Receiving a deferred decision as part of your college or university application can be a daunting experience. You’ve put in the effort, written essays, taken tests, and now you’ve been neither accepted nor rejected.

Not feeling the support of your school of choice can be concerning, but there are steps that you can take to uncover why you’ve been deferred.

What is a deferment, and why does it happen?

A deferment in the college application process signifies that the admissions department has determined that the application requires further consideration. Essentially, the school is not quite ready to make a final decision about the application.

This can happen for a variety of reasons.

Your application is missing some information. The admissions department of your chosen school may require additional information, test scores, or paperwork in order to make their decision.

These requirements can cause your application to be deferred to a later date. Make sure to follow up on any additional requests from the admissions department to ensure your application can move forward.

Your application is competitive with others. For some schools, competition among applicants is fierce. Schools may defer an application in order to compare it to other applications that arrive later in the process.

This can sometimes happen during the early decision process or if you’ve applied to more than one school. Be patient; the admissions department will make a decision when they have all of the information they need.

Your application needs more information to better understand your academic or personal achievements. If you have an application that is strong academically but lacking in other factors such as extracurricular activities, volunteer experience, or personal essays, your application could be deferred while the admissions department takes a closer look. Be sure to add whatever additional information you can to the file; this could help the admissions department make a more informed decision in your favor.

How to respond to a deferment

Receiving a deferment decision can be frustrating, but there are strategies that you can use to respond effectively.

Contact the admissions department at the school. In many cases, the admissions department will provide information through their website or communications. If you have additional questions or concerns, reach out to them.

If there are specific steps you need to take to move your application forward, an admissions officer can help guide you.

Review your application materials. Take a look back at your application and determine if there are areas that could use additional information. Consider adding an updated transcript with recent grades or additional letters of recommendation.

Stay in contact with the admissions office, and update them regularly on any new information that you think could help your application be moved from a deferred decision to an accepted one.

Show demonstrated interest. Colleges and universities like to see applicants who demonstrate an ongoing interest in their institution.

If you’ve been deferred, try and stay in contact with the school, attend a campus tour or event they are hosting, or schedule a meeting with an admissions counselor. If possible, schedule an interview, and use it as an opportunity to show off your personality and enthusiasm for the institution.

Consider your options

Ultimately, there will be some cases where a deferred decision may not lead to an acceptance. If you’re feeling frustrated or anxious about your application, consider the following options:.

Look at other colleges or universities. While it can be disappointing to not receive an acceptance at your first-choice college, there are still a wide range of colleges and universities that will appreciate your application, and could be a great fit for you. Consider broadening the scope of your search, and you might find that there are more schools that appeal to your interests and academic goals than you initially thought.

Consider a gap year. If you’re still not satisfied with your application, consider taking a gap year to focus on your strengths, interests, and personal growth.

There are a lot of opportunities that might become available that could further enhance your application for the next college application cycle.

In Conclusion

Dealing with a deferment decision can be a challenging experience. However, there are reasons why you may have received that decision, and steps you can take to influence the admissions office. Try to stay positive and proactive throughout the process.

Be respectful and responsive to the admissions staff, and consider the alternatives. Ultimately, no matter what the decision, you will come out a stronger applicant and a more experienced individual.