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Outcomes
Accept, Defer, Waitlist, Deny
Accept
You did it! You've been offered a spot in the incoming freshman class of one or more of the schools on your list. Your admission letter should indicate the date by which you must either commit to attending or let the school know you plan to enroll elsewhere (the Common Notification Date is May 1). Most colleges require a non-refundable deposit to hold your spot.
Defer
A deferral is an outcome that only takes place in the context of early application plans, and it means that the college is not prepared to either accept or deny you at this juncture, so they defer making a decision on your candidacy until they can consider you in the larger pool of regular decision applicants. Most often there isn’t a specific reason why a student is deferred, it is simply that the admission offices at selective colleges have far too many strong applicants for the number of spaces they have to offer.
Assuming you remain interested in them, it is vital that you a) keep your grades up and continue to be involved in the things you love to do, and b) follow up with a strong letter of continued interest to their admission office, sometime in early January. Especially with Early Decision II plans now offered at many colleges, admission officers are aware that a good number of deferred students will apply ED II someplace else. So you need to let them know—in a brief but positive and heartfelt letter—that you are still interested and, if it’s the case, that they remain your first choice institution. This letter is also a good place to let them know of anything new or especially significant that’s occurred since you applied. Your high school counselor can also follow up with the school by phone or e-mail, particularly if there are great new grades or scores to report.
Waitlist
Being placed on the waitlist at a school means that you are not currently being offered a spot in their incoming class, but that you might be if enough spots open up as admitted students select other schools. How likely this is to occur, and in what volume, varies from school to school and even from year to year—so your best bet is to shift your focus to your top choice among the schools to which you were admitted, take the necessary steps to secure your space there (this will generally involve a non-refundable deposit), and start getting excited! You may even prefer to withdraw your name from the waitlist(s) on which you’ve been placed.
However, if you choose to remain on one or more waitlists, we list some suggestions for following up below.
Checklist for students pursuing a waitlist offer:
(Reminder: Even when pursuing a waitlist, by May 1st you must commit to your top choice among the schools to which you were admitted.)
- Return waitlist reply card(s) immediately.
- Send a brief letter to the admission office informing them of your continued interest.
- If possible, address it to the admission officer who reads for your region (this can be found on college websites or by calling the admission office directly).
- If you would attend if admitted, tell them that directly; if you’re not sure, find language that is strong and positive without making promises you may not be able to keep.
- Remember, the fact that you have been placed on the waiting list means that the admission committee is already confident in your ability to succeed at the college. Therefore, keep the tone light and use the correspondence as an opportunity to reiterate why the college is a good match.
- Keep in close contact with your guidance counselor/college advisor. In order for your counselor to follow up on your behalf, he/she needs to know of your sincere interest in the college or university.
- If you have a close connection with a professor, coach or alumnus/a from the college or university where you have been placed on the waitlist, follow up with that person. Be sure to reiterate your continued interest in the college so that he or she can follow up in the manner that they deem best. Be discerning—too many extra letters could have a negative impact.
- A few weeks after your initial letter goes out, send a final note reaffirming your interest in joining the class.
- Keep your college advisor informed of all the steps you have taken in order for him/her to continue to be an advocate for you.
Deny
Unfortunately, this outcome requires no explanation—fold up your tents and shift your attention to the great institutions that DO want you to join their freshman class.