A deferral occurs when a student who applied Early Decision or Early Action is not admitted in the early round but is moved to the Regular Decision pool to be reconsidered alongside regular applicants.
A deferral is different from a rejection and different from a waitlist. A deferred applicant applied early (EA or ED) and was not admitted in the early round, but the university is reconsidering them as part of the regular pool. The applicant will receive a final decision — admit, waitlist, or deny — during the Regular Decision cycle.
Deferred students can strengthen their applications by submitting a letter of continued interest, updated grades, new test scores, or significant new achievements.
If you are deferred from a university, treat it as a second chance. Write a letter of continued interest (150–250 words) confirming you are still committed to attending, sharing any meaningful updates to your application, and reiterating specifically why this institution fits your goals. Do not flood the admissions office with unnecessary updates, but one substantive communication is appropriate.
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