What to do if deferred?

After countless hours of hard work, you submitted your application to a college you are really interested in attending. You get the notice that your decision is available! You anxiously open the decision letter and read: “After careful consideration, we are not prepared to make a decision regarding your application at this time. Your application will be deferred to regular decision...” What?! A defer often leaves students in limbo, unsure of their options and what to do next. Should you send new information to the school? Bombard them with new letters of recommendation? Visit campus? Or should you assume it’s not going to be a realistic option and move on to other institutions? Let’s tackle what a defer means, and the dos and don’ts of taking action after receiving a defer decision. Why does a college defer applicants? There are many reasons why colleges defer an applicant. Perhaps a student had a bump in the road academically in 10^th grade but rebounded in 11^th. In that case, the college may want to see grades from the first semester of 12^th to confirm that the student has stayed on track. Additional academic information is the most common request from a college after a deferral. Deferring is also a useful tool to assist the admissions office in admitting the right number of students and enrolling a class that meets their goals. With fluctuations in the number of applications year to year, it’s difficult for the office to make final decisions until they have a clear picture of the total applicant pool. Additionally, they may be interested in how the applicant pool is impacted by withdrawals after students are admitted early decision elsewhere, and they may also hope to get a sense of how interested an applicant is after they have been deferred. What should I do if I’m deferred? It’s natural to want to spring into action to prove to a college that you’re really interested and academically qualified. Before bombarding the admissions office with information, pay close attention to what the college has asked of you. Some ask for additional grades, while some will accept a letter of continued interest. Some colleges will accept no additional information at all. Whatever they ask, be sure to follow their instructions. If you send more than what is asked of you, you are demonstrating that you did not follow directions, and you run the risk of doing more harm than good to your application. If a college requests mid-year grades, confirm how they want those grades to be submitted. Some universities ask that they be submitted by your high school’s counseling office. Other universities want students to self-report grades online. If a college requires that a student respond to the defer decision by submitting a form to remain in the applicant pool, be sure to submit that form right away. If a student does not choose to keep their application active by a certain date, their application will automatically be withdrawn from the pool. If a university is hoping to know more about your level of interest in the institution, they may allow you to submit a letter of continued interest. Be sure to address specific questions the university asks, if any, and stick to the appropriate length allotted, if specified. It’s not common for colleges to seek additional letters of recommendation from deferred applicants. If they do, though, be sure to communicate clearly with your recommenders when and how those letters should be sent. You should also share with your recommenders why you think the university is a good fit for you and why you are anxious to attend. Waiting is hard! What should I do while waiting for a final decision? Once you have submitted the information requested of you, start to get excited about the colleges and universities that have already admitted you! Rather than dwell on the one that didn’t come through, research the ones that did. Which of those schools are the best fit academically, socially, and financially? Give yourself plenty of time to consider the offers you have. It will make the decision-making process easier for you whether or not that deferred school eventually offers you admission.