What Does It Mean to Be Waitlisted or Deferred in College?

Around 20% of waitlisted college applicants get accepted and anywhere between 5% to 10% of deferred applicants receive admission during a decision cycle. A lot of college applicants become discouraged if they are waitlisted or deferred because they assume they won't have the chance to get into the school(s) they were applying to. This actually isn't true although it is understandable to feel a sense of worry.

Being waitlisted doesn't ruin your chances of acceptance. It simply means that there is a reason why your application might be on hold. A deferment also doesn't throw you immediately out of the running either, as this could just mean that more time's needed on your application.

Both situations could mean a variety of things. Regardless of the reason, if you're applying to colleges, it can be daunting not knowing what your application status means or your odds of seeing an acceptance.

Keep reading to find out the difference between these two terms and how to approach these situations if they arise.

What Does It Mean When You're Waitlisted?

Waitlisted means that you are eligible to be admitted into the school you are applying for but that you can't receive immediate admission. Most of the time this is due to the university not having enough space to accept all qualified applicants. The good news is that 20% of waitlisted applicants are still accepted into their program.

However, this does vary based on the institution. For example, for Ivy League schools, only 10% of waitlisted applicants get accepted. While this might sound discouraging, try not to be because getting waitlisted is usually just a reflection of unavailable space at that moment.

It's not a reflection on the strength of your application, your grades, or how good of a student you are. In a lot of cases, waitlisted students get a place when/if spaces become available. 

How to Approach This Situation

There are a few different ways that prospective students can approach being waitlisted. The first step is accepting the waitlisted offer. This shows that you are still interested in becoming a part of the university even though they have put you on the waitlist.

The next step would be to continue to express your interest in the program you are applying for. The best way to do this is through a letter of interest. However, simply accepting the waitlisted offer is another way to do this as well.

Also, it would be smart on your part to start evaluating the other options that you have. Try not to put all of your attention on universities that have waitlisted you. Instead, go back to the drawing board and apply to other colleges as a buffer.

Additionally, another thing that you could do is still put down a deposit for potential enrollment if allowed. You can also send letters of recommendation if you have them.

Go Further Than What's Asked For

If the college allows it, which most do, consider submitting additional letters of recommendation that provide new insights into your character, achievements, and potential contributions to the campus.

These should be separate from those you provided in your original application. These letters should come from individuals who can attest to your recent accomplishments and growth while making you stand out.

These are two things that are going to give your application that wow factor. Another idea is to retake the SAT or ACT and focus on getting higher scores.

Overall, the odds are not bad for you to still get accepted into your program after being waitlisted. However, whether you are accepted or not is not necessarily in your control. What you can do though, is show your continued interest in the best ways that are feasible to you.

Is There a Way to Get Off the Waitlist?

When you are on the waitlist for a college, your application is in their hands. However, there are ways that you can influence your chances of getting off the waitlist.

For example, one of the next steps after getting waitlisted should be to write a letter of continued interest. Not only will this keep your application in the eyes of the admissions board, but it will show how eager you are for an acceptance. Not because you want to be, but because you make a great asset to their school. 

Writing this type of letter when you're waitlisted is a good way to show your continued interest in the program you are applying for which is how this letter got its name. This can boost your chances with the admissions committee if you do it right.

Writing an effective letter of continued interest should persuade the committee. The point of persuasion is to show why you are a suitable candidate for their program(s).

What you don't want to do when writing this letter is show how frustrated you are from getting a waitlisted notification within the content. Instead, focus on what you can say to sway the committee to your side. Do your best not to show your frustrations in your writing.

Show What You Bring to the Table

You should take this opportunity to show what you bring to the university. Show them why you want to be a part of your program and explain your future aspirations that this program will help you to achieve after graduation. Think short-term but also show that you are thinking long-term.

Explain why that university is one of your top choices and why you think their program will help you reach your goals post-graduation and during your studies. Doing this will help to improve your chances of getting off the waitlist.

Keep in mind that getting a waitlisted notification does not mean that you are a shoo-in for admission even if there is space. Between waitlisted applicants and deferred applicants, deferred applicants will often get considered first. Between the remaining waitlisted applicants, it will be between who has the strongest application.

