What Is a Deferral?

Simply put, a deferral is a second chance at admission. Rather than rejecting good-fit students with strong profiles, applications are instead deferred to the regular round where they’ll be reviewed again within the context of the regular applicant pool, as if they hadn’t been reviewed previously. This allows colleges the opportunity to make decisions on strong applicants with the whole view of the applicant pool. For many students, this can be an advantage, as the regular decision pool is typically not as strong as the early pool. A deferral also allows students the opportunity to show an improvement in grades, especially if they’re taking a challenging senior year course load, which can significantly help chances of admission since grades and curriculum are the most important factors colleges consider when making admission decisions.

Why Was I Deferred?

There are a number of reasons why a student applying Early Decision or Early Action might have been deferred to the regular admission round. Many times, it’s to encourage students to provide additional materials, like final semester grades, in order to see what else that student has been doing senior year. Applicants can use this to their advantage, by providing more information on recent accomplishments, awards, grade improvements, and more, in order to boost their application in the Regular Decision round.

Sometimes, a deferral is less about the applicant and more about the school. It’s hard for colleges to predict exactly what their Regular Decision pool will look like, so this is one more tool they can use to ensure they’re building a well-rounded class.

Deferral Statistics

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 pass up many well-qualified applicants.

Last year, 5,777 students applied Early Action to Yale. Of those applicants, 796 gained admission and over half were deferred to the Regular Decision round. That’s a lot of students to whom Yale is saying “let’s take another look.” While some colleges will either accept, deny, or defer a portion of applicants, others, like Georgetown will defer every applicant they don’t accept in the early round. Last year, 7,305 students applied to Georgetown Early Action and only 11.7%, or 856, students were accepted. That means Georgetown deferred over 88% of its early application pool. According to the university, about 15% of deferred applicants gain admission in the Regular Decision round.

Yearly trends and changes to the admissions process can also affect deferral statistics. For example, this year the University of Georgia deferred over 10,000 students who applied for the class of 2025 – up from 6,800 deferrals last year. Why the large jump? UGA received about 27% more early applications than last year, in part because of their switch to the Common Application and the test-optional policy they adopted this year due to COVID-19.

What Should I Do After Getting Deferred?

A deferral can be especially confusing as many colleges have different approaches to handling deferral applications. Some might only ask for updated grades, while others might accept additional materials that can add context to a student’s application. Here’s what students need to do if they are deferred:

·  First, determine if that college is still a top-choice. A deferral can evoke feelings like disappointment, sadness, anger, or even relief. This decision can often offer clarity to students who might have mixed feelings about an early college after applying.

·  Next, find out what the college wants from you. Most will ask for an updated grade report, which students will need to request from their high school. For many colleges, that’s all they will require. Some, however, will let students submit additional materials like recommendation letters, updates on extracurricular activities, or a deferral letter. Students should determine what the college requires, what’s appropriate to provide, and heed those preferences. If a college explicitly states that deferred students should not submit additional application materials, then do not send in anything else. Students can ruin their chances in the regular round by not following directions.

·  If appropriate, write a deferral letter. Colleges want to admit students who want to attend, so by writing a letter reaffirming their commitment to the college, students can improve their chances of admission. Students should reiterate their interest in the college, why they think they’re a good fit for the institution, and provide some updates on what they’ve been doing since they submitted their early application. This is a great tool that students can really use to their advantage.

·  Finish up regular decision applications. Hopefully, students who applied in the early round kept up with completing their regular decision applications. If not, there’s still time to put together outstanding applications. Complete all regular applications by the deadline and ensure that all materials are in order and have been received. Don’t let your disappointment from a deferral hurt your chances of admission at other colleges. Stay positive and on track.

A deferral can be confusing, especially if a student is really committed to that college. At LF Educational Consulting, we provide deferral counseling services in order to help students and parents understand their options, their chances of admission, and help them through the deferral process. For more information on our deferral consultation, contact us today!