I'm curious if being deferred from a college gives you any sort of priority or advantage when applying regular decision. Does anyone know if colleges look favorably on deferred students when making regular decisions?
Deferred applicants are individuals who initially applied Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA) but whose applications were not accepted or rejected; instead, their applications were moved to the Regular Decision (RD) pool for further consideration. This means that deferred students will be evaluated again, this time along with the Regular Decision applicants.
However, it's important to note that being deferred does not necessarily give you priority or an advantage in the Regular Decision pool. A deferral simply means that the admissions committee wants to compare your application to the larger pool of applicants before making a final decision. Your application will be re-reviewed holistically, taking into consideration your grades, test scores, essays, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and other elements of your application.
It could be beneficial to send a letter of continued interest to the college, expressing your ongoing desire to attend. This could potentially help your application stand out in the Regular Decision round. However, each college handles deferred applications differently, and how you may be prioritized will vary by institution. Hence, it is suggested you reach out to the admissions office of the particular college for a more accurate response.
In conclusion, while being deferred doesn't inherently give you an advantage in the Regular Decision pool, it also doesn't mean you've been denied. It's a second chance of sorts, so keep your spirits up and have backups in place just in case.
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