For students who were deferred or waitlisted
Letter of Continued Interest Writer
Paste what's new since you applied and name the college. River checks what the college asks for, then writes a one-page letter.
Free to start. No card needed.
Dear Cornell Admissions Committee,
“Updated materials can include a letter of continued interest.” Upload it through the Applicant Portal.
Cornell remains my first choice, and if I am admitted, I will enroll.
In February, I presented my bus-delay study to our county transit board. The board added two morning trips to Route 9 this spring.
The transit project is why Cornell's civil engineering major matters even more to me now than when I applied.
Priya Raman · [Applicant ID]
What you'll get
A one-page letter that tells the college what's new, sent the way it asks
- The college's own instructions for deferred or waitlisted students, quoted and linked at the top
- A one-page letter of 250 to 400 words built only from what's new since you applied
- A subject line, brackets for anything missing, and a short checklist before you send
Before and after
Your news in. A one-page letter out.
Waitlisted at Cornell for engineering. It's my first choice and I'd definitely go if I get in. New since I applied: A in AP Stats, A- in AP Physics C (fall). Counselor sent my midyear report. Stats taught me to test if the bus delays were real. In February I presented my Route 9 bus-delay study to the county transit board. I logged arrival times for weeks; the 7:40 bus was late most school days. They added two morning trips this spring. Elected robotics captain in January, so I run our build schedule. Still civil engineering, mostly transit. Want to join a project team.
What Cornell asks “Updated materials can include a letter of continued interest.” Cornell wants it to focus on the college you applied to, uploaded through the Applicant Portal. Subject: Letter of continued interest · Priya Raman · [Applicant ID] Waitlisted · 266 words Dear Cornell Admissions Committee, Thank you for keeping my engineering application on Cornell's waitlist. Cornell remains my first choice, and if I am admitted, I will enroll. Since I applied, three things have changed. I finished the fall semester with an A in AP Statistics and an A- in AP Physics C, and my counselor has sent my official midyear report… To fill in [how many] How many weeks did you log arrival times?
The first-choice line and the promise to enroll are there only because the student wrote both. Without them, River leaves a bracket and asks.
Why it works
What is a letter of continued interest?
A letter of continued interest (LOCI) is a short letter a deferred or waitlisted student sends to tell a college what has changed since applying and that they still want to attend. Colleges handle them differently, so it helps to send yours the way the college asks. Cornell, for example, invites waitlisted students to upload one through its applicant portal, focused on why the college they applied to still fits their academic interests.
Other colleges say no. Georgia Tech states that letters of continued interest are not considered for waitlisted students, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison asks deferred students not to send documents it hasn't requested. MIT prefers updates through its February Updates & Notes Form over mailed or emailed ones. That's why River checks the college's own admissions site first and quotes its instructions at the top of your doc. When a college prefers its own form, you get a short update for that form as well as the full letter, and you decide what to send.
River writes the letter as one page of about 250 to 400 words from what's new since you applied: midyear grades, awards, new roles and finished projects. It adds one or two fresh reasons the college fits and calls the college your first choice only if you say it is. Anything missing becomes a bracket. For sharper fit reasons, try the why this college essay tool, and if an interview is still ahead, use the college interview prep tool.
What lands in your doc
What's in your doc
- The college's own instructions for deferred or waitlisted students, quoted and linked at the top of your doc
- A plain warning when the college doesn't want letters, with a short update for its form instead
- A one-page letter of about 250 to 400 words, built only from what's new since you applied
- An opening that calls the college your first choice, or promises to enroll, only if you said so
- One or two new reasons the college fits, tied to your updates rather than your old essay
- A subject line, the exact word count, brackets for missing facts and a checklist before you send
How it works
From your news to a letter that follows the rules
Paste what's new
Paste new grades, awards and projects and name the college, or drop your decision letter.
Pick your status
Tap deferred or waitlisted, or let River read it from your decision letter or notes.
River checks the rules
River finds the college's instructions on its admissions site and quotes them at the top of your doc.
Send it once
Fill any brackets, then send the letter or update the way the college asks, one time.
How to write a letter of continued interest yourself
First, read your decision email and the college's page for deferred or waitlisted students. Note whether it wants a letter, a form or nothing, where to send it, and any deadline or word limit. Cornell's page for postponed Early Decision applicants, for example, asks every applicant for a midyear report and points most to an Optional Supplemental Materials section in the portal. If a college says not to send extra material, don't. Instead, ask your counselor whether your midyear grades have gone out.
Then list only what's new: this semester's grades, awards, a new role, a finished project, a result with a number. Lead with the strongest one, and connect it to one or two reasons the college fits that you didn't use before, such as a course or program tied to your update. Open by thanking the committee and saying where the college stands for you. Call it your first choice only if it truly is, and promise to enroll only if you would.
Keep it to one page, about 250 to 400 words, and send it once, soon after the decision and before any deadline. Don't repeat your essays, ask about your chances or send extra recommendations unless asked; Cornell discourages them for waitlisted students. Be realistic, too. Cornell says about 5,900 students confirm a waitlist spot each year, and it has admitted between 24 and 362 of them a year over the past four years. Keep your other options moving.
Questions applicants ask
Common questions
What is a letter of continued interest?
It's a short letter a deferred or waitlisted applicant sends to share what's new and confirm they still want to attend. It's optional, and some colleges don't accept one. Cornell invites one through its applicant portal, while Georgia Tech says it does not consider them for waitlisted students. Check the college's own page before you write a word.
What should I do if I'm deferred from college?
Read the deferral email and the college's deferral page, then do exactly what they ask. That usually means sending midyear grades and, where invited, a short update or letter. MIT asks deferred students to complete its February Updates & Notes Form. Meanwhile, keep your other applications moving; the college application organizer keeps every school and deadline in one place.
How long should a letter of continued interest be?
One page, about 250 to 400 words, unless the college sets its own limit. That leaves room for a thank-you, your two or three strongest updates, one or two reasons the college fits and a short close. If the college gives you a form with a word or character limit, River fits the update to that limit and shows the count.
Should I say the college is my first choice?
Only if it's true, and only to one college. If it is, say it plainly in the first paragraph. On a waitlist, the clearest version is a promise to enroll if admitted, but make it only if you mean it. River writes either line only when you tell it to; otherwise it leaves a bracket and asks you.
Is a waitlist letter different from a deferral letter?
Mostly in timing and in the close. A deferral letter usually goes out in January or February, before regular decisions are made, and leads with midyear grades. A waitlist letter goes out in spring and, if true, says you will enroll if admitted. Both share only new information and follow the college's own instructions for sending it.
Is the letter of continued interest writer free?
Yes, it runs on River's Free plan, which includes AI usage each month and asks for no credit card. Your letter is saved in your workspace, so you can write a version for each college that deferred or waitlisted you. When you hit the monthly limit, usage pauses until it refreshes or you upgrade. Paid plans start at $14 a month on the pricing page.
Your next step
More for your application
Tell them something new
Paste what's changed since you applied and name the college. River checks its rules, then writes your letter.