For example, if there are 12 waitlisted applicants and there are only two or three that have written a continued interest letter, those two or three applications may receive the most attention. They are also likely to have the highest opportunity of getting off the waitlist.

Keep a Few Things in Mind

Additionally, keep in mind that what you do to express your interest in the programs that the university offers won't always get you in the door. Admissions committees make their decisions based on multiple things, and one of them is focused on the majors that they specifically want to have represented.

This means that you could have limited chances of getting into the university if that institution already has an idea of what programs they want to have the most applicants for.

Basically, universities usually know what they want high representation for. With this information, what you should do is decide if you still want to attend this university and always have multiple backup plans in place.

If you are not chosen after being waitlisted, this won't necessarily be your fault. Decisions will be based on what the university wants and what they need out of future applicants.

Think About an Example

If you are applying for a space in a performing arts or psychology program, but the university's known for its marine biology programs and there's limited space, you may have a limited chance of getting in. The reason it's important to consider these things is that a variety of factors are taken into consideration for new applicants.

Whether you write an interest letter or not, these tactics won't always give you a high chance of making it through the door. This is where 'strategic applying' comes in. To apply to colleges more strategically, consider what majors and minors you want to take on. Then, specifically target universities that are known for those types of programs.

Doing this will strengthen your chances of getting recognized and chosen by an admissions committee because you are applying for programs that they are specifically wanting high numbers of applicants for. You can do a few other things to help get yourself off of the waitlist as well.

A few good ideas would be to keep your grades up and sign up for campus visits whenever you get the opportunity. This shows that you are serious about your academic success as well as seeing the things that are changing on the university's grounds and being a part of where you're trying to be accepted.

What It Means When Your Application Is in 'Deferred' Status

It is not uncommon to feel like you've been rejected if you are notified that your application has been deferred. A deferral is not the same thing as a denial.

What a deferral means is that the university simply wants to review your application again. Oftentimes this means they want to review your application alongside the initial pool of applicants that they have.

This is a tactic that universities use to decide on the strongest applicants to accept into their programs. This happens a lot with applications that were sent early. So, instead of universities rejecting students who have very strong profiles and applications, their application is deferred as an alternative.

This means that it will be under review again. This is also why deferred applicants receive acceptance before a waitlisted applicant would.

The way a deferred application works is by moving that application to the regular round of applicants. At that point, your application will be reviewed again alongside that applicant pool instead of immediately accepting your application the first time it was sent.

This is a method of comparison that is popular, especially among Ivy League schools. This is why it's essential to submit a diversified application package.

Don't Feel Discouraged if You Receive a Deferment

You should not get discouraged when you receive a deferment because you will oftentimes have a higher chance of outshining regular applicants. Regular application decision pools aren't usually going to be as strong as early applicant pools. This means that your application will be compared alongside people who are sending their applications in during the regular submission time frame.

This will give you a strong competitive edge and make your application stand out in comparison to others. If your application is deferred, the best thing to do is realize that it's another opportunity to impress the admissions committee.

It also does not mean that you were ever denied. It's simply a way to weed out the best applicants compared to larger submission groups.

What to Do in the Case of a Deferment

The next step after being deferred is to not dedicate all of your time to focusing on it. If it's appropriate, you can submit any additional information that is requested. You can also submit a continued interest letter in this case.

Overall, start by following any instructions mentioned in the deferral letter and reach out to the admissions office. If you make any accomplishments between the time that your application was sent in and when it was deferred, send in those updates.

Updates such as higher grades, and significant accomplishments on a sports team or an academic team will go a long way. If you happen to get a higher score on your SAT or ACT, you should also send those updates to the admissions office of that school.

Whether you are participating in activities within your school, in your community, or elsewhere, admissions committees want to hear about these things. Keep in mind, your application is already going to be stronger when it's compared to regular applicants. Any updates that you send with academics and extracurriculars will only strengthen your application.

Realize that a deferral is just a second chance at admission. If you are receiving a second chance, try to supplement it with anything impressive that you can provide the admissions committee with.

Supplement Your Application to Strengthen It

At this point, your application will be going through the admissions process again, but alongside regular application pools, as mentioned earlier. In this case, what you should do is continue applying to other colleges and looking into other programs.

Put the same amount of energy into other applications that you have put in for those where you were deferred. After following all instructions provided with your deferment, move along.

