What To Do If You Are Waitlisted By Your Dream College?
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What Is a LOCI?
When To Send It & To Whom?
How To Write It
Sample Letter of Continuing Interest
Polishing & Proofreading Your Letter
Students who’ve been deferred or waitlisted soon discover they may need to write a letter of continued interest, or LOCI. The main purpose is simple enough: telling the school you still want to attend. But, there’s more to it, because you’ll want to make sure you craft a letter that follows the school’s guidelines and helps you stand out! In this post we’ll tell you what an LOCI is, where to send it, and how to write it so it helps you turn your deferred or waitlist status into an admission offer instead!
Have you been deferred after applying Early Action or Early Decision?
Or, did you get waitlisted after applying during the Regular Decision round?
That may not be the news you wanted, but it still offers you an opportunity for getting in — if you’re up to doing some work to stand out in the final stage of this annual admissions ritual!
One almost universal step after being deferred or waitlisted is submitting a well-crafted Letter of Continued Interest, or LOCI. The LOCI lets the prospective school know you still want to attend, but there’s a little more to it than that, so let’s dive in…
In this post we’ll cover all the questions students typically have about Letters of Continued Interest:
If you’ve been deferred — after applying Early Action or Early Decision — or you've been waitlisted, after applying Regular Decision, a Letter of Continued Interest is a formal email letter you send to let the college know that you still have a strong interest in attending the school.
The college will likely communicate what you need to do if you’ve been deferred or waitlisted, including letting you know about any deadline for sending your LOCI or submitting other updates, letters, or school reports they require or recommend.
Just as you followed directions and guidelines closely when applying to the school, you’ll want to carefully read any notifications or communications from the prospective college so you don't miss any remaining opportunities that may help you convert you uncertain status into an actual offer of admission.
Deferred?
Plan to send your letter within 4 weeks if you applied in the early round and you're notified you've been deferred. This ensures Admissions Officers know of your interest while they're still early in the process of reading applications submitted for the regular-decision round.
Waitlisted?
You should send the letter within 1–2 weeks after being notified you've been waitlisted if you applied Regular Decision.
Other application timelines questions? Check out: The Ultimate College Application Timeline
In addition to alerting you to any deadlines, the college’s deferral or waitlist notification should include instructions on where — and to whom — you should send your Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI). Sometimes, instead of a letter, the school may ask you to fill out a specific form.
Some schools may even tell you not to send a letter, in which case, don't.
If the instructions aren’t clear, it’s best to send your LOCI to the person who contacted you about the deferral or waitlist decision. Still unsure? Don’t hesitate to reach out to the admissions office to confirm.
Before you submit your LOCI, it’s a smart move to get advice from your college counselor or Crimson strategist to make sure you’re covering everything important.
It’s easier to go about writing your LOCI if you remember its purpose is to:
With this in mind, here's what to cover in your LOCI:
Other tips for writing your LOCI:
Taking time to ensure a careful review of your LOCI before submitting is an important step. It's crucial for submitting an error-free, professional letter, and for making sure it truly reflects as positively as possible on you and your genuine interest in pursuing an offer of admission.
___ Does the LOCI meet all special requirements or guidelines (if any) communicated by the college?
___ Are the tone and content positive and affirmative?
___ Is it properly addressed and properly formatted?
___ Is my continued interest in attending clear and explicit?
___ Have I included and concisely enumerated all pertinent new information about my activities, academics, and interests?
____ Have I carefully made revisions for clarity and readability?Â
__ Has a college counselor or other professional adult reviewed the letter and given me feedback? Helped with final proofreading?
___ Have I completed a final proofreading pass?
This checklist ensures you’re sending a top-notch letter. Your care and attention to detail is important — it’s one more way to stand out and communicate how much you want to attend their school!
It can be challenging to know exactly how to write a strong LOCI that’s also carefully tailored to your personal circumstances. In other words, we get it, this can be easier said than done, even with all the guidance we’ve just provided!
This is why students often come to us for expert LOCI support. With a Crimson strategist on your side, you can take the guesswork out of the process and ensure you’re on the right path, executing with the best strategy and approach, and giving yourself the best odds for success.
Not already part of the Crimson network? Getting started is easier than you think... Reach out to a Crimson team member today with any questions you have or to get connected promptly with an expert — before it’s time to submit your letter!
Right when you thought the application process was behind you, being deferred or waitlisted can open doors to a new round of uncertainty and come with some new application steps and deadlines!
Key in navigating this process and exploiting your remaining opportunity for getting in is the task of writing a compelling and professional Letter of Continued Interest. This letter is, yes, another task demanding your attention, but it also represents one last shot — a new opportunity to share your enthusiasm for attending the school along with any meaningful updates on your activities or academic progress, and highlighting the specific resources or features you want to take advantage of.
This makes writing your LOIC more than a rote task, and one worthy of careful thought and attention. So, if you want an expert at your side for your next step, remember that experienced Crimson team members can offer personalized LOCI support today.
To connect with an expert and make your last shot your best one, schedule a free feedback session to get started.
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