Is Waitlisted better than deferred?
Sarah Smith
Published Jan 17, 2026
In general, you can assume that your odds are better if you've been deferred rather than waitlisted. Deferred students are reconsidered during the regular decision round and should have about the same chance as other regular decision applicants.
Is being deferred the same as being waitlisted?
A deferral letter is not the same as a waitlist letter. Colleges defer an application when they do not want to make a decision right away. If students receive a deferral letter, it means the university will review their application again at a later date and make the decision to accept, decline, or waitlist then.
Is being waitlisted better than rejected?
Being waitlisted is better than being rejected because you still have some chance of getting into the school. According to the NACAC survey, the average acceptance rate across all institutions for those who choose to stay on the waitlist is 20% and 7% for selective institutions.
What percent of waitlisted students get accepted?
According to a 2019 survey from the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), 43 percent of four-year colleges reported using a waitlist in 2018. Of all the students who accepted a position on the waitlist at these colleges, 20 percent were admitted.
Do deferred students usually get accepted?
According to the university, about 15% of deferred applicants gain admission in the Regular Decision round. Yearly trends and changes to the admissions process can also affect deferral statistics.
37 related questions foundIs deferred better than rejected?
A deferral means the college wants to review your application again with the regular decision pool of applicants. While it might feel like a rejection, a deferral is not a denial, nor does it mean there was something wrong with your application.
What percentage of deferred Upenn applicants get accepted?
Last year, the selection committee admitted approximately 16% of candidates whose applications were deferred to Regular Decision.
Are Waitlists ranked?
Just like in the regular admissions process, colleges need to evaluate their yield, institutional needs, legacy status, and other factors before deciding which students, if any, to admit from the waitlist. Waitlists aren't ranked – meaning there's not a number one student who will definitely get in if there's room.
Is it good to be waitlisted?
Getting waitlisted at a college certainly isn't a bad thing—your application was good enough to not get rejected! —but it's definitely an uncomfortable place to be. After all, when you're on the college waitlist, you don't know whether you'll be admitted or not, and that alone is anxiety-inducing.
How common is it to get waitlisted?
According to a 2019 National Association for College Admissions Counseling report, 43% of colleges use waitlists. Half of the students offered a spot on a waitlist accepted it, and colleges on average admitted 20% of students off the waitlist. At the most selective institutions, that figure was 7%.
Should I accept waitlist offer?
First things first, be sure to accept your waitlisted status. When a school informs you that you have been waitlisted, they are essentially offering you a spot on the waitlist. Therefore, to be added to the waitlist, you must accept the waitlist offer.
Are Waitlists binding?
WAITLISTS AREN'T BINDING: You can accept spots on as many waitlists as you like. You can stick with the school where you've deposited or choose to attend your waitlisted school, but more than likely you'll lose your deposit at the college where you've accepted a spot — and you should accept a spot somewhere.
What happens if you accept waitlist?
Universities usually offer applicants waitlist spots during the regular decision round of admission. Wait-listed applicants generally won't hear back about a decision on their admission until after the national May 1 deadline for high school seniors to submit their deposit and secure their spot at a college.
Which is worse waitlisted or deferred?
If deferred, the good news is that you weren't rejected. That said, your admissions chances are similar to the rest of the applicant pool, and highly selective schools send out far more rejection letters than acceptance letters. If you've been waitlisted, you are more likely to stay on the waitlist than to be admitted.
Is getting deferred good?
While it is disappointing not to have an acceptance in hand, a deferral does not mean that you're out of the admissions race! In fact, a deferral should be considered a second chance to highlight your strengths and what you have accomplished during your senior year.
Do colleges waitlist overqualified students?
Overqualified students (quantified primarily by GPA and SAT/ACT) are routinely being waitlisted or denied at “no problem” colleges because the admissions committee feels doubtful these students are likely to enroll if accepted.
Is waitlist a rejection?
Waitlists and deferrals are two different things, but they share some similarities. While neither is an outright rejection, they both mean you will have to wait longer to see if you will be admitted. Being deferred can mean a wide variety of things.
Does NYU have a waitlist?
You can relay your level of interest in NYU by way of our Waitlist Response Form online. There, you will have the opportunity to express your interest level in NYU.
What is Carnegie Mellon acceptance rate?
Carnegie Mellon University admissions is most selective with an acceptance rate of 17%. Half the applicants admitted to Carnegie Mellon University have an SAT score between 1460 and 1560 or an ACT score of 33 and 35.
Does Tulane waitlist everyone?
Some years, we admit a group of students off the waitlist, others not. Last year, it was fewer than 50. COVID-19 has made these numbers more unpredictable this year. We'll let you know as soon as we can.
How many deferred applicants are accepted Harvard?
Over the last three years, 41% of students who first came to us after being deferred at Harvard University in the Early Action round ended up getting in. It's a statistic we're mighty proud of.
Does UPenn allow gap year?
Gap Year Approval
If you are an admitted student interested in applying to take a gap year, you must first reply “Yes” to Penn's offer of admission. Once you have completed this step, a Gap Year Request form will appear on your Penn Applicant Portal.
Does legacy matter at UPenn?
Legacy for Early Decision/Action only
Some top universities, Penn and Cornell being two examples, only consider legacy status in the early admission rounds. These two Ivies require your binding pledge to attend if accepted, before they will take your lineage into consideration.