Key Takeaways:
- An Early Decision denial or deferral can be disappointing, but it does not define your potential or rule out excellent college options.
- If deferred, follow the college’s instructions for submitting updated grades, achievements, or a letter of continued interest.
- If denied, focus on your remaining applications and revisit your list to ensure a balance of reach, target, and likely admission options.
- Consider Early Decision II only if another college is a clear first choice and you are ready to make a binding commitment.
The Early Decision (ED) round brings a wave of anticipation. With enormous consideration, you applied Early Decision to your first-choice college. You weighed your options, knew that applying early could provide additional leverage to your candidacy, and if admitted, you’ve signed a binding agreement to attend. Unfortunately, it didn’t work in your favor.
If your student received a denial or deferral from a top-choice school, it’s completely natural to feel discouraged. Before jumping into any strategy, it’s important to pause and take time to feel the emotional impact. This may feel personal to the student – a rejection from their top-choice school.
To help the student move on, it’s important to create a supportive environment, and understand the decision, before updating your strategy.
Creating a supportive environment…
Parents’ role. Parents play a critical role in how students interpret and respond to setbacks. Listen carefully, avoid comparison to peers, focus on next steps – not past decisions, and keep long term goals in perspective.
Understanding the decision…
If you were deferred: Your application is moved to the regular pool and you most likely have the opportunity to send updates and a letter of continued interest. If this school remains at the top of your list, you can submit additional grades, test scores, accomplishments, and most importantly, a letter of continued interest – where you will confirm that if admitted at a later date, you are committed to enrolling. Direct your priorities to these requirements.
If you were denied: This school is no longer an option in this admission cycle. A highly disappointing outcome – and one you did not expect. The most important thing you can do is mentally process this decision and take the next steps to move on to the other colleges on your list. The two most common questions asked at this time are:
- Why was I not admitted? You have no way of answering this question. A ‘no’ from any school is not a statement about you or your potential. Schools have institutional priorities and class composition goals. Highly qualified students are turned away each year due to institutional constraints.
- Can I apply in the regular decision round? The college has provided you with a final outcome for your application and it’s now time to focus on your other schools.
Put together a strategic plan to move forward…
Revisit your college list. Many students build a college list that leans too heavily on highly selective schools, prioritizing prestige over fit. A good list will offer you a balance of reach, target and safety schools. Now is a good time to assess your list. Build a list that contains reach schools (where you have less than a 20% chance of admission), target schools (where your chance of admission falls between 20 and 50%), and safety schools (greater than a 50% chance of admission). These percentages are only general guidelines.
Consider Early Decision II. Is there a leading school on this broader list? Might that school offer the opportunity to apply during the second round of early decision? Are you willing to commit to attending this next school? If the answer is yes to all three, submitting an application for Early Decision II could be a wonderful opportunity. Doing so would help you demonstrate your interest in attending, much as you did in the initial Early Decision round.
Seek assistance from an admissions consultant. This may be a good time to receive professional assistance to review your application and college options. A consultant can review your academic and co-curricular profile and assist with the creation of a college list where you fit best. They can also review and provide advice on your essays and your answers to supplemental questions. An application review by a seasoned admissions professional may be the edge you need.
Your next step is to build a thoughtful plan for the opportunities still ahead, giving each remaining application the time and attention it deserves.
Ultimately, your goal is to be admitted to your school(s) of choice. You can achieve this by presenting the best version of yourself throughout the application process. Solomon Admissions Consulting would love to help! Contact us to learn how!
FAQs:
If I was deferred, do I still have a chance?
Yes. A deferral means your application will be reconsidered in the Regular Decision round. You can improve your chances by:
- Sending a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI)
- Updating grades and achievements
When should I send my LOCI and updates?
If the school did not give you a deadline, send this material along with your mid-year grades (updated transcript) when your first semester grades are finalized. Typically between January – Late February.
What should I improve in my application now?
Focus on:
- Essays (clarity, authenticity, specificity)
- Activity descriptions (impact and leadership)
- Updated achievements
- Strong senior-year grades
Can I still get into strong schools in Regular Decision?
Absolutely. Many students are admitted during the Regular Decision round. A well-balanced list and strong applications can lead to excellent outcomes.
How should I think about this setback?
This is a redirection—not a failure. Many students ultimately thrive at schools they hadn’t initially considered.
Originally Published: Nov. 2022. Updated by an admissions consultant and republished in Oct. 2026
Sources:
https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/waitlisted-write-letter-continued-interest/
https://www.solomonadmissions.com/post/increase-college-chances-after-deferral/
https://www.usnews.com/education/getting-in/articles/2025-12-18/early-action-regular-decision-deferred
Former Associate Director of Admissions at MIT
Former Associate Director of Admissions at Macalester College
Former Assistant Director of Admissions at Macalester College
Former Admissions Counselor at St. Olaf College
3 Years in MIT Admissions
9 Years in Macalester Admissions
4 Years in St. Olaf Admissions
20,000+ Applications Read and Evaluated
Philana earned her Bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College and Master’s degrees from St. Mary’s University in Minnesota. With over 16 years in admissions, she has a track record of building relationships, creating accessible education policies, and increasing diversity in student bodies.
