Chances are, you’re reading this article because you’re looking to find some glimmer of hope after getting deferred or waitlisted from your top-choice school.

First order of business: get off TikTok. Social media is doing no favors in getting you in the right headspace. Trust us. It’ll just make you more resentful of other accepted students. You need to be in the right mindset.

We get it. Getting waitlisted or deferred is rough. We’ve worked with countless students who’ve grieved it. And, while we’ve helped many more get accepted, you need to remember one thing.

You can’t control the result. You can only do your best.

This is a hard time. But, drill this into your head. There’s NO secret sauce that will guarantee admissions officers accept you after deferring or waitlisting you. You can only do your best.

Now, here’s the good news.

If you were recently deferred or waitlisted from a university, it’s not too late. You can still get accepted by writing a letter of continued interest (LOCI).

The LOCI demonstrates your dedication and interest in the school. It also gives admissions officers an update on your recent accomplishments, which may improve their initial perceptions of you. Writing a strong LOCI can sway admissions officers to choose you when your application comes up again during the admissions season.

Though writing a LOCI isn’t always required, it’s always good to send one to schools that accept it. When you’re vying for spots at a college you’ve been deferred or waitlisted from, every opportunity counts.

Writing a letter of continued interest can be a rather daunting task. This is especially true if the school that waitlisted or deferred you was a dream school. It can make even the smartest students anxious. So, we made this guide to help you write a successful letter of continued interest that will maximize your chances of success once the next few months roll around.

Feeling ready?

Okay, great. Let’s get to it.  

Table of Contents

1. WTF is a Letter of Continued Interest?
   • What Should I Put In My College Letter Of Continued Interest? 
   • How Do I Format My Letter of Continued Interest?
   • What Not to Write About When Writing Your College Letter of Continued Interest
2. Sample College Letter of Continued Interest.
3. Do Letters Of Continued Interest Help? 
   • Is Writing a Letter of Continued Interest Even Worth it at This Point?

WTF is a Letter of Continued Interest?

The letter of continued interest, or LOCI for short, is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a letter students write to their respective admissions officers that shows their interest in attending the school despite being waitlisted or deferred.

There are also other details a LOCI includes, such as academic updates, personal achievements, and demonstrated interest. You should write a LOCI if you’re determined to get accepted and want a second chance.  

Note: Every school has rules and regulations concerning letters of continued interest. If you are unsure where you should be sending yours, ask the admissions office of the school you plan to submit to. 

What Should I Put In My College Letter Of Continued Interest? 

There are a few things you should add in your letter of continued interest. While some schools may strictly ask for specific information, here is a list of what your LOCI should include.

• That the school you are writing to is your first choice, and you would take them over any other school. This ensures their retention rates.
• You’re constantly growing over time and haven’t stopped striving for success. Show that you’re working to maintain high grades, impressive extracurriculars, notable mentions or honors, personal achievements, etc.
• Interesting new information or extenuating circumstances that may shed light on your application.

Here are some examples of topics you can add to your letter of continued interest.

1. An increase in GPA
2. An increase in SAT or ACT scores
3. Earning a new leadership position
4. Getting involved in a new extracurricular activity
5. Gaining an award, notable mention, or publication in a piece of research
6. Personal achievements that shed new light on your application
7. New information that paints a different picture of your application. Example: ADHD diagnosis that makes your academic performance more impressive than originally expected

How Do I Format My Letter of Continued Interest?

Here’s an example format for your letter of continued interest.

1. Be respectful of the admissions officers reading your LOCI and thank them for reviewing your application once more. 
2. Reaffirm you are certain that you want to attend the school you are applying for and prove that you will agree to attend the school should you be accepted. 
3. Demonstrate that the school you are writing to is CRUCIAL to your success. This means that attending any other school would not be as good as attending where you are applying. 
4. Update the reader on any new information such as an upward trend in GPA, higher SAT/ACT scores, personal side-hustles/projects you undertook, awards you earned, or titles you’ve earned or achievements made during extracurricular activities.
5. Additionally, include any unusual updates or circumstances not mentioned in your previous application.
6. Thank the reader and admissions office for taking the time to reconsider your application once more. 

What Not to Write About When Writing Your College Letter of Continued Interest

There are two main things you shouldn’t share in your letter of continued interest.

Other than anything extreme such as illegal activity, don’t share the following two things.

