Possibility of Rejection from Early Decision

So, I'm preparing to apply for Early Decision and I was wondering, can you get outright rejected from Early Decision? Or do they usually defer or accept those applicants? Thanks in advance for the clarification!

Absolutely, I'm glad you asked for clarification about Early Decision (ED) processes. Yes, it is possible to be outright rejected during the Early Decision round. While many applicants assume that deferral is the most common alternative to acceptance in ED, outright rejection does happen. If the school feels that an application will not be competitive for the regular decision pool, the college may choose to reject it rather than defer to avoid giving false hope, as well as to save themselves the time of re-reviewing the application a few months later. However, it's also true that many students are deferred to the Regular Decision pool for a second review.

If you are rejected, remember that it is not a judgment of you as a person or scholar. The admissions process is highly selective at many schools, and also particular to what a particular school is looking for in a particular year. You can be rejected ED and still go on to be incredibly successful in college and beyond. So whatever happens, keep your head high and just ensure you have a robust list of alternative options. Good luck with your application!