What does being deferred by a college mean?

Hey everyone, I've been seeing people mention getting deferred by colleges, and I'm a bit confused. Can someone explain to me what being deferred exactly means and what happens after that?

Hey there! Being deferred means that when you apply Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA) to a college, the admissions committee has chosen not to accept or deny your application at this stage. Instead, they've decided to move your application into the Regular Decision pool to review it once again alongside other Regular Decision applicants.

Deferred applicants still have a chance of being accepted during the Regular Decision round. The college basically wants to see more of your application in comparison to the full applicant pool before making a final decision. At this point, you'll need to wait until the Regular Decision notification dates to find out if you've been accepted, denied, or waitlisted.

In the meantime, you can take a few proactive steps to strengthen your application. Often, colleges offer deferred applicants an opportunity to submit additional materials, such as an update on academic achievements, new test scores (if the college still considers them), or a letter expressing your continued interest in the school. Be sure to follow the guidelines provided by the college, and if they don't mention sending additional materials, it's a good idea to reach out to the admissions office to clarify what they allow.

Keep in mind that being deferred doesn't necessarily mean your application was weak. Colleges often follow different strategies when reviewing ED and EA applicants, and the deferral could simply mean they'd like to see more from the overall applicant pool before making a final decision on your application. Good luck!