What does deferring an application mean?

Hey guys, I'm a junior and I've heard the term 'defer application' being thrown around a lot when talking about college applications and admissions. Can someone help explain what it means?

Deferring an application means that a college or university has decided not to make a decision on your application during the Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA) review period. Instead, they "defer" your application to be considered during the Regular Decision (RD) admissions process.

To clarify further, when you apply to a college or university through Early Decision or Early Action, there are typically three possible outcomes: acceptance, rejection, or deferral. If you are accepted, you have been given an offer of admission. If you are rejected, your application has been denied. But if your application is deferred, it means the college hasn't made a decision on your application yet and wants to review it in the context of the larger applicant pool in the Regular Decision round.

Being deferred doesn't necessarily mean your chances of acceptance are lower than other applicants in the regular decision round. In some cases, deferred students may have a better chance of being accepted in the RD round since the college saw potential in their application but wanted additional information or more context before making a final decision.

To maximize your chances after being deferred, you might want to update the college with any new achievements, such as updated grades, awards, or extracurricular accomplishments that have occurred since submitting your original application. These updates can help demonstrate your continued dedication and academic abilities.