We know this wasn’t the decision you were hoping to see. You applied ED to Vanderbilt with a clear commitment, and now you’ve landed in the frustrating in-between zone of deferral. It’s not a rejection, but it’s not the early celebration you were ready for either. If you’re feeling deflated or even a little angry, you’re allowed to feel that way. Take a second. Then let’s figure out your next move.
Rejected from Yale Single-Choice Early Action 2025-2026
Deferred Early Decision/Early Action by UVA 2025-2026
You submitted your UVA application with high hopes, maybe even imagining yourself walking The Lawn next fall. And now, you’re stuck in the waiting game. We know it sucks, you wanted a yes, but they gave you a “not yet.” However, if you're feeling disappointed or frustrated, you're not alone. Take a moment. Breathe. Then let’s talk strategy.
Mathematics Extracurricular Activity Strategy for Juniors
A student who is a math major is like the humanities major of STEM. Math is as much cerebral and conceptual as it is tactile, and it is a lot less ‘career oriented’ than, say, a major in mechanical engineering, computer science, or biology. Please note, we are not at all saying that students who major in math do not have a strong career future. It’s just a little harder to differentiate yourself from other applicants with straight-As and strong SATs. But that is why we are here.
Physical Therapy at University of Delaware: Deep Dive
Let’s be honest: the odds are that, unless you live in Delaware, you haven’t given much thought to the University of Delaware. And let’s be honest a second time: Delaware is a bit of a blind spot for us. People live there? What happens in that place? Well, we did a very high-tech Google search and discovered loads of . Like, for example, Delaware has more chickens than people. And it’s known as because Thomas Jefferson called it a “jewel” for its advantageous coastal placement.
Rejected from Stanford Restrictive Early Action 2025-2026
Rejected Early Decision from Amherst 2025-2026
If you received a rejection from Amherst’s Early Decision round, you are probably feeling pretty frustrated. You did all the right things. You took advanced courses, pursued leadership roles, and worked to craft a strong application. And yet, it didn’t work. For first-year students entering in the fall of 2024, the Early Decision acceptance rate was just under .
Deferred Early Decision by Swarthmore 2025-2026
Rejected Early Decision from Dartmouth 2025-2026
Rejected from Princeton Single-Choice Early Action 2025-2026
If you received a rejection from Princeton in the Single-Choice Early Action round, this wasn’t how you wanted it to go. You should have gotten a deferral, at minimum, no? Princeton receives over 40,000 applications each year, and has admitted in recent years. The fact that 75% of admitted first-years choose to go to Princeton is an immensely impressive yield rate. This is, notably, without locking in a high percentage of admitted students through Early Decision.
Deferred Early Action by UT Austin 2025-2026
We know, this wasn’t the email you wanted to open. You submitted your UT Austin EA application with hope, and now, instead of a clear yes or no, you’re in limbo. Not admitted. Not denied. Just… waiting. And that stings! Take a moment. Be mad. Eat something warm and carby. Then, when you're ready, let’s talk about your next steps.
Rejected Early Action or Early Decision from the University of Michigan 2025-2026
If you just received a rejection from Michigan in the Early Action or Early Decision round, or if you are pondering what to do after a postponement, we can help. This moment is understandably frustrating and overwhelming, but there are things that you can do to turn your application experience around and get into a seriously impressive school. First, though, let’s dig into Mich a little.
Rejected Early Action from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 2025-2026
Receiving an Early Action rejection from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is understandably early-shaking. This is not the way things were supposed to go. You knew MIT is exceptionally hard to get into — but you expected a deferral, at least. The big question in this moment is: what comes next?
Deferred Early Decision by Rice 2025-2026
Deferred Restricted Early Action by Notre Dame 2025-2026
Getting deferred from Notre Dame stings – no sugarcoating it. You spent months building an application that told a story you were proud of; you hit “submit” with fingers crossed, and instead of a yes, you got a maybe. It’s a frustrating middle ground that leaves a lot of students wondering what went wrong.
Rejected Restrictive Early Action from Harvard 2025-2026
If you recently learned that you were rejected Restrictive Early Action by Harvard, you aren’t alone in your frustration. We are widening the scope for this post, though. Harvard defers most REA applicants, yet very few deferred applicants get in. This guidance, then, applies for both rejected and deferred REA applicants. First, though, some statistics.
Deferred Early Action by USC 2025-2026
Rejected Early Decision from Cornell 2025-2026
If you recently received a rejection from Cornell in the Early Decision round, you are not alone in that outcome, nor in the massive disappoint you are probably feeling. Cornell has had an overall acceptance rate just under 9% for the past two admissions cycles, with the acceptance rate staying somewhere under 10% for 5 years. The Early Decision acceptance rate, by comparison, has been about double the overall acceptance rate for that period of time.
Rejected Early Decision from Columbia 2025-2026
If you recently received a rejection letter from Columbia College or the Fu School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) in the Early Decision round, you are in your right to be quite upset. You worked hard, you did the ‘right’ things, and you took a big swing — and it didn’t pay off. An ED rejection can be deeply upsetting because it also used up your most powerful tool in the college admissions process. Early Decision offered your best chance of getting into a top school, and you can’t get that back. In this post, we’re going to dig into what may have gone awry with your Columbia application and what you can do now to improve your chances of getting into a dream school. First, let’s break down what may have happened with Columbia.
Deferred Early Decision/Early Action by Northeastern 2025-2026
Let’s face it: this isn’t what you wanted. You poured yourself into that Northeastern ED/EA application, imagined co-ops and toughing out Boston winters with your fellow Huskies, and instead of the quick yes you were hoping for, you’ve landed in that awkward middle place. Not rejected, but not accepted either. It feels anticlimactic and, honestly, kind of crushing. That’s okay. It’s normal to be frustrated. Give yourself a moment to be upset. Then remind yourself: a deferral isn’t the end of the line. Your application is still alive in the pool, and you’ve got chances to strengthen it.