What Does Deferred Mean in College Admissions?

What does deferred mean?

Imagine it’s December, and you’ve encountered the dreaded d-word: No, not “denied.” “Deferred.” For some students, getting deferred can be even more stressful than getting flat-out rejected. But what does deferred mean for you and your college admissions plans?

In this guide, we’ll answer the question “what does deferred mean,” and more — including what to do once you’ve been deferred, how being deferred impacts your admissions odds, and more. 

Here are some questions we’ll answer in our guide:

• What does deferred mean?
• What’s the difference between getting deferred vs. waitlisted?
• Should I apply early action or early decision to increase my chances of admission?
• Can I still get into a school if I’ve been deferred?
• What should I do — and not do— if I’ve been deferred? 

First, we’ll start with the big question: What does deferred mean?

Deferred Meaning in College Admissions

So, what does deferred mean? If you’ve been “deferred,” that means that the school has neither accepted nor rejected your application. Instead, they have pushed it forward to the next admissions cycle, and will review it again then. 

Students who have been deferred typically applied early action or early decision. But this isn’t always the case. Depending on the school’s admissions cycles, students can be deferred without applying early. 

Usually, when people are talking about the “deferred college meaning,” they’re referring to deferred admissions. However, the deferred college meaning can also apply to a deferred acceptance, which is when you as a student decide to put off accepting an offer — we’ve got more on that below. For now, you can assume that the deferred college meaning is the one we covered above.

What does deferred mean for your application? Well, when you’re deferred, you don’t need to submit any new information. The school will just revisit your initial application, including your essays, letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, grades, and test scores. However, some students who are deferred send a letter of continued interest to update colleges on what they’ve been doing since they first applied. We’ll talk more about that later in this guide.

Even though you don’t need to submit a new application, the college may still request additional details. One of the most common things colleges may ask you for are your end-of-semester grades. When colleges review early application or early decision applications, they don’t have your first semester grades. If they’ve deferred your application, admissions may be curious to see whether you’ve improved in a certain subject or simply maintained your GPA.  

Some people get the deferred college meaning confused with the waitlisted meaning. Let’s break it down.

Deferred vs. Waitlisted vs. Rejected

Now that we’ve answered the question “what does deferred mean?”, let’s break down deferred vs. waitlisted and how both differ from being rejected.

College Admissions Decisions

After being deferred, you may later be admitted or rejected during the regular decision round. A third possibility is being waitlisted, meaning your application remains active while the college determines whether additional spots are available. When comparing deferred vs. waitlisted, one major difference is the timeline. You likely won’t find out whether you’ve been taken off the waitlist and granted admission until after other admitted students have made their enrollment decisions.

Being waitlisted can be challenging both emotionally and logistically, because you may not be offered a spot until May or even after decision day. By then, you’ll likely have committed to another school. This can make deciding whether to accept an offer from your top choice more complicated.

What is deferred enrollment?

So now that we’ve covered what does deferred mean in the usual context, let’s talk about the deferred college meaning in another context: deferred enrollment.

When you “get deferred,” that’s the college doing the action. The school is deferring their review of your application. When you defer enrollment, you are the one taking the action. By deferring your enrollment, you are choosing to postpone the date you start college after you’ve already been accepted.

Another way to distinguish between what does deferred mean in admissions vs. enrollment is that one happens before an admissions decision has been made and the other happens after you’ve already accepted.

Why would you defer enrollment? The most common reason is to take a gap year, which many students embark on between high school and college. Most schools allow students to defer enrollment for a gap year. However, not all schools make this exception— especially if you’re in a unique enrollment situation. For example, if you’ve been taken off the waitlist, the school may require you to attend in the fall in order to accept your spot.

Some students also defer enrollment for other reasons: military service, planned experiences like an internship or job offer, or needing to take time off for personal health reasons or to care for a family member. If a school allows you to defer enrollment, there may be limits on how long you can wait before starting school or whether you can attend another school during that time.

Applying Early Action and Early Decision

If you’re proactively asking, “What does deferred mean?”, you may be interested in submitting some early applications. With both early action and early decision, you apply a few months earlier than the regular cycle and receive your decision earlier.

Here is the key difference between early action and early decision: With early action, you can apply early to a number of schools. Early decision is binding, so you can only apply early decision to one school. If you then get into that school, you are required to attend. 

Why apply early? Usually, acceptance rates are higher for early applicants, whether they apply early action or early decision. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s easier to get in if you apply early. EA and ED applicant pools usually include very strong candidates. And, colleges often fill a significant portion of their class with those applicants before regular decision.

If you apply early and get deferred, that means you’ll be considered alongside the pool of regular decision applicants. Though it can feel more challenging to be considered against a larger applicant pool, that’s not always the case. Where early action and decision is usually full of strong candidates who have their sights set on one particular school, the regular decision pool is more varied. You may end up standing out as a stronger candidate there than amongst the students who applied early. 

