Making Your Decision After the Colleges Make Theirs: Application Denied or Deffered

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Many early applications end happily, but a lot do not. As more and more students seek the benefits of an early application, colleges have to deny or defer more of them to leave room for regular cycle admits. Colleges differ in their approach to dealing with applicants they do not accept. Some, like Georgetown University, defer all or most of them, denying only those who clearly don’t meet the qualifications for admission. A deferred application is considered again along with the applications submitted during the regular cycle. Other colleges prefer to make hard decisions sooner rather than later, denying many qualified candidates they know they would deny in the regular cycle anyway, and deferring just a small percentage who look competitive for the final round. After years of deferring no one, Northwestern University deferred a small number for the first time in fall 2008; Stanford University also defers only a small percentage. If there is a trend, it is in the direction of denying more students in the early round rather than fewer. The continued staggering growth in the regular cycle applicant pool makes it harder to get the files read if there are too many deferrals. Colleges that deny students during an early cycle do not allow them to resubmit their application for the regular cycle for the same year.

The problem with an early application denial is that it usually occurs in isolation, and also at holiday time. Because of all the restrictions, students usually apply early to only one college, and those who receive denials have no simultaneous acceptances to ease the blow. But a denial does not mean that you weren’t a strong applicant or that you weren’t qualified to attend. It simply means that the admissions staff decided not to admit you—nothing more and nothing less—and that your application will not be considered further. Given the vagaries of the college admission process, it is best to accept such a decision as the luck of the draw and move on. This may in fact be a blessing in disguise because it is a reality check. You were denied outright at Yale early, so what does that mean for your other super-selective choices? This is a good time to reassess that list one more time, trim some of the long shots, and perhaps add a possible or good bet to compensate. If you follow the advice, your other applications of good-bet, possible, and long-shot colleges will be ready to go or already submitted.

What You Can Do If You Are Deferred

Students who find themselves deferred still face uncertainty about the final outcome, and it is hard to predict the chance of admission during the regular cycle. Statistically, it is never very high. The regular pool is likely to be large and strong, and the admissions staff feels an obligation to treat everyone fairly. The admissions office may provide information in your letter about the percentage of applicants who were deferred. If not, they may tell you if you call and ask. You can also see whether your high school counselor can find out from the admissions office how close you came to admission. Some colleges will provide this information, and it can help you assess your chances in the regular cycle. But if you can’t get this information, don’t worry. Just knowing your chances isn’t going to increase them.