“There’s been an update made to your portal”
Receiving an email with this statement can either be the worst or best thing that has ever happened to someone. The adrenaline rush you feel as you log into that college portal to finally find out the decision you’ve been waiting for and the letter says “Deferred.” And so, the wait continues.
As a senior in high school, the college application process is one of the most exciting, yet stressful, aspects that I have experienced. From submitting the application to receiving the decision, it doesn’t seem to get any easier. Whether it’s not what you wanted to hear, missing a deadline, or the stress of deciding where to go, it’s hard to distinguish the positives in a storm of chaos.
When I received my first acceptance letter, I was on top of the world knowing that a school actually wanted me on their campus. This feeling was one that I wanted to experience with all of my colleges. Although I was grateful for my acceptances, it was a harsh reality when I opened my first “Deferral” email.
Deferred was a word that I was not familiar with. Did it mean waitlisted or denied? After doing some of my own research, I discovered that a deferral was just the college admissions committee simply “pushing you back” to a regular decision.
Getting deferred is different than a waitlisted decision because they are only valid for Early Action (EA) applicants. EA applicants apply in an earlier pool of applicants to either increase their chances of getting into a school or to receive a decision earlier than they would for a regular decision. However, EA is not the same as Early Decision (ED). ED is a binding application plan for students who apply to a school, and if they get accepted, they must attend.
The most disappointing part about getting deferred from my first school was the fact that I had to continue waiting. All of the built-up excitement to finally find out if you were accepted gets delayed a couple more months. Although getting deferred is a huge let-down when it is a school you love; it is important for all high school applicants to realize that a deferral is not a no.
“When I got deferred, it made me feel frustrated and it still does because it was from a school I really wanted to go to,” said senior Bink Hartline. “However, I think it also made me realize I need to keep my options open more because, at the time, I was really set on only going to one or two of my top schools if I got in.”
Many people tend to take a deferral almost like a complete rejection, just like I did, but after receiving that “Deferred” email a few more times in my application process, it hit me that it wasn’t a bad thing at all. There is a negative stigma surrounding deferrals. It may not be a rejection, but it makes students feel like they are not good enough.
According to IvyWise, colleges will defer students for reasons such as wanting to see how they will utilize their last year of high school. They want to see how students can maintain/improve their grades or accomplish milestones in extracurricular activities. It is not because they are not good enough, but because colleges simply want to see more out of their applicants.
In addition, some schools will also defer students because they don’t have enough time to review all of the applications. As unfair as it sounds, it is not uncommon for colleges to receive unexpectedly large numbers of applicants as certain colleges, like SEC schools, grow in popularity.
Lastly, it is crucial for applicants to recognize that a deferral is also an opportunity to explore other options for college. When I got deferred from some of my favorite colleges, it allowed me to expand my options and discover some more beautiful campuses where I might want to spend the next four years of my life. The waiting period also gives you more time to really reflect on all of the options and possibilities that the colleges offer.
“Getting deferred from a school I was interested in made me step back and realize it’s not a rejection,” said senior Ava Walsh. “I recognized that I still have a chance of getting in and even if I don’t, I know I will end up where I am meant to be.”
Class of 2024 Alum Teddy Huddlestun is proof that getting deferred will ultimately lead you to where you are supposed to end up.
“I did Early Decision to Texas Christian University (TCU) and when I heard I didn’t get in, it was demotivating,” said Huddlestun. “After talking to some friends, I learned that other schools still had so much to offer. I ended up at Auburn and I couldn’t be more happy about the decision I made and it wouldn’t have happened without getting deferred from TCU.”
It is important for students to not feel ashamed of getting deferred but to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings about the process. It is also essential for all current and future applicants to know that a deferral is not a rejection no matter how upsetting it might feel. It is just the college’s way of saying “not yet,” and not that someone is unworthy of going to their school. Every student must keep their head up and know that no matter what happens, they will end up where they are meant to be!
