Flickr user Justin Masterson
Depending on how you look at it, getting deferred by a school could be a load off your mind or extremely frustrating. You haven’t been declined, yet you haven’t been accepted, putting you in a difficult spot. You may have heard the myth that you simply won’t get into the college after being deferred admission. However, that’s not always the case and you may actually be accepted. Here’s what you need to know.
What Deferred Means
Getting deferred after submitting your early decision or early action college application doesn’t automatically mean you won’t be accepted. Your chances of acceptance at some schools may be lower. It simply means that admissions will reassess your application with the regular submissions.
Usually, colleges will notify you of regular acceptance by March or April, but if you’ve been waitlisted, you may not hear anything until August 1st, putting you in a difficult situation. However, it also means you don’t have to attend the college if you’re accepted even if you applied early decision.
The School May Just Want More Information
Sometimes deferred admission means the school just wants to know more about you as a student. They are waiting to receive more information including your senior year grades, extracurricular activities, and other achievements. They are simply holding off on making a final decision.
There Are Steps You Can Take
Receiving a letter stating you’re deferred doesn’t mean you have to sit around waiting for their call (or letter in this case). There are plenty of things you can do to help improve your chances of being accepted and plan ahead in case of a rejection.
The type of college you applied to will have influence over the steps you take. First, talk to your guidance counselor. They may know exactly what to do that will help your chances of receiving an acceptance letter in spring. If the school is smaller, you may want to give the admissions department a call or write a letter to a larger university. Ask your counselor for assistance before doing this. You don’t want to call and say the wrong thing or annoy the admissions department.
You will also want to remember to send in any other information that may help your chances of acceptance. This includes your senior year grades as well as any new SAT or ACT tests you took if the score was higher than the tests you submitted previously. Also, include recommendation letters and extracurricular activity information.
Plan Ahead
However, you want to plan ahead. There is a chance you will receive a rejection letter. It’s important to start planning now. Since the deferment releases you from the early decision contract, you are free to start sending out other applications. Apply to your back up schools. You can always attend your first choice school if you receive an acceptance letter!
Deferred admission from your dream college can be disheartening but it is not a concrete no just yet. Take steps to show the school you’re serious about attending (after talking to your guidance counselor first!), but also have a backup plan. Don’t wait on applying to other colleges, but don’t give up hope either.
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