How to Craft a Statement of Persuasion
When a student is deferred to the Regular Decision pile after applying Early Decision/Early Action, or Waitlisted in the Regular Decision round, there is only one thing they can do to increase their chances of being admitted to that school: send a Statement of Persuasion. You may have heard others use terms like “Letter of Enthusiasm” or “Letter of Continued Interest,” but those terms can be misleading because it needs to be much more than that. We won’t be revealing all of our secrets here, but below are some tips to get you or your student started.
The fact that you applied early is evidence enough that you are enthusiastic about attending that college. Telling admissions officers that University X is your absolute dream school and that you can’t see yourself anywhere else isn’t going to get more than an eye-roll.
Don’t brag. Now is not the time to list off all the “extra” things you did during high school. If it wasn’t worth putting in your activities list the first time, it isn’t going to help now.
Don’t exaggerate. Admissions officers have well-honed b.s. radar, and they will quickly stamp your application DENIED if you tell them your speech at Model UN got a standing ovation.
Bottom line: the Statement of Persuasion is your last chance to prove to admissions officers that you have something unique and exciting to bring to the university. Whether that is based in a certain perspective, or stems from a profound experience, or something else entirely…well, that’s up to you. However you choose to frame your statement, it should build upon the information you originally provided and demonstrate how you plan to leverage your talent and intellect in an exciting way.
What we’ve described above is not an easy task, so don’t be afraid to ask for help! Ivy Link advisors have worked with hundreds of students to successfully turn a deferment into an acceptance. Contact us today to get started.
