Deferred admission, or being deferred in college admissions, refers to a situation where an applicant's application for admission to a college or university is neither accepted nor rejected immediately. Instead, the application is put on hold, and the final admission decision is postponed to a later date, typically during a subsequent admission round.
When an applicant is deferred, it means that the admissions committee has decided to reevaluate the application in a later review cycle, usually along with a new pool of applicants. Deferred status can be a result of various factors, such as limited available spaces, a highly competitive applicant pool, or the need for more information or context regarding the applicant.
Being deferred does not guarantee admission, but it does offer the applicant another chance to be considered. During this period, the applicant may be required to submit additional materials, such as updated grades, test scores, or a letter of continued interest, to strengthen their application.