Deferred Vs. Waitlisted

Applications are filled out, essays and resume’s are written and all necessary high school documents have been sent! You did it, the application process is complete! Congratulations! Now you sit and wait for one of two decisions; accept or deny, right? Wrong! In addition to accept and deny, there are two additional decisions that a college may make. These decisions are defer and waitlist. They are not bad decisions, but what do they truly mean?

Definitions:

Deferred occurs to early action candidates at Siena and at other schools may occur to early decision or rolling admission applicants. It simply means more information is needed in order to make the best educated decision. Information may include new SAT/ACT scores, mid-term grades to track your senior year progress, additional letters of recommendation, etc. Deferred students are re-reviewed on March 1 at Siena, once all additional materials have been received. It would be wise to check with each school individually to see what their re-review process entails.

Waitlist occurs when a school has the necessary information to make a decision and unfortunately they do not have the space to immediately accept you. If space opens up and the admissions office is able to take more acceptances, you may then have the opportunity to “come off” the waitlist. At Siena, deferred students and regular admissions candidates can be waitlisted. It is best to check with each school you apply to and learn about their waitlist policy.

Even though these two decisions are not the decision you are initially looking for, there are some actions you can take that may bring you closer to that acceptance. What are they?

Deferred students should:

• Be in contact with the schools admissions office through email or phone and determine what each school specifically needs.
• Send senior year grades to each school (1/4’s, mid-term grades, etc.)
• Update schools with new testing scores (SAT or ACT).
• Show interest through visiting. This could include tours, interviews or group information sessions.

Waitlisted students should:

• Call the admissions office at the school you are waitlisted at and ask about their past waitlist experience. Did they go to the waitlist and if so when? How many students did they accept?
• Continue to send your senior year progress, including your final transcript.
• Keep an open mind to the schools you are accepted at and consider confirming if May 1 is approaching.

The application process is exciting, yet there are some cases when the outcome you hoped for comes out differently. It’s important to remember there is a school that fits everyone! By reading our previous blogs and using the recommended tips, you are sure to find the school that fits you! Have fun and relax, you will find your new home for September!