1. Any information already stated in your previous application.
   • The admissions office already deemed your previous application initially unworthy of acceptance. So, you need new info that puts you in a better light than first perceived. Use new information to your advantage. Don’t just use content already stated in your previous application essays.
2. Don’t mention other schools.
   • Pretty straightforward. Once other schools are involved in the equation, it’s hard to determine what your interests are. Ultimately, it’s best to just never mention any other schools.

Sample College Letter of Continued Interest.

You can use this example letter of continued interest as a guide when writing your own LOCI.

Note: your letter of continued interest should be approximately but not exceeding 1 page, Times New Roman, 12 pt font, single space.

Dear Ms. Calliope Stokesberry,

I would like to express my continued interest in attending [insert university name] after having been deferred for the [insert relevant school year] school year. Despite being deferred, I am still certain that [insert school name] is the right place to pursue my future academic career in entrepreneurship and business. Thank you for taking the time to revisit my application materials. 

Over the past week, I had the chance to visit [insert school name] to attend the opinion-section journalism competition. There, I managed to find other like-minded individuals attending [school name] and enjoyed the opportunity to make friends with the welcoming and accepting community of [school name]. Finding individuals interested in both journalism and entrepreneurship is rare; that is why the students at [school name] motivated me to pursue my future plans here.  

I would also like to update my list of accomplishments: I recently placed first in my school’s DECA competition for [theme for business marketing]. This was a great step for me, and I believe it demonstrates my determination for the world of business and marketing. I would also like to add that I placed second in the [school name competition] for news reporting. I believe these two accomplishments further solidified my determination in binding the two disciplines of business and journalism together to create a great initiative in the future.

It is because of this binding between journalism and business that I believe [insert school name] would be the right fit for me. I can envision my time here [what you would do at said school]; because of this, [insert school name] is the best place to pursue this future. 

Thank you for reevaluating my application and thank you for your time. Please let me know if there are any further details I must provide. 

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Do Letters Of Continued Interest Help? 

Okay, we know what you’re thinking.

Does writing a letter of continued interest even help at all?

Here’s the short answer: it depends. Some schools will value them more than others.  

On one hand, some schools don’t accept a LOCI while others do and even expect an update during the waitlist. Sometimes, they’ll defer students but have a small pool of them that they may still accept if you write your LOCI well. 

Some take in students with strong signs of potential for their school. Others use it to meet certain quotas such as gender and race.

Typically, writing a college letter of continued interest will work better for schools that take demonstrated interest into consideration. You can find a list of colleges that track demonstrated interest here.

You may even find schools that do look into their waitlists and deferred students, yet they accept little to no students for that year at all! 

Now, this wide range of utility can make writing a LOCI exhausting. If there’s no guarantee of acceptance, what then? Is it even worth it?

Is Writing a Letter of Continued Interest Even Worth it at This Point?

This is the truth.

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Yes

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Yes, writing a letter of continued interest, is ALWAYS worth it. If your respective school permits LOCIs, you should ALWAYS be utilizing them to your advantage.

In a time when college admissions are more selective now than ever before, it’s very hard for students to land schools they’re proud of. So, it may seem daunting to work so hard for a LOCI that has no guarantee of acceptance right?

Sure. But, here’s the catch: there’s no downside to writing a solid LOCI.

When you’re a student, the time it takes to write a decent LOCI is minimal. Yet, what you’re buying with that time is a higher chance of acceptance. While it may not guarantee acceptance, the potential for success is worth sacrificing the short time it takes to write a solid LOCI. The upside is a dream school that can change your future.

In other words, the downside to writing a LOCI is just more time writing a letter. Meanwhile, the upside is all the potential success that comes from getting accepted into your dream school.

If you were waitlisted, you want to have every advantage available in your arsenal. You need to maximize your chances of success, and that means doing everything you can to stand out.

Most of you reading this may think you don’t have the time to write a letter of continued interest. Some may consider throwing in the towel after getting waitlisted or deferred.

Please, please do not lose hope. We say this as people who have worked for years to help students get accepted into schools like UCLA and USC. You don’t want to regret not doing everything you could to get accepted into your dream school. After all, it’s not the people who fought to the very end who have regrets. Rather, it’s the people who didn’t fight hard enough who regret most.

If you still don’t know how to write a letter of continued interest that works, don’t worry. We’re here to help. Schedule a free consultation with us, and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours. Your application matters, and whether you work with us or any other counselor, you must do everything in your power to maximize your chances of success. We are available and we can help you finish your letter of continued interest faster and make it look better than it can be.