We hear you were deferred by Cornell, and now you’re asking, “what’s next?” It’s a good question, because there are a few things you need to be doing (and not doing) right now that aren’t so obvious. First, though, let’s look at the numbers.
Dartmouth Deferral Rate
Stanford Deferral Rate
You’re a brave soul — you applied to Stanford. Getting into Stanford is tough regardless of what you’ve accomplished, what your grades look like, or whether you invented a new flavor of ice cream. After the Stanford acceptance rate rose (a tiny amount) , they did an about-face in 2021 with a record low acceptance rate of . Despite this up and down, we have no reason to believe it will be easier to get into Stanford this year.
Brown Deferral Rate
In 2021, Brown its lowest acceptance rate on record for the fourth year in a row. While it’s the overall acceptance rate they’re pointing to, the statistics for early applicants were even tougher. Brown rejected more early applicants — 60% of them — and only deferred 25%. That was a 5% drop from the 2020 deferral rate. It’s likely that the 2022 statistics will only continue the trend with even lower early acceptance and deferral rates, and higher rejection rates.
Princeton Deferral Rate
Princeton didn’t release their admissions statistics in 2021, but based on the 2020 overall acceptance rate (4.38%), it’s safe to say that if you were deferred from Princeton this year you are far from alone. The reasoning for not releasing the stats, by the way, was that having the numbers freak students — and their parents — out and may discourage them from applying.
The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) Deferral Rate
If you were deferred from the University of Pennsylvania, or Penn, you’re in luck. Penn is kind enough to give you clear guidance on what to do next, which is a very Penn thing to do. We aren’t surprised that a school that attracts analytical go-getters who like to look before they leap would provide their applicants with the very information they need to do so. Which is to say, good job Penn on being Penn-y.
Deferred by Harvard — What Comes Next?
If you were deferred by Harvard, you are far, far, far from alone. As fewer and fewer top-tier colleges publish their admissions statistics, Harvard continues to with fairly comprehensive and transparent statistics. In 2021, Harvard deferred 80 out of every 100 students who applied early. 80% of students who applied early were deferred. Again, 80%. Only 7.4% of students who applied early were accepted. So if you applied early, it is much more likely that you were deferred than any other potential outcome.
What is the Difference Between Deferred and Waitlisted?
The college application process is confusing. It’s confusing for parents, it’s confusing for kids, and it’s confusing for Aunt Kathy who asks you intrusive questions at family gatherings like, “So where are you going to college?” We’re here to help lift the fog of confusion and to bring clarity to the whole process, and one of the most frequent questions we’ve been getting lately is:
What Does it Mean to be Deferred from a College?
We want you to get into every college that you apply to, we really do. We want all students to have that low stress, all success, wonderful fuzzy feeling that only a tiny percentage of students applying to college ever get to feel. But that isn’t how it happens for the vast majority of students, so it’s time to plan for how it normally goes, which includes a pinch of frustration, an ounce of rejection, and — ideally — a mighty helping of perseverance. One of the most confusing possibilities in this process isn’t rejection, though, it’s the “eh, maybe later” of deferral.
The University of Chicago Deferral Rate
Deferred from College: Now What?
Getting deferred from your top school can be a gut punch. You worked your butt off, likely with the expectation of getting in. The first thing we recommend you do is to take a breath. (You’re going to be okay!) Keep in mind, while it’s not ideal, it’s not personal. You might just want to sit down and stay down, but you have a little ways to go before you can breathe a sigh of real relief. We recommend following these next steps:
Deferred from Dartmouth Early Decision
We’re guessing you’re here because you got deferred from Dartmouth. We’re sorry that happened, and we encourage you to take some time to yourself to feel your feelings about it. But, if you’re reading this, you probably want to do something about it. Our guide will help you make a strategy for the rest of regular decision, while also sending your last pitch to Dartmouth.
Deferred from Columbia Early Decision
Deferred from Princeton Early Action
If you’re reading this, you probably just got deferred from Princeton. We’re sorry you’re going through this right now. Take some time to process, be a little sad, and treat yourself to a nice coffee or something. This is not the end of the world. In this post, we have a few tips on how to best pitch yourself to Princeton again, and more importantly, how to diversify and expand your college list so you’re prepared no matter what.
Deferred from Yale Early Action
Getting deferred from Yale is hard. Take a moment to feel sad, or angry, or disappointed. Whether you’re feeling paralyzed by your feelings and need someone to help you through this, or you’re a person of action who wants to know exactly what steps you should take next, this guide should help you organize your action plan.
Deferred from Penn (UPenn) Early Decision
We’re very sorry to hear you’ve been deferred from the University of Pennsylvania. We know this is a difficult time, but it’s more important than ever to think about how to maximize your chances of admission. We called Penn to ask about their deferral rates, but they specifically do not provide information on what proportion of applications are deferred each year. We do know, however, that approximately % of those deferred applications are eventually accepted. So, if you’ve been deferred, your chances for admissions are actually higher than those of normal regular-decision applicants. We’re going to talk about how to push your application into that 16%: we’ll outline what to do for the best chances of success.
Deferred from Brown Early Decision
We’re sorry to see you’ve been deferred from Brown. We know this has to be tough -- but if you’re here you probably are trying to do something about it. Take a beat to feel your feelings and give yourself a pep talk, then come right back here for our guide on how to get through these next few weeks.
Deferred from Cornell Early Decision
Getting deferred from your dream school can be hard -- especially if it’s a great school like Cornell. Don’t fear, you’ll get through this. Take a moment to feel your feelings, have a snack, and then jump into this guide to get some ideas on how to best strategize other applications and how to best handle the deferral.
Deferred from Harvard Early Action
So, you’ve been deferred from Harvard. We’re sorry you’re dealing with this right now -- and definitely take some time to process. But if you’re here, you’re probably a person of action, and you want to know what you should do next. Don’t worry, we have some action items that can help you give yourself a fighting chance to get in, and some strategies for applying to other schools too.
Deferred Early Action – Help
It’s just about that time of year when our phones ring off the hook and people start calling us in search of help after being deferred from a dream school. We are here to remind you that yes, even if you got deferred, it’s going to be okay. A lot of students get deferred. It might even be fair to say that most students get deferred. And despite this unfortunate reality, and the feelings that accompany it, you have no choice but to get your life together. It’s time to make a plan, stick to it, and power through the rest of the year. Here’s how: