If you are reading this post, things haven’t turned out exactly as planned. You applied to Swarthmore Early Decision because you wanted an answer, early. Accepted or rejected, at least you would have an answer. But now you’re here, with a deferral decision, and everything is up in the air. You can walk away from Swarthmore at this point and not push it out of your mind. You can even pull your application if you want. We think that would be a little silly though. You applied to Swarthmore ED because it is your dream school, so the least you can do is to see it through to a final decision. And if there are things you can do to strengthen your application, even better. The good news is that there are.
In this post, we’ll break down what you need to know (and do) to strengthen your Swarthmore application in the Regular Decision round. We’ll also go through the key steps you absolutely must take to ensure your whole college application experience is a resounding success. First, let’s talk Swarthmore.
Swarthmore is one of the most popular small liberal arts schools in the United States of America, with an acceptance rate of only 7% over the last two application cycles. The college doesn’t release a deferral rate, so you can’t know exactly how big of a pool you are swimming in. It’s safe to say, though, that there are a few hundred other students in the same position you are in right now. However, only a few of you will get in. Becoming one of those few is, as we’ve said, very possible — but it isn’t easy. So, let’s get into it.
Getting into a dream school often isn’t a linear process, especially in the case of a deferral. Contact us to turn a disappoint into a dream-come-true.
Before you do anything for Swarthmore, though, you need to tackle the other colleges you’ll now need to apply to. Because, of course, this isn’t a one-college game anymore. In our dream world, you will have been working on these applications for months. In reality, we know that it’s possible that you don’t even have a final college list. This isn’t the end of the world, but it isn’t great either. To pull of an impressive array of acceptances, you’ll need to get to work.
Review Your College List
First, you need to review your college list. Alternatively, you may need to make one for the first time. Either way, it’s important to confirm that your list meets our balance-centric standards.
A balanced college list is a magical thing, and to reach this beautiful balance you need three things:
Foundations: Every college list should have 3-4 foundation or ‘safety’ schools that you are very likely to get into. This could be because your grades and scores are far above the average at the school, you are an in-state applicant, you have a connection to the school through legacy or another family member, or any combination of these reasons. These schools often aren’t dream schools for you, but they should most certainly be schools that you’d be willing to attend if ultimately required.
Targets: Next, your list should have 3-4 target schools. These schools are more competitive than your foundation schools, but well within your reach academically. A dream school can be a target, but Swarthmore isn’t a target for you – it’s a reach.
Reaches: A reach school is a school you would love to get into, but that isn’t statistically likely. It should be possible, though. A reach that is entirely out of reach isn’t a strong addition to your list, and is honestly a bit of a waste of time. Instead, focus on schools that are feasible with a lot of work and a little luck. Limit the number of reaches on your list to 2-3, including Swarthmore.
Reassess Your Common App Essay
Next, you need to reassess your core Common App essay. You have other writing to do, and this essay is already written, but giving your Common App essay a strong edit will set you on a successful path for all the supplements in your future. To get a sense of what needs to be done, take a look at our 2024-2025 Guide to the Common App Essay. Then, dig in. And when it comes time for supplements, we have college-specific supplement guides for dozens of top schools.
Press Submit
Submitting your application is such an obvious piece of the process that may people would leave it off a checklist, but it’s worth including here for one reason: anxiety. We regularly learn about anxious applicants making terrible editing choices in the final moments before submitting an application — most often minutes before the deadline. We meet these students after a surprising rejection or a disappointing waitlist decision. In a shocking number of cases, the disappointing decisions could have likely been avoided should they have submitted the application when it was ready instead of waiting to submit and fiddling when they got nervous. So, submit.
WHAT SWARTHMORE WANTS
Once your other applications are set, you can turn your attention back to Swarthmore. They don’t, unfortunately, say much about deferral except to confirm that early decision applicants who aren’t accepted or rejected are deferred. But you know this, obviously, because you are one of them.
While Swarthmore doesn’t give much direct guidance, we know what works from experience. To improve your chances of admission, there are three things you must do.
Grades
Your school counselor should send your mid-year grades, and possibly a supplementary school report, automatically. Remember to check in with them just in case, though. And, if Swarthmore is most certainly still your first choice school, you should also ask if they are willing to make an advocacy call on your behalf. This isn’t required, nor even expected, but it can be immensely helpful.
Letter of Continued Interest
After your sending grades that show a continuation of the high achievement you displayed in your initial application, the most impactful thing you can do is to write a heartfelt yet concise Letter of Continued Interest, or LOCI.
A LOCI is a literal letter that is submitted to the admissions office to underline your interest in the college and update them about anything important and notable that has happened since you submitted your application. It’s also useful to keep in mind what Swarthmore looks for when assessing applications, so that you can emphasize these in your LOCI. At Swarthmore, they’re especially interested in applicants who show curiosity, generosity, and a commitment to community. When you’re writing your LOCI, you’ll want to keep these three things in mind for the updates portion, which we explain below.
Opening
We recommend sending your LOCI directly to the admissions officer assigned to your region. This means opening the letter by address it to them directly, showing that you’ve done additional research beyond simply sending a letter into the unknown.
Statement of Continued Interest
In the first few sentences of your LOCI, you need to clearly state that Swarthmore remains your first choice and that you will attend if accepted. It can also be helpful to reiterate what you want to study at Swarthmore, and a specific reason why, such as a research program, a professor you’d like to study under, or a particular initiative or opportunity.
Update
The update is the meat of your LOCI, and it will be the longest part of the letter, but it should still be no more than 300 words. In this update, you should share no more than four (4) changes to your application that are truly notable, meaning that you would have included these things in the initial application if they had happened in time. These updates could be changes to your extracurriculars, a new leadership position, an award or recognition, or new responsibilities at home or a job. Most importantly, more is not more here. Don’t flood this letter with updates. Instead, stay focused and only give the reader a few things to try to remember.
Closing
After the update, close the letter by reiterating one more time that Swarthmore is your first choice school.
In addition to sending the letter to the appropriate admissions representative, you can upload your LOCI to the admissions portal you gained access to after initially submitting.
Don’t be Annoying
Finally, you need to keep your chill. The worst thing you can do at this point is to become an annoyance to the admissions office through repeatedly calling or emailing. Stay calm, and you can check in periodically if you feel the urge to, but no more than once a month.
It isn’t easy to get into Swarthmore after a deferral, but it is possible. If you follow these steps, you’ll have a better chance of admission to Swarthmore plus a strong strategy for the rest of your applications.
If you’re struggling to get through the college application process, we can help. Email us to learn more.