Getting a waitlist, deferral, or “postponement” (I’m looking at you, UMich!), can be really confusing. The most common question I’ve seen the past week is “What does it mean when it says my application was ‘postponed’?” And the most-oft-repeated wrong answer has been, “oh, they didn’t get around to reading your application, so you’ve been pushed to the regular round.”
No, that’s not true.
It is true that the student’s application has been pushed to the regular round, but it’s not fair to say that the application “did not get read.” [1] And repeating this “fact” undermines the work that admissions offices do to make sure that each application gets a read, often two, in order to make a decision. But the college has decided that they need more information about your student. They want to see mid-year grades and updates prior to making a final choice. In reality, a “postponed” application is the same as a deferral.
The fact of the matter is that, even when you apply ED or EA, not everyone will get in. A fraction of students are denied acceptance outright in the early round of admissions, but many more students are deferred to the regular admissions round. Depending on the college or university, 40–90% of students are not admitted early, resulting in either denial or deferral. [2] Some schools do not deny early applicants at all, they either accept or defer only. [3]
If a student’s application is deferred, don’t worry! They still have a chance at getting into these colleges in the regular decision round. It might indicate that the early pool was (a) fairly large, and (b) incredibly competitive (which is to be expected these days). But the student’s first-semester grades might represent an upward-trend in their GPA that colleges would look favorably on, or it might have that clutch “A” grade in a difficult or critical course (e.g., AP Calc B/C) that might make the college more confident that your student will be successful at their school.
The key here is to stay proactive, and remain positive! Don’t let deferrals defeat your student and make them feel like their story is over; that’s a recipe for senioritis to set in. Keep those grades up. Some slippage is normal, but keeping within a half-a-step of their previous grades, or even raising their grades, can make the difference between a future acceptance or not.
In the rest of this series, we’ll cover the next steps: what is a letter of continued interest, do you send one, when do you send it, and how? What do you include in your follow-ups with colleges and save your spot in their admissions pool or on their waitlists and maximize your chances of being admitted?
Understanding Deferrals and Waitlists: What’s the Difference and What Does It Mean for You?
Crafting a Compelling Letter of Continued Interest: What To Include and How To Stand Out
Managing Emotions While Waitlisted or Deferred: Staying Positive and Productive
Wrap Up: Staying Motivated and Optimistic
Citations
[1] “Postponed Applicants FAQ”, University of Michigan. https://admissions.umich.edu/apply/first-year-applicants/selection-process/postponed-applicants-faq (Accessed Jan 23, 2025).
[2] “Class of 2029 Early Decision and Early Action Results”, College Kickstart. https://www.collegekickstart.com/blog/item/class-of-2029-early-decision-and-early-action-results (Accessed Jan 23, 2025).
[3] Ron Mackovich-Rodriguez, “Early Action Admission Offers a Timely Alternative For Would-be Trojans”, USC Today (Sept. 15, 2022). https://today.usc.edu/usc-early-action-early-decision-admission/ (Accessed Jan 23, 2025).