How do you know if you got rejected or deferred?

A rejection means the student was denied admission. However, a deferral means the student's application is still being considered.

Is a deferral basically a rejection?

What is a Deferred College Admissions Decision? A deferral means the college wants to review your application again with the regular decision pool of applicants. While it might feel like a rejection, a deferral is not a denial, nor does it mean there was something wrong with your application.

Do more people get deferred or rejected?

College data shows that admissions offices are routinely doling out more deferral letters than acceptance and denial letters combined. For example, Harvard deferred 80% of the 10,086 students who applied for admission to the Class of 2025. Also, last year, 15,081 students applied Early Action to MIT.

Do deferred students usually get accepted?

Some estimates say that most colleges will accept at least 5-10% of deferred students in regular decision pools. Others estimate that the deferral acceptance rate is often approximately equal to the regular decision acceptance rate. However, these estimates are overarching and don't apply to all schools.

Would you rather be deferred or waitlisted?

For some students, being deferred may offer a second chance at admission to their dream school. For others, being waitlisted may offer the opportunity to attend a school that was initially out of reach. Ultimately, the decision to choose one over the other will depend on your personal goals and priorities.

What To Do If You're Rejected Or Deferred from College

What percent of deferred applicants get accepted?

What Percentage of Deferred Students Get Accepted? Across all highly selective colleges, about 10% of deferred candidates ultimately earn admission to the school that kicked the can on their candidacies. While this percentage can vary yearly and from school to school, it's a relatively consistent general benchmark.

Why do colleges defer instead of reject?

A student is deferred when they've applied through Early Action or Early Decision and college admissions officers decide that there isn't enough information or context to grant them a full acceptance. Rather than reject the student, the application is essentially put on pause until the regular decision admission cycle.

What are the odds of getting into college after being deferred?

After a deferral, the likelihood of admission varies depending on the college and year. Most schools don't release acceptance data for deferred students. There are estimates that colleges will accept between 5-10% of deferred students during regular decision, but it really depends on the school.

How can I increase my chances of getting accepted after deferral?

What to do if your admission is deferred?

Continue to Apply to Your Regular Decision Colleges

Take time to address the deferral and provide additional information if appropriate, but don't dedicate all of your time to it. Take the necessary steps, and then move on to completing your other applications by their deadlines.

Is it harder to get accepted after being deferred?

SILVER LINING. Unfortunately, schools ultimately don't accept many of the students they defer. As a rule of thumb, most schools accept only 5-10 percent of deferred students. And though early round admission rates are much better than regular they are still extremely competitive.

Can you get rejected Early Action or just deferred?

Applying early action has three possibles outcomes: acceptance, denial, or deferred admission. The admissions office may defer your application if you're not a candidate for early action. In that case, the admissions panel will reevaluate your application with the regular decision applicants.

Is being waitlisted better than rejected?

Being waitlisted means you still have a chance if they don't see anyone they like better in the regular admissions cycle. It is better than being rejected, but don't count on getting in. This is when you need to expand your college options and consider other schools.

What are reasons for deferred?

How many colleges should you apply too?

In general, most students apply to between 8 and 12 colleges. This is a good range to aim for, provided that the applications you submit represent a broad variety of colleges. Ideally, you want to apply to at least two safety, four target, and two reach schools.

What is the difference between deferred and not accepted?

It means that you have not been accepted, but you have not been denied either. It means that the college would like more information in order to review your application, and as such has “deferred” its decision until a later date.

Do I have to reapply after deferral?

As a deferred applicant, you will usually be reevaluated with the Regular Decision applicants automatically. Some schools may ask that you submit more information or a letter stating your continued interest in the school. Make sure you read the deferral letter very carefully so you can follow all instructions!

Do colleges defer overqualified students?

It's important to note that most of the stories and rumors surrounding overqualified students getting rejected are anecdotal. No school has actually admitted to turning down students because they are overqualified.

Is deferred the same as rejected from college?

Some college acceptance rates are surprisingly low, meaning many students receive rejections. A rejection means the student was denied admission. However, a deferral means the student's application is still being considered.

Do all early applicants get deferred?

Deferral numbers differ from school to school, and many don't make deferral statistics public. At highly selective institutions, it's not unheard of to defer a majority of early applicants, as the early application pool is so competitive and it's hard to reject many well-qualified applicants.

What is the difference between rejection and deferral early decision?

A rejection means that the school will not offer your child admission at this time, while a deferral means that your child's application will go into the Regular Decision pool of applicants. They want to compare your child's application against those applicants in the Regular Decision pool.

Why don t colleges tell you why they rejected you?

No, generally not. Sometimes a high school counselor can find out why an otherwise highly qualified or overqualified student was rejected. The process is often holistic, so there is often not one specific reason for the rejection or person who made the decision.

Can I ask a college why I was rejected?

You can ask, but they won't answer — at least not with a specific reason. For one thing, it's a group decision of an admissions committee, so there are actually numerous reasons, and many were unstated even to other members of the committee.

How long can you defer college acceptance?

It's a way to defer, or push back, your entry to college. For example, if you're admitted to the fall semester, you can defer your admission to the following fall. Deferral is usually for a year or less. Many students defer so they can take a break from studies after high school.

What does it mean when a decision is deferred?

Quite simply, a deferred decision means that the admissions committee is not ready to make a final decision on your application yet. We traditionally receive about a third of our total applications during the Restrictive Early Action cycle.