Making Sense of Your Early Applications to College: Accepted, Not Accepted, Deferred? 

Early Decision 1 and Early Action notifications will arrive soon—and will be ongoing through the month of December/January, so it’s best to prepare yourself for possible outcomes.

Keep in mind that there are many factors that go into how colleges make decisions about individual applicants, many of which are far beyond the applicant’s control. However, although it is impossible to predict the future, applicants can review possible outcomes to understand what may lie ahead. Then, when the news arrives in your inbox, you will be ready to make your strongest next step.

Many students create an application strategy that includes one, two, or even three waves of applications. A fall plan can be implemented early and confidently. Shifting your college list and overall plan may be necessary as you learn more from individual colleges throughout the fall and winter.

Come December, Early Decision 1 applicants may find an acceptance in hand, and will be ready to go! So, celebrate, and please remember to immediately withdraw all pending early action applications.  

For all other college applicants, this is the time to revisit and/or continue to build your strategy, weigh your options, and stay in the game until May 1 (National Decision Day). Below are three possible outcomes that may be revealed in your application portal in December. 

What acceptance means

Accepted! Congrats! You have a spot in the incoming freshman class. If you applied Early Decision (ED 1), you are done, because you have committed to attending your number one choice next fall. Check dates and deadlines related to enrollment and keep your grades up. Your college expects you to continue on the same successful path that you have demonstrated so far.

If you applied through Early Action (EA), then you have been accepted although you have not made a commitment to the college. Early action outcomes begin to arrive in December and continue through early to mid-February. Check the colleges on your list for their release dates. Remember that you have until May 1, National College Decision Day, to make your decision, so continue with the next wave of your college application plan.

Your application was rejected. Now what?

If you are rejected or redirected from your Early Decision I college, be proud for having taken a risk and going for what you wanted. Give yourself a day or two to adjust, then pivot to Plan B. Learning to pivot is an exercise that everyone practices at one time or another. The application pool was likely just too large or too competitive. Remember that there are many factors that contribute to a college’s decision to accept, deny, or defer. Your best position now is to move forward and make sure that your applications represent your strongest self and are ready for the next round of applications. This may include an Early Decision II application – and/or regular decision applications.

If you were relying on an early choice school that denied you, you’ll be grateful for having a robust second wave of applications ready to go. If, however, you feel that the decision was based on misinformation or that there were extenuating circumstances that weren’t conveyed in your application package, take note of this: some schools have an appeal process. This is something to consider, not because you’re disappointed in the decision but because you have specific evidence that your application was missing critical information about you.

What if my application was deferred? 

Think of being deferred as a second chance, an opportunity to submit updated accomplishments and additional information, such as senior grades.  (Again, keep those senior grades strong!)  Some schools, such as Georgetown, will either accept or defer (and not reject) in the early round. If you’re deferred, it isn’t over yet!

The rates of acceptance in the regular round vary from college to college as each manages enrollment in their unique way. The University of Georgia defers and accepts many students; the University of Michigan accepts approximately 15 % but the typical admit rate of deferrals overall is 5% to 10%. Some colleges admit even less than 5 % of deferrals. Again, remember that the enrollment goals and practices of various colleges differ. There isn’t one hard and fast rule here.

So, if you’re still interested in the school that deferred you, you can share updated accomplishments or provide insight into your ongoing commitment to the school. Some schools specifically will ask you to share new information by providing a place in your student portal to upload a document, and others will suggest that you write a statement or send a letter (LOCI, Letter of Continued Interest).  Keep a close eye on your deferral notification from the school and read the instructions. Remember that you submitted your application in late October, so you may have updates to report. Be thoughtful about what you have been doing with your time to see if there is anything that might offer new depth to your application.

How does Early Decision II work?

A number of schools offer both ED I and ED II. If you applied ED I and were deferred to the regular round, you can apply to another college through Early Decision II. ED II applications are a second round of committed applications – typically due January 1.

Some schools offer an Early Action (EA) plan and an Early Decision II (round 2) plan.  If you were not admitted to your Early Decision I college in the fall and want to convert one of your submitted EA applications to a committed ED II, check your college portal.  You may find a drop-down menu, so you can select the conversion from EA to ED II and follow the instructions. .

In Summary

The notifications you receive from your early deadline schools provide interesting data points that are useful to consider when making decisions about your next steps. If your ED I choice doesn’t work out, the next step for you is to revisit your options and create a Plan B. Ultimately, you are applying to a number of schools to which you will eventually say: “No, thank you.” At that point, you will choose one, but you’ll want to be sure that you have options – several colleges that are a good fit for you — so that, when May 1 comes around, you’ll be ready to celebrate your college choice!

If you are looking to develop a Plan B or looking to craft a college admissions plan for next year, PrepMatters has a full team of educational counselors to help your student find the right college. Schedule an appointment with our team to start the conversation.