During this period, you may get accepted to another program. While you can wait to see if you are accepted by a university that deferred your application, you may still gain fallback opportunities.

The main thing to do is to secure a safety net if needed. Any time you are waitlisted or deferred, continue to apply and strengthen your other applications to increase your chances of getting into a program, whether they are your top choice or not.

Deferment vs. Waitlist

Consider the difference between deferred vs. waitlisted. It's often a common misunderstanding that a deferment and a waitlist notification are the same thing.

However, a college referral and a weightless letter are two completely different things. When you receive a deferment, this means that the university is still actively considering your application, but they don't want to make a decision too quickly.

It also means that your application is going to get reviewed alongside other applications, but just at a later date. After that date, you will receive an acceptance and a waitlist notification, or your application will get declined.

Take note that a waitlist letter can come after a deferral, but a deferral will not likely come after a waitlist letter.

A lot of students ask whether a waitlisted notification or a deferment is better. Compared to getting a complete acceptance, neither option is something that an applicant would want. However, a waitlist letter is technically worse than receiving a deferral. 

The Real Meaning

Being waitlisted could mean your admission is based on a variety of things. Most of the time it means that a university is not going to admit you unless other applicants decide to forfeit their admission.

You may also be wondering how this is true when being waitlisted has a lot to do with available space. They actually play hand in hand. This is because the space that a university has is dependent on whether students have already received admission and if they decide to accept or decline it.

So, in a way, when you receive a letter that you are waitlisted, you are waiting for other admitted students to decline their admission. Whether you are waitlisted or deferred, you should still actively apply to other institutions. 

This is because you are not guaranteed acceptance regardless of the notification that you receive. While there is still a good percentage of students who get accepted based on the aftermath of being waitlisted or deferred, this is not something you should rely on.

This is especially true if you are a student who has only applied to one or two schools. Instead, keep your options open and follow all directions that are sent to you based on your deferment letter or if you were waitlisted.

Can You Get Waitlisted After a Deferment?

The short answer is yes, you can get waitlisted after you're deferred. A lot of students aren't sure how this would look. Basically, if your application's submitted in the early action round of applications and it's a strong submission, it can be deferred.

It's also important to know that if your application gets deferred, you will not be getting an early admission decision. During a deferment, your application is going to get reviewed a second time. However, during the regular decision round, even if you get a notice of deferment, your application can still get waitlisted.

This can be discouraging for any student. If this does happen this way, continue to pursue other options in the meantime.

Can You Get Deferred After Getting Waitlisted?

When you're waitlisted, you are on a 'reserved spot' list. The short answer to this question is no, you cannot get deferred after you're waitlisted. It usually happens the other way around.

Being waitlisted means that you could still receive admission. The problem is that there is often no room at the university if you do get this type of notification. Being deferred will usually occur in earlier stages.

Ways to Strengthen Your Application

As mentioned, the best way to strengthen your college application is to showcase your accomplishments. For example, if you have taken on new projects, won an award after applying to a college, or participated in some sort of community service, these are all things you should be mentioning because they will hold a lot of weight. The point is to demonstrate your academic engagement and interest in and out of school to the committee.

This makes you seem more well-rounded. It also represents your level of seriousness in wanting admission. Don't forget that what you say and do is just the start of your application as well. You can do a lot more by securing strong recommendations to accompany your application.

If you have a part-time job, get a recommendation from your boss. Receiving a recommendation from your principal, vice principal, coaches, and teachers is also a great option, if not better. Consider any public figures you've worked with in your community as well.

Overall, make sure the recommendations you submit are different from the initial recommendations you used. These are the things that universities want to see. If you have someone vouching for you, you increase your chances of getting attention from an admissions department.

With these steps, don't forget to attend information sessions at the college. Also, immerse yourself in their culture when appropriate to do so. This shows continued interest and actual effort.

Elevating Your Professional Accomplishments

Being waitlisted can be discouraging, but keep in mind that it's not a rejection. A deferment shouldn't be taken as a rejection either.

Regardless of receiving either notification, there are things you can do to strengthen your application for the admissions committee. If you know what to showcase and how to make yourself more valuable, you could increase your chances of getting an acceptance.

Submit your Honor Society application today to start opening more doors for your future.