Google “I just got deferred from my Early Decision school! What can I do now?” and you’ll be directed toward any number of threads and conversations filled with myths and partial truths about the purpose, structure, and value of the “Letter of Continued Interest” (LOCI) to be sent to support a student’s chances in the Regular Decision round.

MYTH: The letter needs to be submitted immediately following the defer decision to assure that the school knows the student isn’t too disappointed about being deferred and/or is still very interested in attending.

MYTH: There is a perfect LOCI that the student could craft that would all but guarantee admission in the regular round.

MYTH: Students who have been deferred ED have a better (or worse, depending on what you read) chance of being admitted in the regular decision round than students who simply applied RD.

MYTH: Students should do more than just write a letter, they should call and/or visit the college, send additional letters of recommendation, request a meeting with an admissions officer to explain their interest, send cookies/flowers/cardboard cutouts of their face, in order to ensure that the school knows how very interested they are.

In truth, each of these is just that – a myth about admission.

Truth: LOCIs should be sent in mid-January, not only after a student has taken the time to craft great supplemental essays for the other schools on their list, but after they have an update to share with the school (which is likely after first semester grades have been reported).

Truth: All LOCIs are different and should be unique and individual to the student, and their interests and aspirations. There are no guarantees in the world of admissions, and LOCIs are a part of that reality.

Truth: Each student in the RD round has the same “chance” of being admitted as each other student in the round. There are no special points (or demerits) for the ED deferred applicant. About the same percentage of applicants are admitted after a deferral as are admitted from the entire pool. (ie: If the school has an RD admit rate of 5%, about 5% of the deferred ED applicants are admitted as are about 5% of the RD applicants)

Truth: Students should simply write one letter (one LOCI). They should absolutely not visit, call, interrupt, send anything else, or otherwise inundate the admissions office. Students (and parents) need to simply trust that the process does work out and that one LOCI is sufficient.

So what is the formula for a great LOCI? It is simple. One letter, 4 parts, 250 words or about ½ a page:

  • Gratitude: For the time during busy RD season; for the defer in a competitive pool, etc
  • Updates: Here are some things that have happened to/for/because-of me since I sent you my application in mid-October that I haven’t shared yet that I think you’d like to know about in my application
  • Connections: Here are some great things that I am/continue to be excited about at your school which makes it such a great fit for ME and are all the things I love about it/your school/my future there (even better if they might connect to your updates!)
  • Gratitude Redux: For the “continued consideration” — and (if applicable) an assurance to yield if admitted (can’t do this unless it is true… consider your options!)

Do you want to read more about deferral and steps you can take? Try this excellent blog post from the Georgia Tech Admissions Blog.