What does defer application mean in the college process?

Hey guys, I've seen the term 'defer application' being thrown around and I was wondering what it means. Is it something related to college admissions? Thanks in advance!

Hello! In the context of college admissions, "defer application" has two main meanings, depending on the situation:

1. Early Decision/Early Action:

When you apply early, typically via Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA), colleges may defer your application if they feel they need more information to make a decision. Rather than accept or deny your application outright, they'll move it to the Regular Decision pool, giving themselves additional time to evaluate your application along with later submissions. In this case, "defer" means your application hasn't been rejected, but the decision on it will be postponed until the Regular Decision notification timeline.

2. Gap year or other personal reasons:

Sometimes, students may request a deferral of their application or admission for reasons such as a gap year, health issues, or family circumstances. In this case, students are effectively telling the college that they're unable to enroll in the next academic year and would like to postpone their enrollment to a later semester or year. If the college approves the deferral, they essentially reserve your spot for a future entry term.

So, in both scenarios, "defer application" means postponing a decision or enrollment to a later point in time, but the context in which this term is used can differ.