Penn.
Next, you should speak to 1-3 significant updates. These could include:
Completing a research project/getting your work published
Taking a new course at a community college or online
Finishing a certification
Being made head of a club or organization/taking on a new responsibility
Getting an award or recognition
Starting a new job or internship/getting a promotion at a previous position
There are many more updates that could work here. The important thing is for them to feel significant. Penn says, “Please be judicious in the information you choose to include in your update.” For example, if you perform with your dance group every spring and tell Penn that you did the spring performance, it doesn't feel too significant; however, if this year you were chosen to choreograph or your group was asked to perform in a competition or at an event, this feels more like a significant update. If you don’t feel you have anything to write about, reach out. We can help!
Finally, you want to finish your letter with (again) a nice thank you and an affirmation that Penn is your first choice. This should include saying in no uncertain terms that you will attend if accepted (even as the ED agreement no longer applies.)
Remember, you only get the chance to send one of these updates. So, make sure to collect your thoughts and the right updates before sending it.
Test Scores
Penn allows deferred students who didn’t submit test scores as part of their Early Decision application to send scores through the Penn Applicant Portal. You should only do this only if your scores might help you. What do we mean by that? Well, it's likely that you didn’t submit test scores the first time around because you didn’t think they would be helpful. The same is true here, but if you were either on the fence or have retaken the test since you applied, this may be a good option for you.
Last year, Penn’s middle 50% on the SAT ranged between 1500 and 1570 (the 50th percentile was 1540). For the ACT, their middle range was 34-35 (with the 50th percentile also being 35).
Ideally, your scores should be in that range, but we also understand these scores are very high. Last year, around 70% of applicants submitted scores, meaning around 30% probably did not have scores like these and held back from submitting. If yours aren’t close to this range, you most likely should do the same.
Ok, rapid-fire, and we can’t believe we need to say this (but from experience, we do). There are a couple of things that you absolutely should not do. Don’t send a bunch of emails to admissions. Don’t try to send a bunch of new recommendations. Don’t show up on campus demanding to know why you didn’t get in. You want to be cool, calm, and collected here. We guarantee hounding admissions won’t help your case; it will only hurt it.
We know Penn is the dream, but there are so many great schools out there. Stay focused. Finish your applications and follow these steps to ensure you have the best chance to get into Penn and all your other schools during the RD round. And if you need help, we are here for you.
Need help with RD? We have you covered. Reach out here.