Deferred vs. Waitlisted - Which is Better in the College Admissions Process?

Hi guys, I've been hearing these terms tossed around quite a bit - deferred and waitlisted. In the grand scheme of admissions, which is typically considered better or more promising?

Both deferral and waitlist decisions can be a bit of a mixed bag in terms of the college admissions process, and each has its own nuances.

Being deferred essentially means that an early action or early decision application has been moved to the regular decision pool for further review. This might happen because the admissions committee sees potential in the application but wants to compare it against the regular decision applicants.

Waitlisting, on the other hand, occurs during the regular decision process. If you're waitlisted, it means the college has filled its available spots but thinks you're a strong enough candidate to be admitted should a spot open up.

In terms of which is "better", it's not quite a straightforward answer. While both situations might feel disappointing, being deferred might be seen as slightly more promising. This is because your application still has a chance to be reviewed again during the regular decision round, while being waitlisted often means waiting until after May 1 when students make their final decisions and the school knows how many spots (if any) are still open.

It should be noted, though, that the chances vary greatly from school to school for both deferral and waitlist scenarios. For some schools, a good number of deferred applicants do get accepted in the regular decision round, and the same goes for waitlisted applicants, although the latter usually has a lower acceptance rate.

In either situation, it’s crucial to keep other options open and continue applying to other colleges that interest you. It might also be helpful to express continued interest in a school if you’ve been deferred or waitlisted by sending a letter to the college reaffirming your interest and updating them on any new achievements or accomplishments.