The Better Scenario - Deferred or Waitlisted?

Okay, everyone, I'm mildly panicking here. Should we hope to get deferred or waitlisted if not accepted outright? Which gives a better chance at eventual admittance?

While being deferred or waitlisted can both be disappointing outcomes, they reflect different stages in the college admissions process and therefore carry different implications for an applicant's chances of eventual acceptance.

A deferral is a decision made during the early application round (either Early Decision or Early Action) where the college defers the decision to the regular application round. It indicates that the admissions committee sees potential in the application but wants to evaluate it in a larger pool of applicants. In contrast, a waitlist decision is made during the regular application round and indicates that while the candidate is qualified, the college can't offer a place to them immediately, but they might later if spots open up.

If we're talking about chances of eventual admittance, it varies from school to school and year to year. As a general point, many schools have a lower acceptance rate from the waitlist compared to the regular pool due to yield protection and a limited number of seats. While being deferred feels disappointing, it does mean that your application is still active and will be reviewed again in the regular admissions round.

However, it is important to note that following up positively on either situation is equally important. If you are deferred, sharing your continued interest along with any significant updates in your academic or extracurricular endeavors might strengthen your case. If waitlisted, besides confirmation of interest, you won't generally send additional information. It's also important to remember to have other plans in place because these processes are unpredictable and depend on numerous factors.

Best of luck, and remember, every college journey is unique.