Several colleges with large applicant pools have released their first rounds of admissions decisions, and, predictably, these decisions have been met with a number of people howling at the moon, shouting at the rain, or simply scratching their heads. Most of the energy expended by those counselors who have taken to social media has been over the quantity and quality of deferrals, the admission decision that isn’t really a decision, as much as it’s a decision not to decide.
The response to all this deferring has been large enough to merit a quick review of deferrals. Ready?
A deferral is a request for more of something. If a college has several rounds of admission deadlines, deferrals give them a chance to compare some of the early applicants to some of the later applicants. Some observers suggest it also gives an admissions office more time to review an unexpectedly large applicant pool, something most colleges are unwilling to admit, even if it’s true.
Deferrals aren’t always based on tangible factors. Colleges requiring essays sometimes read a file and wonder if the applicant really knows the school, or sees the college as a viable choice, and not a backup plan. This is especially true in an age where students are applying to more colleges, a trend that shows no sign of stopping. Applying to more colleges may give a student more options, but the mathematics of it all also means the student may not be as committed to some colleges. The deferral process can give the college more insights into a candidate’s interest.
A deferral isn’t a Yes or a No. Students may have data citing how many (or how few) deferred students are ultimately admitted, but that statistic doesn’t indicate why a deferred student is admitted. For all they know, this college could be a perfect student for that college, but the college just needs to let the dust settle from a busy fall before making an offer.
What to do if you are deferred. Students should read the deferral notice twice, then have a thoughtful adult read it with them, all with the goal of understanding what needs to happen next. If the college asks for more information—another essay, updated grades, clarification on what the student likes about the college—the student should meet the request promptly.
In some cases, the college won’t specify what they’d like to receive from the student. This doesn’t mean the student needs to send a dozen new letters of recommendation or call the admissions office daily, but it would be wise to update the college on what the student has been up to since applying, and a brief statement on why the college is still of interest to them. If there’s something the student didn’t mention in their original application, now is the time to provide that information.
If the letter specifically directs the student not to send anything else, it’s wise to follow that counsel. If every deferred student takes a “well, one quick note won’t hurt” attitude, the admissions office gets exactly what it doesn’t want—a deluge of new information they either can’t or won’t process—but they still have to deal with it. Restraint is hard in this case, but it’s an important life skill. Students should practice it now.
What a deferral isn’t. No college decision makes the student a better or worse person. If you have a student who sees anything but Yes as a character indictment, clear your schedule. Your afternoon now has a new purpose.
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