As a deferred student, your application will be reconsidered in the regular round and you are released from the binding commitment of early decision. Across the more competitive schools, roughly 10% of deferred students are ultimately accepted in the regular decision round.
Looking at those numbers, if you're deferred from a school historically known for deferring many students, you should know that your chances will be slim in the regular round of admission. However, if they reject most students and only defer a few, take it as a good sign, but don't count on acceptance by any means.
Deferrals are not rejections. Rather, they signal that the admissions office sees potential in your application but is not ready to make an early decision. Instead, the admissions committee wants to evaluate it alongside a larger applicant pool, so they send a deferral letter.
Deferred is usually better because you may still get in during the RD round. If you're waitlisted, you only stand a chance after the acceptance deadlines depending on how many people turn down the school.
Getting on a waitlist is not a rejection — waitlisted students still have a shot at earning admission to the school.
Chances of Getting into Harvard After Being Deferred
Historically, about 10% of students who Harvard defers ultimately earn admission in Regular Decision.
No school has actually admitted to turning down students because they are overqualified.
If you have a well-thought-out gap year plan that demonstrates personal growth, colleges might grant your deferral request. Health Issues: If you're dealing with significant health issues that prevent you from attending college immediately, most colleges will be understanding and grant you a deferral.
According to recent data from the National Association of College Admissions Counseling, colleges on average admit 20% of students off the waitlist. At the most selective institutions, that figure was 7%.
The admissions office may defer your application if you're not a candidate for early action. In that case, the admissions panel will reevaluate your application with the regular decision applicants. If you're a deferred early action, you don't have to reapply to the school.
Deferred means that you were not accepted in the early decision round and that your application will be reviewed again for the regular decision round. You have a decent shot of getting accepted during the regular decision round.
No, deferred payments generally won't directly hurt your credit. When a creditor defers your payments, it can report your account's new status to the credit bureaus—Experian, TransUnion and Equifax.
Generally, your chances of getting in after getting deferred are on the lower end, especially if you've applied to one of the nation's top colleges. Early decision applicants typically produce strong applications, so at least you know you've given it your best shot.
Disadvantages of a Deferment Period
The overall loan balance is increased due to accrued interest. In some cases, borrowers are subject to additional fees. The borrower must prove they are experiencing financial hardship.
While waitlisted students remain in limbo, deferred students become part of the regular applicant pool. Waitlisted applicants might face a longer wait for a final decision. Additionally, deferred applicants still have a chance at admission, which differs from outright rejection.
Project deferral risk is the potential for a project to be delayed or postponed due to external factors. This type of risk can arise from a variety of sources, including changes in customer requirements, delays in obtaining necessary resources, or unexpected events that require additional time and effort to address.
Merit-based scholarships generally do not change if you defer your enrollment a year. Need-based grants and scholarships tend to only be affected if your family's financial situation changes during your gap year.
Taking a gap year before college (or university) won't affect your admission chances if you use your experience wisely. Make sure you understand when and how to mention your gap year when applying for college. Taking a gap year before college means you'll get to enjoy the best of both worlds.
Colleges defer students because they are not ready to make a final decision, may have had a large number of early applications or may expect a large number of applications in the Regular Decision round and want to keep spots open for the right candidates. It does not mean an automatic rejection at all.
What Percentage of Deferred Students Get Accepted? Across all highly selective colleges, about 10% of deferred candidates ultimately earn admission to the school that kicked the can on their candidacies. While this percentage can vary yearly and from school to school, it's a relatively consistent general benchmark.
You might feel like you've been rejected if you receive a deferral, but all it means is that your application will be reviewed again in the Regular Decision round. There is nothing wrong with your application, but you may need to submit more information to the admissions committee.
Each year, between 90 and 130 students defer their matriculation to the College, and they report their experiences to be uniformly positive. After graduation, large numbers of Harvard students take time off before beginning work or graduate school.