It is probably not news to you that a great many students who apply early to colleges are neither admitted nor denied but deferred to the regular decision pool.
Different institutions will use the deferral option differently; some simply deny most of the early applicants who aren't admitted outright, rather than defer them, while others defer most or all early applicants who aren't admitted…even if their chances for admissions are remote. And while some deferred students may end up being admitted in the regular decision round, one must approach a deferral as if it were a denial and focus on remaining college choices.
However, if you are intent on pursuing a college to which you have been deferred, here are the steps you should take:
1-Reaffirm your interest. Admissions officers know that getting deferred can be very disappointing and may turn some applicants away from what was once their top choice. Upload a statement to your application portal or send an email to the college's admissions representative or undergrad admissions office reaffirming your interest in the institution and why it remains among your top choices. This need not be lengthy...and very often, being concise is best. But, this is an important step to take. If the college specifically instructs students not to reaffirm interest or send additional materials, or asks students to use a specific form (like UMich or MIT), then just follow those instructions. Rest assured this should wait until after you have taken care of your regular decision applications (mid- January or even early February).
2-Maintain your grades. We will automatically send out your final fall term transcript in Feburary; a strong senior year performance can, in some cases, help your cause. Keep in mind that colleges may even request your second term report cards in March or April...so stay focused throughout the rest of the year.
3-Notify the admissions office about new & noteworthy accomplishments. If you have any important new information to add to your file...doing well in some extracurricular competition, completing a great project or writing a significant article for the Spec, winning a scholarship, etc... inform the admissions office or use the institution's web portal to enter this information. You certainly don't want to pester them with minutiae; that could be counterproductive. But you definitely want to share with them any noteworthy achievements that were not included in your application.
4-Relax...you are going to college! It's easy to get mired down by disappointment when you are deferred or denied by a college you love; it is not unlike getting dumped by a girlfriend or boyfriend :( But remember that you are going to get good news this year, too! Highly selective colleges regularly deny applicants who are perfectly qualified and would do very well at their institution...there just isn't enough room to admit them all. You are here at Stuyvesant because you have a phenomenal skill set, and if you work with your college counselor to develop a healthy list of colleges, you are going to have some excellent choices this spring.
