You’ve busted your butt for three years and counting (including that final sprint first semester of freshman year to get your application in for early action/decision) and now you have your answer.

You got deferred from your dream school. Not a no and not a yes, you are officially in college admissions purgatory.

After sulking all weekend on TikTok (yes, you’re allowed), you are reinvigorated and ready to take action. Now what?

Time to start writing again. The deferral letter is your last chance to convince admissions officers why this school is your #1 choice, why you would make the perfect fit, and how you’re going to become an alum they’re proud of. Remember to keep hope alive — they could have just rejected you, after all.

Presenting without further ado 4 tips on writing a successful deferral letter:

1) Make a list of all your updates since you submitted the original application

Start by thinking through every category of your life - academics, extracurriculars, personal, family, etc. Then write a bullet point list of every update you can think of for each category. Once you’re done, pick the most exciting and impressive updates to share for one powerhouse paragraph of examples. Think: winning an award, receiving a grant, making it to the championship, etc. The goal of the update paragraph is to show why you’re a great pick for the college.

Another great way of using the update paragraph is to hone in on your brand and remind the admissions officers that you’re passionate about climate change, for example. Remember to tie in academics too: how you were able to maintain or improve your grades despite harder classes and more extracurricular involvement.

2) Don’t include anything they’ve already seen in your original application.

If you mentioned a specific talking point about why you love their curriculum, don’t use the same point in your deferral letter. Try focusing on what’s changed or new updates since you submitted your application. Don’t forget to leave anything out that they’ve already seen in your original application - the focus here should be on new information only.

3) Take another stab at the “why this college” essay.

Without plagiarising yourself, you have to reiterate why you love this college and how it will help you succeed like no other school. If you already wrote a “why this college” essay for the original application, this exercise will be hard because you can’t repeat the same examples. If you’re really feeling stuck, try to go back to the source: can you pull off a campus visit? If not, can you look up some virtual admissions tours or try connecting with an alum?

4) Follow all the tips of the waitlist letter outlined here.

All of the same rules apply. Be yourself in tone. Use specific examples of why this college is your dream school and will help you succeed like no other college will. Name specific departments, research opportunities, and professors to show you’ve done your homework. And whatever do, keep your tone positive.

5) Don’t stray from the prompt provided.

Many colleges are different in what they’re expecting to see in your deferral letter. Some encourage new materials like additional recommendation letters - some will be very explicit in telling you not to include that. Whatever you do, follow their guidelines and aim for no longer than a page.

Finally, read this account by a successful human who got deferred her senior year.