How to Write a Yale Deferral or Waitlist Letter

Write for Your Audience, Not Your English Teacher 

Creative writing is for expression. Admissions writing is for a goal. A Yale admissions officer once explained that, sometimes, Yale denies students with prolifically written personal statements and, at other times, admit students with flatly written personal statements.

Rather than trying to spin an intricate web of nuanced, high-minded sophistication, focus instead on anchoring your points with concrete details, substantive evidence, and actions. That's what you need to do. Avoid the urge to anchor your points with nuanced references and high-minded citations. Even at Yale, strong actions will speak louder than words. Smart actions from your past are more valuable for your waitlist letter than smart sounding references or words that are detected from mind-to-hand application.

Writing Strategically Doesn't Mean Spoon Feeding Your Reader

Steer clear of broad, declarative statements like "X shows my dedication to [buzzword quality from Yale's website]." Your audience is made up of admissions officers who are feeling exhausted and overwhelmed at this stage of the season. Their workload will remain heavy until the class is fully finalized. Despite their fatigue, they are still sharp, quick readers who excel at making connections. Crafting an effective piece for these tired, fast-reading eyes doesn't mean spoon feeding them.

While declarative statements that emphasize your point might feel satisfying to include because they make waitlisted applicants feel acknowledged, speed reading admissions officers are more likely to gloss over them—and, in doing so, potentially miss key information. Under the pressure of their workload, skimming eyes are more likely to overlook important details that are hidden in the middle of a paragraph, which is where important information often gets pushed to by declarative, introduction topic sentences or conclusive recaps added for emphasis.

The same advice applies to summarizing lessons learned. If a experience is thoughtfully and compellingly portrayed, the lesson learned should be self-evident to the reader without you having to spell it out.

Make Every Line Intentional

From an admissions officer's perspective, the key difference between a good letter and a great one lies in meticulous editing for clarity—not style. Unlike a piece you would submit to a creative writing competition, your words will not be poured over by readers. They are not leisurely interpreting the nuanced, stylistic prose your waitlist letter in search of deeper meaning. Thoughtful choices in diction, sentence structure, and specificity will better capture your reader’s attention while making your argument clearer, more impactful, and easier to process. The more concise and digestible your message, the more memorable it will be, as evidenced by the Flesch–Kincaid readability study.

Extenuating Circumstances

Tip: If you previously chose not to disclose personal circumstances or challenges that you were uncomfortable sharing, now may be the right time to do so—especially if those experiences impacted your academic performance or extracurricular involvement. Many students shy away from discussing such topics out of concern that it may come across as a "sob story." However, when addressed thoughtfully and appropriately, sharing these experiences can provide valuable context and effectively explain lower grades, reduced participation in activities, and add significant dimensions to your character.

We Can Help!

A College Zoom appeal specialist can walk you step-by-step through articulating your strongest deferral or waitlist letter.