One more thing: If you apply early decision and get deferred, you are no longer bound to attend that school if accepted. Your application will be considered as if you’re a regular decision applicant, and you’ll be released from the initial binding agreement. 

Why do colleges defer students?

If admissions will ultimately need to decide whether to accept students or not, why do colleges bother deferring students at all?

Colleges defer students because they want to see their application profile alongside more applicants. Maybe when compared to the early decision pool, the student might not be as competitive, but the school believes the student could still be a worthwhile addition to the class in the right circumstances.

A college can learn more about a student’s profile and competitiveness by comparing them against a larger pool. That is ultimately the reason why students are deferred. If you’ve been deferred, it’s not a super satisfying answer, we know. But it is unfortunately the truth.

Admissions may also want to learn more about a student before they make a final decision. For example, they might wonder what their first-semester grades are. Academic performance is an important part of a candidate’s profile. Colleges may be looking for a specific GPA, or just to see improvement in a particular subject. 

In addition to GPA, colleges are also looking at other aspects of a student’s application, including their extracurriculars, intended major, letters of recommendation, and background. Colleges look at these factors to create a balanced class that includes a diverse, varied group of students. Because of this, a school may defer you so that they can look at your application in conjunction with students in the regular decision applicant pool. 

It’s easy to get carried away wondering why a school deferred you. But usually, it’s not because there’s one specific weakness in your application, or that you’re missing anything. In most cases, the college just isn’t ready to make a final decision yet. They simply need more time with your application.

So once you’re deferred… What happens next? Keep reading to find out.

What To Do After Being Deferred

Now that we’ve covered the deferred college meaning, and what it means to be deferred vs. waitlisted, let’s go over what to do once you’ve been deferred.

First, read your admissions decision letter carefully. Look for any important dates or instructions for what you should do next.

Then, go to your applicant portal, and review any instructions there. The college may ask for a written response, or for grades, an update form, or other additional materials. If they ask for more information, they’ll likely list a deadline. Make sure you submit your additional materials as requested through your applicant portal by the deadline.

Regardless of whether the school asks you for any additional information, you should always continue to earn strong grades and stay involved in your activities. Since the school is still considering you as a candidate, you need to make sure that you’re conducting yourself in a way that aligns with your initial application (or even make it stronger!). 

Colleges may also consider any accomplishments that you achieve in between rounds in your final admissions decision: things like winning a contest, getting any academic recognition, or getting a leadership position in a club. Since you’ll likely be applying to more schools regular decision, you’ll probably already be thinking about these things. Just remember that a school that deferred you is still evaluating you throughout the year.

Most importantly, keep working on other college applications. Don’t assume that the deferred school will admit you, or put your eggs in one basket. If this was your dream school, do your best to get excited about other potential options. You don’t need to let a deferral control your life! 

How to Write a Letter of Continued Interest

One thing that many deferred students do to potentially increase their chances of admission is write a letter of continued interest. A letter of continued interest is a way to demonstrate to the school that you are still passionate about attending. It’s also an opportunity to give them an update on what you’ve accomplished since you’ve applied.

Before you start writing, check if the school accepts letters of continued interest. Some schools will ask for a specific update form, or request that students send no additional materials. It’s crucial that you first and foremost demonstrate that you can follow instructions.

Be polite and direct

To write your letter of continued interest, open by thanking the admission committee for continuing to consider your application. And, clearly state that you remain interested in attending. 

Include new and relevant information

Update the admissions office on anything meaningful that’s happened since you applied. This could be strong grades in a particular class, any awards or nominations, any extracurricular accomplishments, or new responsibilities you’ve undertaken inside or outside of the classroom. 

One caveat: If you’re listing achievements, make sure not to repeat anything you’ve already listed in your application. If you won an award as a junior, that’s already likely included in your application, so don’t restate it here. Stick to things that have happened since you applied, and therefore weren’t included in your initial application. Maybe you got the lead in the play, or led a successful blood drive. Or maybe your grades had been sinking in physics, but you turned it around with a few really strong tests. The update doesn’t have to be huge, as long as you can explain a bit how you worked to achieve whatever accomplishment you’re mentioning.

You should treat the letter of continued interest like part of your college application: make sure you’re talking clearly about yourself and your accomplishments, how you achieved them and what they taught you, and how that relates to the type of student you’d want to be at the school, preferably mentioning specifics of the college.

Emphasize your interest

Close your letter by explaining why the college remains a strong choice for you, and, if it’s actually true, saying that you would attend if you were admitted. Obviously, don’t say that you would go if you wouldn’t. But if the school is your top choice, it’s okay to say that. Colleges want to admit students who will actually come because it improves their admissions statistics. 

This applies to the waitlisted meaning as well: Many students also send letters of continued interest after decision day in May to show that if they get off the waitlist, they’d definitely attend the school.

Looking for more tips on writing a letter of continued interest? Check out our guide!

