College Admission Decisions: Waitlist, Deferred, or Denied Admission?

There are four possible answers a college or university can offer: accepted, deferred, waitlisted, and denied. The goal of this post is to share actionable steps to ensure students have investigated their choices most completely and that no stone has been left unturned.

what does Accepted mean for College?

When a university accepts a candidate, this is tremendous news! The follow up steps include investigating the school to see if it is the right place to attend by looking into student services, reviewing coursework options, taking a look at internship opportunities, investigating career services, and how the school can help as candidates embark on the next steps of their academic and professional lives.

what does Denied mean for college?

When a university denies a candidate, that means they have made their complete decision. There is an appeals process if a student feels that their application fell within range of the accepted class statistics, however, the likelihood of acceptance is extremely low. This is where it will be difficult moment for some or what was expected by others. The way a candidate processes rejections is to look at what did they want, did I offer them all of the information presented, and is this a place I really want to attend?

If the last question remains on the table, what steps would you decide to take to be a better candidate? Does that include enrolling at another university to improve one’s GPA, participating in internships, research, clubs, and activities to boost the overall academic record and then consider a transfer application. If that particular school is not as important or is a highly rejective school, then it is worth taking a step back to consider who else has accepted you and to let this one go. This is a little like a break up, and for some, it is the first rejection they have ever faced, with that said there will be many wonderful yes’s but be reflective on the value of the no’s.

what does deferred mean for college?

When a university defers a candidate, that means that they want another look in their regular decision pool. Students do not have an offer from the university and the schools are taking more time with the application before making a final decision. In that time period between deferral and the school’s next decision it is wise to update the university on any accomplishments. That can include providing any accolades about great papers or research conducted, additional letters of recommendation (if accepted), and additional grade reports that could support the application. This decision means hold on, we need more time and let’s see who else applies, perhaps the student was the candidate they wanted after all and having a strong senior year can support that yes later.

what does waitlisted mean for college?

When a university waitlists a candidate, that means they have made their decision in this round. Students can receive this decision after early action, early decision, and regular decision deadlines. What this means is that the applicant was a terrific candidate, however their GPA, coursework, test scores, major selection, or some other factor that placed them just below their average admitted class. In this case, provide the school with similar update information as for deferred schools, that way they can share what has evolved in your academic career and if there are any other additions to the application.

The Other Category

Of course there is one more category of decision options that include enrolling in spring semester, studying abroad first semester, and even deferring for an entire year. Students who are offered these opportunities must carefully weigh their other acceptances and decide if they want to start later, travel with a smaller cohort of students to another campus location, or consider another year where work is the primary focus, volunteering, or joining an organization that will help candidates train in a particular skill.

No matter what decisions come a student’s way it is wise to keep track of when applications went in, what deadline was met, what was provided to each university, any additional information that was supplied, and any additional correspondence, that way candidates can look at all of the steps that have been taken to be successful in their process. There are many colleges and universities that would offer acceptance, just remember to apply with a balanced list, determine the best fit, how much does it cost, and what community will help you flourish.

To learn more about waitlist, deferred or denied admission, email hello@collegeflightpath.com or book a free 15-minute call.