What is what does it mean to get deferred?

Getting deferred from a college or university means your application is neither accepted nor rejected during the regular admission round. Instead, the admissions%20committee wants to re-evaluate your application alongside the pool of applicants in the regular decision round.

Here's a breakdown of what that means:

• Not a Rejection: It's important to understand that being deferred is not the same as being rejected. It means the school sees potential in your application but isn't ready to make a final decision yet.

• Re-Evaluation: Your application will be reconsidered alongside all the regular decision applicants. This often happens because the college wants to see the complete applicant pool before making final decisions. It might be that your profile is strong, but they need more context of how you compare to the RD applicant pool.

• Possible Outcomes: After re-evaluation, you could be:

  • Accepted
  • Rejected
  • In some rare cases, waitlisted

• What You Should Do: There are typically steps you can take after being deferred to improve your chances of being accepted. Usually a school will outline instructions with the deferral letter or email, but some suggestions include sending a "letter of continued interest," updating them with any significant achievements since your initial application, and reaffirming your strong desire to attend their institution.