What NOT To Do After Being Deferred

First and foremost, do not call or email any admissions officers asking about what informed their admissions decision. Do not ask why you were deferred, or when you’ll find out whether you’ve been admitted or not. They will have already told you all the information they plan to tell you in your deferral letter. It’s better not to dwell on what specific thing may have caused the deferral — because there might not be one! Focus on moving forward with your letter of continued interest. 

Next, always follow the school’s specific deferral policies. Don’t send a letter of continued interest if the school asks you not to. If the school does ask for specific materials, always send them by the stated deadline. If you don’t do as the school asks in some way, that will communicate that you are probably not the type of student they want in their incoming class. 

And lastly, whatever you send in, don’t send in anything extra. Don’t send additional recommendations, essays, certificates, or send repeated emails, unless the school asks for those materials.

Even though the deferred college meaning and the waitlisted meaning are different, a lot of these same guidelines apply. If you’re waitlisted, you can send a letter of continued interest. However, don’t send any other additional materials if you’re not asked.

So if you do everything right, what are your chances of being admitted?

Chances of Admission After Being Deferred

Unfortunately, most colleges don’t publish the percentage of deferred students who ultimately get admitted. Some numbers you may see: a college’s deferral rate or its acceptance rate after deferral (that’s the one we’re looking for). 

A college’s deferral rate is how many students out of all applicants (or of early action or early decision applicants) get deferred. At Yale, 17% of early action applicants were deferred in 2024. Williams had a similar number, with 15% of early applicants getting deferred. More schools publish numbers like these (likely because they reinforce the idea that these schools are difficult to get into) than publish how many deferred students are ultimately accepted.

However, some schools do publish a rough percentage of how many deferred students get accepted. For example, at Georgia Tech, their website states that around 20% of deferred students get accepted each year. 

When will I receive a final admissions decision after being deferred?

If you’re deferred, you won’t receive your college admissions decision until March or April. This is part of the deferred college meaning. Your application gets pushed to regular decision, so you find out alongside the regular decision applicants. 

The delayed timeline is a similar factor when comparing deferred vs. waitlisted. If you’ve been waitlisted, you may not learn whether you’ve been admitted until months later.

Accepted After Being Deferred: Next Steps

If you’ve been accepted after being deferred, congratulations! First, review your acceptance letter and applicant portal carefully for the enrollment deadline, required forms, and deposit information. Now that you’ve been accepted, you’re the same as any other student who was accepted through regular decision. As such, you’ll need to submit all the necessary documents and materials on time.

Consider your options

Even though it feels good to be admitted after being deferred, make sure to take stock of your acceptances. What other schools did you get into? Just because this school maybe felt the hardest to get into doesn’t mean that you necessarily need to go here.

You should also make sure to compare financial aid offers. You won’t have these until after you get your college admissions decisions. So, look carefully at all of the different offers you get from different schools. This may change your calculation on which school makes the most sense for you to attend.

Some schools have accepted students’ days, where you can visit the school with other admitted students and decide whether or not you’d like to go. Go to as many of these as makes sense for you, if you’re deciding between schools!

Secure your spot

Once you’ve decided on a school and enrolled, there are a few next steps. First, you’ll submit a deposit, which holds your spot within the class without paying the full semester’s tuition. Then, there will be a number of tasks directed towards incoming first years, like registering for orientation, applying for housing, signing up for any pre-orientation programs, and more. 

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! If you’re still on the waitlist, don’t lose hope — but, don’t be afraid to make this commitment to another school. A big difference between getting deferred vs. waitlisted is that deferred students get a final verdict at the same time most other students do. Waitlisted students, on the other hand, often have to wait longer to find out (and some will not get any official notice that they haven’t made it off the waitlist at all). 

What does deferred mean? – Takeaways

So what does deferred mean? We hope that now that you’ve read this article, you’re more confident in the deferred meaning, the difference between getting deferred vs. waitlisted, and how to navigate getting deferred. Here’s a quick refresher of what we covered:

5 “Deferred” Takeaways

1. Getting deferred means that the college has decided to review your application with the next application cycle. This usually happens when a student who applied early action or early decision is moved into the regular decision applicant pool.

2. The difference between deferred vs. waitlisted is what you’re waiting for. If you’re deferred, you’re still waiting for a final admissions decision. If you’re waitlisted, you’re waiting to see whether the college will offer you a spot.

3. If you’ve been deferred, you can write a letter of continued interest. This shows the college that you’re still invested in coming. And you can update them on any achievements you’ve had since you first applied. 

4. However, don’t send in any materials the school hasn’t asked for, or repeatedly email or call the admissions office asking why you were deferred.

5. Once you’ve received a final decision, you’re the same as every other student who applied regular decision. Whether you’re accepted or rejected, your deferral is no longer relevant. So, you’re free to tally up your acceptances and enroll however you please!

If you’re deferred, CollegeAdvisor can help you write a letter of continued interest to your school. We also offer essay editing, one-on-one advising, interview prep, and free guides like this one to support you throughout the college application process.

This article was written by advisor, Rachel Kahn. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.