1. Reassess the College List

If your teen was deferred or rejected, one of the most immediate questions to ask is this: Were we realistic in our list of schools?

Many families shoot for the stars when it comes to their child’s college list—and that’s okay! Ambition is a great thing. But the truth is, the admissions process is extremely competitive. Top-tier schools are rejecting more students every year, including those who are incredibly qualified.

If your list leaned heavily on reach schools, now is the time to regroup and ensure there’s a better balance. A strong list includes reach schools, target schools, and safety schools.

Here are a few key questions to consider:

• Did...

First, let’s define what it means to be “deferred.” With an admissions deferral, the college has decided to postpone your child’s admission decision to a later date and will reconsider or review the application with the Regular Decision applicant pool. In the meantime, you and your child need to reassess their college list in preparation for the “worst”: a rejection. As hard and evil as that sounds, it is often for the better. When a student gets rejected, it’s like a band-aid getting swiftly ripped off. It’s painful at first, but then it’s over. When a student gets deferred, the band-aid gradually gets peeled back and every single scab and pinch...

With most early admission programs, you can expect three possible decision outcomes: admitted, deferred or denied. In this post, we will focus on what to do if you find yourself in the second group.

First, let’s define what it means to be “deferred.” With an admissions deferral, the college has decided to postpone your admission decision to a later date and will reconsider or review your application with the Regular Decision applicant pool. Because one of the benefits of applying early is knowing whether you have been accepted to your top school or not, it is understandably frustrating when you are neither accepted or denied. However, that is also the bright side - you receive a...