What does deferred to regular admission mean?

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.

What does it mean if a college defers you to regular decision?

What Is a Deferral? Rather than rejecting good-fit students with strong profiles, some colleges will defer select early applications to the Regular Decision round. This means they'll be reviewed again within the context of the regular applicant pool as if they hadn't been reviewed previously.

How likely is it to get accepted after being deferred?

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.

Does deferred usually mean rejected?

A rejection means the student was denied admission. However, a deferral means the student's application is still being considered. Being waitlisted, on the other hand, means the student will be admitted if space becomes available. Many perfectly qualified students are rejected, deferred, and waitlisted.

What does a deferred admission mean?

Being deferred indicates that you are still in the running for initial admission, but the admissions officers will not make a decision during the early application period; you must wait for regular admissions. As an early applicant, you could technically be deferred and then waitlisted.

What to Do if You Get Deferred

What to do if your admission is deferred?

Is it better to be deferred or waitlisted?

While waitlist offers are only contingent upon space remaining in the incoming class, deferred admission still allows you to be in the running before the admissions cycle is near its conclusion. A deferred applicant will be considered again before any reconsideration is provided to a waitlisted applicant.

Is being deferred to regular decision bad?

You might feel like you've been rejected if you receive a deferral, but all it means is that your application will be reviewed again in the Regular Decision round. There is nothing wrong with your application, but you may need to submit more information to the admissions committee.

Is it bad if your application is deferred?

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.

Is it more common to get deferred or rejected?

Deferral Statistics

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.

Can you get into a college after being deferred?

Yes, deferred applicants are likely to get accepted. Once admissions officers review the applications from Regular Decision, they will go back to the list of students who had been deferred and make their decision.

Can you be waitlisted after being deferred?

If you receive a deferral letter, it means the school will review your application again at a later date and decide to accept, decline, or waitlist you at that time.

Can you get a likely letter after getting deferred?

Yes, it is possible for deferred applicants to receive a likely letter. A likely letter is typically sent to exceptional applicants who have been deferred during the early decision or early action application process, and it serves to reaffirm the university's strong interest in the student.

Do colleges defer overqualified students?

While there is some anecdotal evidence that overqualified students get rejected, these students aren't usually turned down because of their better-than-average grades or test scores. Most likely, the overqualified student isn't the right fit for a school or they haven't shown enough interest to admission officers.

What is a good reason to defer admission?

Many students defer so they can take a break from studies after high school. They spend their time doing a variety of things, including: Working and saving some money. Focusing on their physical and mental health.

Is deferred and waitlisted the same thing?

Being waitlisted is unlike being deferred and means the college has finished reviewing your file and made a decision to put you on a waiting list for admission. Being on a college waitlist typically means that you are placed within a “holding pattern” of sorts.

How do you write a letter to colleges after being deferred?

Be positive: reaffirm your interest in the school, and don't let your anger and frustration at being deferred darken your letter. Be careful not to suggest the admissions officials made a mistake. As with all written parts of your applications, pay careful attention to grammar, punctuation, and style.

How do you increase chances after being deferred?

Write a letter of continued interest

This is the single most important thing to do once you are deferred. A letter of continued interest is imperative in letting the school know you would still like to be considered for admission.

How many people get deferred from Harvard?

What Percentage of Early Action Applicants Does Harvard Typically Defer? While the percentage of students Harvard defers each Early Action cycle can vary, for the Harvard Class of 2028, 83.06% were deferred. The previous year, for the Harvard Class of 2027, 78% of applicants were deferred.

Is a waitlist a soft rejection?

As decisions keep rolling out, I know you might have some questions. First, a note: I know getting that waitlist decision can be painful. It is, in lots of ways, a soft rejection and that's by far the healthiest way to look at it, but that's also what makes it sting even more.

Why do colleges defer applicants?

Colleges defer students because they are not ready to make a final decision, may have had a large number of early applications or may expect a large number of applications in the Regular Decision round and want to keep spots open for the right candidates.

How long can you defer an acceptance?

A college or university acceptance is an exciting validation of all the hard work you have done. But you do have the option to defer your acceptance. A deferment delays your enrollment for up to one year while guaranteeing your spot for the following year.

Can you change your application after being deferred?

You've already submitted your application; you can't go back and change it now. If you were deferred, it just means they're pushing back your admissions decision to a later date, not that they're tossing your application out so you can start over with the Regular Decision group.

What happens if I get deferred from Harvard?

If Harvard defers you, that means the Harvard admissions committee thought you were good enough to put “on hold” for the moment, as they wait to compare you to the rest of the regular admissions applicants. That's what's going on when you get deferred.

How long does it take for a college to accept or reject you?

The average turnaround time for an admissions decision for schools with rolling admissions is four to six weeks, though in some cases students might have to wait longer. For regular decision candidates, the wait is more like eight to 12 weeks. Students handle that waiting period differently, experts say.