Anyone else getting lots of deferrals?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS has weird stats: solid test scores (1540 SAT), crappy GPA (3.0), middling extracurriculars (1 state level science honor, 2 sports, a few clubs, 3 leadership positions)

He is applying up and down the rankings because his stats don't match up anywhere.

He was deferred from Reed College on ED1. That was always going to be a "no" because they are test blind and his GPA sucks, but he insisted so I let him.

He has been accepted with some merit aid at New College of Florida, Knox College, Kalamazoo College, Augustana College, and Monmouth College.

We are waiting on Colorado College (ED2), Macalester College, Oberlin College, Bard College, Rhodes College, Whitman College, Unviersity of Puget Sound, and Lewis and Clark College.

Thanks for sharing! Once all his results are in, I'm sure other people with low GPA/high test score kids would be interested in seeing his options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. Four acceptances, including to two top engineering schools. The two others were safeties
2. One deferral
3. One rejection
4. One odd deferral (it said no for freshman year but guaranteed admission sophomore year if maintain a B average in first year at another school). Had never heard of this before.

I know someone who also had the scenario of #4. It was called a "guaranteed transfer"

Sounds like UNC.

Schools often offer them to legacy kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5 deferrals
0 rejections
0 acceptances

Deferrals from two safeties, two matches, one reach. Not feeling great but pretty hopeful that at least one of the deferrals will be an acceptance. Has another 8 apps out in RD round, two are safeties--which I would hate for her to go to. My 2021 kid had 6 deferrals and no acceptances at this point as well, and 4 of the 6 were acceptances in RD, the other two were waitlists. I think it will be fine, but also think my kid is one of very few with no safety acceptances at least at this point.

That's stressful! Why do you think safeties deferred? Did your kids customize their essays to each college? I know people say it doesn't matter, but I think it does. An admissions officer will have a much harder time deferring a high-stats kid (relative to the college's stats) if the essay mentions the college by name and says something thoughtful and positive about it.

Maybe they aren’t really safeties. If this happened to both your kids, maybe your definition of safety is not as safe as necessary?

[Anonymous]

Odd question.
If someone tries for more highly rejective schools, then they are likely to have more deferrals and rejections…

[Anonymous]

Last year mine got deferrals from all 3 Ivies he applied to, full ride from state flagship honors program with CS major, full pay from top LAC, half tuition scholarship from a non-ivy top 10. In hindsight, its great he didn't get into Ivies as full pay sticker price would've seriously weakened our finances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The big state schools deferred the vast majority of out of state applicants this year

"Top 75" OOS large state schools have been DS ONLY acceptances. Also has 3 deferrals.

[Anonymous]

5 rejections - all reaches that they applied to mostly “to see if they’d get in”
5 acceptances - 3 safety, 2 target
1 deferral
Waiting on 2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like we are on a deferral run here and just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat. The past 5 notifications have all been deferrals (including one from Ga Tech which we are grateful for bc it wasn't a denial) SO hard watching kid open the notification and... another deferral.. more waiting.. more letters... just want it over!

Totally understand what you mean about "just wanting it over!" It's a bit painful - especially after all of the time and effort involved. And every deferral or rejection hurts. Deferrals especially stink because of the "limbo" aspect. It will be over soon -- and good news is probably just a few weeks away (or maybe you already have some good news from safeties). In the meantime, hope your kid feels better about the whole thing! Worth a read: https://raisingamericans.substack.com/p/deferred-or-rejected-by-a-dream-school

[Anonymous]

Yes, high stats and Deferred by both targets(yield protection) and reaches

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5 deferrals
0 rejections
0 acceptances

Deferrals from two safeties, two matches, one reach. Not feeling great but pretty hopeful that at least one of the deferrals will be an acceptance. Has another 8 apps out in RD round, two are safeties--which I would hate for her to go to. My 2021 kid had 6 deferrals and no acceptances at this point as well, and 4 of the 6 were acceptances in RD, the other two were waitlists. I think it will be fine, but also think my kid is one of very few with no safety acceptances at least at this point.

That's stressful! Why do you think safeties deferred? Did your kids customize their essays to each college? I know people say it doesn't matter, but I think it does. An admissions officer will have a much harder time deferring a high-stats kid (relative to the college's stats) if the essay mentions the college by name and says something thoughtful and positive about it.

The Common App specifically bars you from doing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5 deferrals
0 rejections
0 acceptances

Deferrals from two safeties, two matches, one reach. Not feeling great but pretty hopeful that at least one of the deferrals will be an acceptance. Has another 8 apps out in RD round, two are safeties--which I would hate for her to go to. My 2021 kid had 6 deferrals and no acceptances at this point as well, and 4 of the 6 were acceptances in RD, the other two were waitlists. I think it will be fine, but also think my kid is one of very few with no safety acceptances at least at this point.

That's stressful! Why do you think safeties deferred? Did your kids customize their essays to each college? I know people say it doesn't matter, but I think it does. An admissions officer will have a much harder time deferring a high-stats kid (relative to the college's stats) if the essay mentions the college by name and says something thoughtful and positive about it.

The Common App specifically bars you from doing this.

Not at all. DS customized his personal statement on the Common App.. You save your master copy somewhere else and tweak each statement before hitting submit for each college.

[Anonymous]

I suspect fallout from the pandemic is till at play. lots of students who were accepted last year but deferred to this year. way too many applicants for even the prepandemic acceptance/applications precentages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, high stats and Deferred by both targets(yield protection) and reaches

If a school is a target, I would think your kid's stats are no higher than the 75th percentile for the school. So why would yield protection come into play?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, high stats and Deferred by both targets(yield protection) and reaches

If a school is a target, I would think your kid's stats are no higher than the 75th percentile for the school. So why would yield protection come into play?

I think a lot of people forget that OOS stats generally need to be higher or you need to bring something unusual.

[Anonymous]

Dd got 2 deferrals; was not expecting one from a southern school.