What does 'defer application' mean in the college context?

Hey guys, I've heard some students talking about 'deferring' their applications and I'm kind of confused. Can someone explain what that means and how it might affect my college admissions process?

Sure! In the college admissions context, "defer application" has two different meanings, depending on the specific situation a student is in:

1. Deferred Admission Decision: This happens when a student applies to a college under an Early Action or Early Decision plan, and the college decides to neither accept nor reject the applicant right away. Instead, they defer the decision to the Regular Decision admissions cycle.

Essentially, in this case the college is saying they want more time to review the applicant's file and compare it with the broader pool of applicants who apply by the Regular Decision deadline. This doesn't necessarily mean the student has a lower chance of admission; it simply means the college wants to have a more comprehensive view of all the applicants before making a decision.

2. Requesting to Defer Enrollment: This is when a student has been accepted to a college and has decided to attend, but they want to delay their actual enrollment by a semester or a year (sometimes called a "gap year"). In this case, the student contacts the college's admissions office and requests to defer their enrollment.

Colleges have different policies on deferral requests—some are quite flexible, while others have specific requirements or may not grant deferrals at all. If the request is approved, the student can take that time away from school to pursue other interests, travel, work, or address personal circumstances before starting their college career.

It is important to note that requesting a deferral means that the student already committed to attending that college in the future and will not be applying to other schools during the deferral period.

In either case, deferring an application can affect your college admissions process differently depending on your circumstances. If your application decision is deferred, you may want to use the additional time to strengthen your application (e.g., updating your file with new accomplishments or sending a letter of continued interest).

If you're considering requesting a deferral to postpone your enrollment, carefully weigh the benefits of taking time off versus starting college right away, and research the deferral policies at the college you plan to attend.