What does defer application mean in the context of college admissions?

Hey everyone, I've seen the term 'defer application' floating around here and there when talking about college decisions. Can someone clarify what it means, and how it affects my college application process?

Hi! In the context of college admissions, "defer application" typically refers to one of two situations:

1. Deferred Decision: If you applied to a college through an Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA) round and received a decision of "deferred," this means that the college has not made a final decision on your application yet. Instead, the college is moving your application from the early round to the Regular Decision (RD) pool. You'll receive a final decision along with the RD applicants. A deferral does not mean your application was denied, but rather that the admissions committee would like more time to consider your application in comparison to the larger RD applicant pool before making a final decision.

2. Deferred Enrollment: If you've already been accepted to a college but want to delay your start date by a semester or a year, you can request a deferral of your enrollment. This is commonly known as a "gap year" or "gap semester." In this case, you would need to inform the college of your intention to defer enrollment and present the reasons why you'd like to do so. Each college has its own policy on deferred enrollment and may or may not grant your request, so be sure to check the specific guidelines of the schools you're interested in. If your deferral is approved, you will usually need to pay a deposit to secure your place for the following year.

In both situations, a deferral affects your college application process to some extent. For a deferred decision, you'll have to wait longer to find out the outcome of your application, while for deferred enrollment, you'll have extra time before starting college to pursue other experiences or opportunities. Just make sure to understand the specific deferral policies and deadlines for each college you apply to. Good luck!