So you were deferred from UVA? How are you feeling? We ask because students usually take deferrals very hard. We understand why; they are stressful! However, in some ways, a deferral is actually good news. It means you still have a chance at getting into Virginia’s premier public research university. We know that simply getting accepted would have been better. Still, if you approach this strategically and take a few key steps, you can maximize your chances of becoming a Cavalier next year.

Can we throw some numbers at you? We promise they are important to understanding where you stand going into the regular decision round. First, being deferred doesn’t mean that you weren’t a top applicant. Last year, UVA accepted about 12% of EA applicants; they deferred another 15-ish%. This means they rejected over 70% of EA applicants. For ED applicants, they accepted around 24%, and while they didn’t publish the deferral rate for ED (weird in our opinion since they released EA’s), it probably isn’t that radically different. Trust us, most students in the ED/EA round are rejected. If UVA hadn’t seen something in your application they liked, they would have rejected you. That said, after a deferral, you are now in the RD application pool. This is a competitive place to be. Last year, their RD acceptance rate was about 7%. This is very low, which means you need to be strategic in your next steps.

We highly recommend working with a professional. For competitive and elite schools, bespoke advice and counseling can make all the difference; however, if you are dead set on going it alone, we also wanted to share a couple of our most important tips.

Review Your College List

Before we even talk about UVA, you need to make sure you are set up for success at other schools. You still have a chance at UVA, but it is by no means a lock. Backups and options are essential to a good plan.

Be honest with us: when was the last time you looked at your college list? Are you 100% sure that it is balanced? If you answered something like “a while ago” and “probably?” this is the time to double-check. Your RD list needs at least 3 targets and 3 foundationals (sometimes also called safeties) that you would actually want to go to. If you don’t have this, you don’t have a balanced list. But how do you know if schools are targets and foundationals? Well, you need data. These categories can’t be based on vibes. Check Common Data Sets, use tools like Naviance, and/or speak with an expert to ensure that your list is actually balanced.

Reassess Your Common App Essay

Whenever a deferred student comes to us, one of the first things we do is have a counselor comb through their Common App. 9 times out of 10, their Common Apps could have been better. We routinely update multiple sections, but the biggest area for improvement is usually the Common App essay.

Your Common App essay likely isn’t bad. If it were truly bad, UVA would have rejected you. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be stronger. Check out our Official Common App Essay Guide 2026/2027 and then take some time to review your essay. We specialize in helping students craft eye-catching essays, and at top schools, a great Common App essay can make all the difference. Don’t skimp on this step.

Need help with editing your essays? We can do that. Reach out today!

Press Submit

After you have taken these two steps, it is time to get those apps in! Don’t procrastinate. Deadlines come up fast. Plus, once you have submitted those other apps, you can turn your attention back to UVA.

What UVA Wants

As a deferred student, there are a couple of things that UVA needs and wants from you. Let’s break them down, because they can be a little confusing, and you need to ensure that you are sending them the right things.

Mid-Year Grades

The first thing UVA will need is your mid-year grades by February 15. These are usually sent as part of a mid-year report by your school’s counselor. They should already know to send these, but it’s best practice to check in with them. Make sure they have everything they need on their end. UVA also gives you the option to screenshot your midyear grades and upload them directly to the portal if needed.

Also, we shouldn’t need to say this, but mark yourself safe for senioritis. Your mid-year grades should be impressive!

New Test Scores

You can optionally send new test scores, with a catch. You can only do this if you applied with test scores. Sorry, if you applied “test optional,” then you can’t add scores after the fact.

If you sent scores and now have better ones, you can add them. However, we advise doing this sparingly and only upload new scores if they are meaningfully higher. For example, if your ACT composite went from a 32 to a 35, that feels like a meaningful change. If your SAT Math score went from 710 to 730 and Reading and Writing stayed the same, not so much.

Deferral Form

UVA asks deferred applicants to submit a form through the MyUVA portal instead of a traditional Letter of Continued Interest. Make sure you fill out this form by January 15 for ED applicants or February 15 for EA applicants. If you don’t, you won’t be considered for RD admission. If you are worried about how to best approach this form, we can help!

Is there anything else I can send?

Yes and no. Mostly no. UVA doesn’t accept letters of continued interest or additional recommenders. However, the MyUVA applicant portal has a place to submit updates and files. Our biggest tip here is to use this sparingly. Remember, UVA specifically doesn’t want LOCI, meaning they also don’t want to be spammed with every little thing. If your finger is itching to press that "upload more materials" button, first ask yourself whether it is a significant addition or change to your application. This is a bit of an art, rather than a science. If you aren’t sure what is appropriate to upload, ask us. It isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to applications.

What not to do:

UVA makes it clear that you shouldn’t pester them. They ask that you do not call them to ask about why you were deferred. They do not want you to email them updates. They do not let you edit your application. Please don’t randomly call them or show up on campus. You have already submitted a lot of information about yourself. Be confident in what you have already shared. We know it's hard, but it really is a waiting game. Spamming them will leave a bad taste in their mouths when they review your application during the RD round.

We know getting deferred is stressful. There is a lot of editing, strategy, and hoops to jump through to set yourself up for a successful RD round. Don’t worry; we are here for you if you need us. Check out our It’s Going to be Ok package if you want to ensure you maximize your chances at UVA and other top schools.

Contact us to talk to a dedicated counselor and get yourself set up for RD today!