We know, getting deferred from your dream school is a gut punch. You poured your energy into your Columbia application, hit submit, and now you’re stuck in the gray zone of “maybe.” It’s frustrating, it’s confusing, and yeah, it stings. But before you spiral, take a second. Breathe. A deferral isn’t a no. It’s a hold. A “not right now, but maybe soon.” And that means your shot isn’t over yet!
It’s easy to let a deferral mess with your confidence, but please hear us when we say: this is not about your worth or your future. You are smart. You are capable. You’ve got big things ahead. Their decision isn’t a reflection on your personal value and character, it’s a numbers game, and Columbia’s numbers are brutal. Columbia loooooves to not tell us anything, but our extremely educated guesstimate puts their ED admit rate around 10-15%, while RD is around 4%. Unfortunately, we don’t know, and have little information to even estimate, how many deferred students are eventually accepted in RD. Schools, for some reason, keep that info locked up like it’s Fort Knox’s gold. They should release that info! Listen to us!
There’s a reason you fell for Columbia. It likely hit so many of your must-haves, and that’s why you applied early. But this isn’t over. You’ve got another shot, and now it’s time to take it. Once you’ve had a minute to regroup (and maybe eat some comfort food), let’s talk about how to make the most of the road ahead.
Step One: Double-Check Your College List
If Columbia was your main focus this fall and you haven’t touched your other applications yet, now’s the time to regroup and get into gear. These next few weeks are make-or-break for your college strategy. First things first: assess your list. Is it well-balanced, with a realistic spread of reach, target, and safety schools? Great. If it’s mostly long-shot schools, just a handful of options, or maybe even still in your Notes app, it’s time to expand. Most students should aim for 8–12 schools, making sure their GPA, test scores, and course rigor stack up reasonably against admitted student data.
However, don’t just add schools because they’re impressive on paper and you think they sound good. You need to do your research, because you want to apply to places where you’ll actually thrive and achieve your goals. If Columbia appealed to you because of the Core Curriculum, an urban campus, or the intellectual energy, look for other schools that offer similar experiences. Maybe that means NYU, UChicago, Georgetown, or even smaller liberal arts schools in cities. Prestige matters less than finding the right environment, one that fits your academic interests, personality, and priorities.
Once your list is in solid shape, shift your energy to the writing. Your supplements are where you make your case to each school, and with RD deadlines coming up fast, you can’t afford to coast. We’ve got tons of advice on our blog about how to approach different schools' prompts – so once your list is done, that’s your next stop.
Step Two: Revisit Your Common App
This is the perfect moment to take a step back and critically assess your Common App essay. Ask yourself: does it actually reflect your voice, or could it have been written by any ambitious high schooler with a similar resume? Is it overly cliche, the kind of story admissions officers read 50 times a day? We’re not trying to slander the classic “personal growth” essay – plenty of students get in with those. But we are saying that our students who take the time to sharpen their essays tend to see results. In fact, every year, our long-term clients land at one of their top three schools, and it’s rarely because they wrote about the big goal, their grandma, or their academic prowess.
While we have a soft spot for Prompt #7 (the everlasting It Girl of college essays), you can write something compelling using nearly any prompt, as long as the story feels fresh and unmistakably you. The most common pitfalls we see, especially in last-minute drafts, are essays that rehash what’s already in the activities section, narratives that feel more like summaries than stories, pieces that spotlight external events over internal transformation, or writing that lacks the spark of personality. If any of that sounds familiar, it might be time for a rewrite.
Need to completely revamp your Common App essay? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Step Three: Other Applications
If you’re reading this in the narrow window between mid-December and early January, welcome to the busiest part of application season. The clock is officially ticking. Your first objective is to revisit and refine your Common App essay. This is your biggest chance to stand out, and there’s still time to elevate it.
Make sure to take a second look at your activities or additional information sections, too. Once that’s locked in, shift your energy to the supplemental essays. Take it from us: don’t flirt with those 11:59 p.m. deadlines. Submitting early means fewer glitches and a lot less stress. Seriously. Once you’re done with a school’s app, send it in, right away.
Only after all of that is squared away should you turn your attention to updating Columbia. If you’re planning to send a letter of continued interest, it should be thoughtful, concise, and sent after your RD materials are finalized.
Step Four: Update
Columbia famously loves to give us very little information on deferrals:
“If you are deferred under the Early Decision plan, a final decision on your candidacy will be made with the Regular Decision applicant pool, and you will be notified by April 1. We encourage deferred candidates to update us in the winter with mid-year grades and any significant new achievements.”
Go on, girl! Give us nothing! Talk to your school counselor, as you may need to gather/follow up on a few things:
Mid-Year Report and Mid-Year Transcript
Your school counselor will send these, but doesn’t hurt to follow up here
Updated Test Scores
If your ACT or SAT improved, make sure to send these in
Additional letters of rec (optional!)
Only if the letter will actually say something new and unique about you, or if the person writing the letter has a significant connection to Columbia – your mom’s friend who went there 30 years ago probably doesn’t count.
Your deferral letter, a.k.a., the letter of continued interest.
The Deferral Letter (Letter of Continued Interest)
A deferral letter, also known as a letter of continued interest (LOCI), is your chance to reintroduce yourself to Columbia and make it clear that you’re still all in. This is your post-ED encore: a short, confident reminder that Brown is your top choice and that you're even more impressive now than you were in December.
The goal here is threefold: reaffirm your commitment, highlight significant updates, and strike the right tone – enthusiastic but never desperate. No need to rehash what’s already in your app, and avoid writing about the vibes or your feelings ad nauseum. Stick to the essentials. Aim for 300 words max; if you’ve single-handedly cured cancer, fine, go up to 400.
You’ll be asked to either submit this through your Columbia applicant portal, or email it directly to admissions. Treat it like a professional, formal letter. Keep it polished, direct, and proofread.
Start with a respectful greeting. Use your regional rep’s name if you know it, if not, “Dear Columbia University Admissions Office” is perfectly fine.
Your opening should make your intentions unmistakably clear: Columbia remains your first choice, and you will absolutely attend if offered admission. You need to explicitly say that if you are accepted to Columbia, you will 100% attend. If you do not have a sentence that directly spells that out, this letter is not going to help you, because now that your ED application is considered within the RD pool, you are no longer bound to attend if accepted. They care about their yield rate, and they want to admit students who will say yes.
Next comes the heart of the letter: the updates. These should be new, substantial, and relevant. Think academic achievements, leadership roles, research progress or publication, new jobs or internships, additional coursework, or other meaningful experiences since you applied. This section should take up most of the space, and you should cap at 2-3 major updates.
Wrap things up with another direct and explicit affirmation that Columbia is your dream school, a sincere thank you, and a professional signoff. Upload the letter to your applicant portal or email to admissions and copy your regional counselor if you have their contact email – but only email it to them if you’ve had an ongoing relationship with them! Make sure to ask if there’s anywhere else you should send your letter and thank them for their time.
Step Five: Wait
Yeah, we know, this part stings. Waiting isn’t fun, especially after you’ve already poured your heart into the process. This is not the time to keep pinging their inbox or brainstorm another update to send. Resist the urge to follow up again and please, do not show up on campus asking to speak with admissions.
Look, you’ve done what you needed to do. You put together a smart list of schools, submitted a strong application, and sent a compelling, thoughtful letter of continued interest to Columbia. That’s everything in your control. Now it’s their move. Most final decisions will be released by April 1st, so for now, take a deep breath and focus on what’s next. The hard part’s done – you’ve put your best self out there.
We can help you bounce back from a deferral or rejection. Reach out to us today to learn more.