This wasn’t the situation you had in mind. Applying to Wake Forest Early Decision I or Early Action (for First-Gen Students) may have felt like a safe stretch, or maybe it was a big dream you knew not to bet on — but, either way, this isn’t the way you thought it would go. A yes would have been amazing and a no would have been a massive bummer, but a maybe wasn’t part of the plan. Now you’re here, reading this post, on the receiving end of a deferral, wondering what comes next.
Deferred by Carnegie Mellon Early Decision 2024-2025
Chances are that you are reading this because things didn’t go as planned. You didn’t know if you would get into Carnegie Mellon Early Decision, but at least if you didn’t get in, you’d know where you stood. Now you are somewhere awkwardly in the middle between being a fit for Carnegie Mellon and not being what they are looking for.
Deferred Early Action by the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) 2024-2025
Getting deferred is disappointing. Probably part of the reason you applied Early Action to the University of Texas at Austin was that it was a dream school or at least near the top of your list. Getting deferred might feel like a major setback; however, you didn’t get rejected, and this isn’t over yet. They are still reviewing your application, and there are a couple of things you need to do if you have been deferred by UT.
Deferred by Georgetown Early Action 2024-2025
Being deferred by Georgetown wasn’t the plan. You were going to apply, and then have an answer. Maybe the answer would be no, and you were hoping it would be a yes — but you weren’t planning for a maybe. In this post, we’ll give you the plan for what comes next: how you increase your chances of admission to Georgetown, and how you ensure your entire college application experience is successful.
Deferred by New York University (NYU) Early Decision 2024-2025
New York University, best known as NYU, is one of the most famous universities in the world, and one of the most sought after acceptances. Applying to NYU early is the best way of getting your foot in the door, but sometimes it doesn’t work out as planned — which is probably why you are reading this post. When you decided to apply to NYU early, though, you most likely didn’t see a deferral in your future. An acceptance? Hopefully. A rejection? Hopefully not. But a deferral? That was definitely not in the plan. What you do next, though, can transform your chances of getting into a dream school, including NYU.
Deferred by the University of Michigan Early Action 2024-2025
Deferred Early Action by USC 2024-2025
Until recently, you couldn’t get deferred by USC. They only recently introduced an early action option. However, since 2023, The University of Southern California (aka USC) has started deferring students from their EA round to the RD round. Since it is such a new program, they are still figuring it out, and the rules have changed since last year. If you have been deferred from USC, don’t worry; we are going to walk you through it.
Deferred by Cornell Early Decision 2024-2025
Deferred by Barnard Early Decision 2024-2025
If you’re reading this post, Barnard was your dream school. This wasn’t the plan. You were hoping to get in, and may have had a backup strategy if you didn’t, but it’s likely you were not planning for a maybe. A deferral is just that — a deeply dissatisfying maybe. You might get in, but you can’t count on it. There are things you can do to nearly guarantee you aren’t accepted in the regular decision round, though, and things you can do to greatly improve your chances of admission.
Deferred by the University of Pennsylvania Early Decision 2024-2025
Getting deferred can be a real bummer. You worked hard on a great application to one of UPenn’s four undergraduate schools: The College, Wharton, Engineering, or Nursing. You took your time to research the school and write your essays. More importantly, you probably fell in love with Penn (at least, enough for it to be your early decision choice). For all that work to be met with a deferral letter feels really disappointing. However, we want to highlight the silver lining here: you weren’t rejected. You still have options here, and there are a few steps that you 100% should take.
Deferred by Tufts Early Decision 2024-2025
If you are reading this post, a deferral was not part of the plan. You applied to Tufts early decision because you wanted certainty. If you got in, you’d be set. If you didn’t, you’d know Tufts wasn’t in the cards. But now you’re on the receiving end of a deferral decision and it’s not a yes or a no, but a very unsatisfying maybe.
Deferred by Middlebury Early Decision 2024-2025
You were a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed prospective college student when you applied to Middlebury Early Decision, or something like that. Now, the struggle of getting into a top college has thrown you for a loop and you’re on the receiving end of a deferral. Boooooo deferrals. A no is at least certain. You know where you stand with a no! This deferral business is so much more unstable, but it’s important to know that it is not a soft ‘no’. A deferral from Middlebury means you still have a chance.
Deferred by Notre Dame Restrictive Early Action 2024-2025
If you are reading this post, you were probably recently on the receiving end of notice of deferral from Notre Dame. First, let’s wallow in how this is a huge bummer for a second. You wanted to get in and you didn’t want to have to think about this whole college application thing anymore. You aren’t rejected, and you do still have a chance of getting into Notre Dame, so it’s time to get out of that puddle of disappointment and reorient yourself towards action. Before we begin on what comes next, let’s talk statistics.
Deferred by Northeastern 2024-2025
College admissions is stressful, and a deferral from a dream school doesn’t help. When Northeastern deferred you, it probably felt pretty icky. It’s not a no — which is awesome! But it’s also far from a yes and now you’re in this uncomfortable middle-ground where you can’t count on anything, but you also can’t count yourself out.
Deferred by MIT Early Action 2024-2025
Deferred by Duke Early Decision 2024-2025
This was not the plan. You were going to get into Duke Early Decision, and that would be it. But that isn’t how it worked out. You’ve been deferred, and now you’re in a really awkward spot. You’re not rejected, which is awesome. But you’re also not in, which is awkward. What you do next will chart the course for your future in college, so let’s move carefully, but with confidence.
Deferred by the University of Chicago 2024-2025
You applied to the University of Chicago early, and it hasn’t worked out like you expected. A yes is ideal, but at least a no is definitive and clear. Being deferred, though, is like the worst of both worlds. You aren’t in, but you also can’t grieve not getting into a dream school. That said, we don’t want you to wallow for too long. It still is possible to get into the University of Chicago after a deferral, and it’s absolutely possible to have an outstandingly successful college application experience—if you’re willing to put in the work.
Deferred by Stanford Restrictive Early Action 2024-2025
Stanford University is widely recognized as one of the best universities in the world, and they only offer one early application option. Restrictive Early Action at Stanford is extremely competitive. All admissions options to Stanford are insanely competitive, to be honest, and now you’re on the receiving end of one of the most frustrating possible outcomes: a deferral.
Deferred by Dartmouth Early Decision 2024-2025
Deferred by Princeton Single-Choice Early Action 2024-2025
If you received a notice of deferral from Princeton, you aren’t alone. The renowned Ivy League university has historically deferred a large number of single-choice early action applicants, . This is frustrating, because you still don’t know where you stand and don’t even really have a hint towards how they feel about your application.