deferred from Penn ED
3.95 / 1540 / bio lab research. is a deferral just a slow no?
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Not a no. A deferral means they want to see you again in the regular pool. Plenty of deferred applicants are admitted in March, though the odds in RD are lower than in ED, so finish your other applications at full strength.
What to do in the next month:
1. Read the deferral email and the portal carefully. Some schools say exactly what they want (midyear grades, an update letter) and some say not to send anything extra. Follow that.
2. Make sure your counselor sends the midyear report as soon as your semester grades are final.
3. If Penn accepts updates, send one short letter: anything genuinely new since November (a result, a new role, research progress), and a clear statement that Penn remains your first choice.
4. Do not send a pile of extra recommendations or a new essay unless they ask.
5. Submit your RD applications on time and do not let this eat your January.