Heres the secret formula for getting into a top-choice college after being deferred

After meticulously polishing application materials, hitting submit during the early admissions round, and enduring the agonizing wait for an admissions decision, thousands of students opened their application portals this week to find the word no applicant wants to see: deferred.Despite the disappointment that comes with a deferral, this outcome means that students have another shot at admission to their dream school in the regular decision round.And, while facing months of waiting can feel immobilizing, there are still steps that students can take to increase their chances of acceptance. For most students facing deferral, the playbook looks the same: write a letter of continued interest (LOCI) and send it promptly after receiving the decision.But while the LOCI remains a staple of post-deferral strategy, here’s the insider truth that most students and families don’t realize: at many prestigious universities, a LOCI simply isn’t enough to save you from rejection.At top schools that consider demonstrated interest, writing a letter of continued interest is the bare minimum that a student can do to show their enthusiasm for a school.

Admissions officers are expecting far more than a single missive expressing a strong desire to attend.Rather than a one-step strategy, for students applying to these schools, the letter of continued interest should be just the first step in a multi-phase process of showcasing clear and actionable interest in a specific institution. Here’s what you need to know to develop a winning post-deferral plan for schools that look for demonstrated interest:Not every prestigious university considers demonstrated interest, which means that a student’s post-deferral plan should look significantly different depending on the school.At all of the Ivy League schools except Dartmouth, for instance, demonstrated interest is not considered; taking steps beyond the letter of continued interest can actually hurt a student’s odds of admission. ...