Understanding College Admission Decisions: A Guide for Students and Families

By Liz Jackson

College decisions typically fall into four categories: Admit, Deny, Defer, or Waitlist. Each has a different meaning and requires different next steps.

1. Admit

What It Means

Congratulations! You have been offered a spot at the college where you applied. The offer of admission is typically contingent upon maintaining academic performance and good standing, so no senioritis yet!

Next Steps

• If you applied for financial aid, wait for and then review your financial aid award letter carefully to ensure that you and your family understand how much you would be expected to pay to attend the college. 
• If you applied to this college EARLY DECISION, you need to withdraw your applications to other schools within two weeks, and ideally even sooner. You do this by either indicating in your applicant portals that you are withdrawing your application or by emailing each college’s admission office to say: “Thank you for considering my application for admission. However, I would like to withdraw my application at this time because I have decided to attend a different college.”
• If you applied to this college EARLY ACTION or REGULAR DECISION, learn more about this college by staying in contact with its admission office, attending admitted student events, and weighing it alongside any other options that you have, before making your enrollment decision prior to May 1. 

2. Deny

What It Means

Unfortunately, you have not been offered admission to this university. This decision is final for this application cycle.

Important to Remember

Colleges often deny many highly qualified applicants due to limited space and a need to build an incoming class that reflects the college’s institutional priorities. While it is ok to be sad and take time to process your emotions, one of the best ways to move on from being denied is to focus on the other schools where you have been admitted and all the reasons those schools could be great fits for you.

3. Defer

(Most common in Early Action or Early Decision rounds)

What It Means

The college is not making a final decision yet. The application has been moved into the Regular Decision pool for further review. Defers are by far the most common outcome at large, selective universities (for example, University of Texas, Clemson, University of Wisconsin, etc.) At these schools, the admission offices are often not staffed to give thorough attention to all of the early action applications they receive, so they sometimes “punt” on decisions and move most applicants to Regular Decision. 

A defer means:

• You are still being seriously considered.
• The college wants to see additional information from you (midyear grades, new achievements, etc.) and compare you within their larger regular decision applicant pool before making a final decision.

Next Steps

• The number one most important next step is to follow any instructions you received from the college about how to confirm your continued interest, and what materials you should (or should not) submit! 
• Submit strong mid-year grades. USM's College Guidance office will automatically submit our students' mid-year grades to the college by the by the third week of January, but you should also self-report mid-year grades in your application portals, if your colleges ask you to do so. 
• Confirm your continued interest in the college by filling out a form (only if the college asks you to do so).
• Consider submitting a brief Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI) to any colleges where you were deferred and where the college allows you to submit additional materials. (Again, DO NOT send a letter of continued interest if the college asks you not to send additional materials).
  
  A strong letter of continued interest is brief (typically not more than 200 words, and can absolutely be a list of bullet points), includes any new accomplishments since you submitted your application, any highlights of your first semester academics, and a brief explanation of why you are still interested in attending the university. 

Example 1: Letter of Continued Interest

Subject: Continued Interest – [Student Name], Application ID #[XXXX]

Dear [Admissions Representative’s Name],

Thank you for reviewing my application during the Early Action round. I remain very interested in attending [College Name], and if admitted, I would be excited to enroll.

Since submitting my application, I have:

• Earned a 4.0 in my first semester senior courses.
• Been selected as captain of the varsity soccer team.
• Completed a research project in AP Biology focused on marine ecosystems.

[College Name]'s emphasis on undergraduate research and close faculty mentorship continues to strongly appeal to me.

Thank you again for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
[Student Name]
[High School Name]

Example 2: Letter of Continued Interest

[State University] remains my top choice in the admission process. Since my initial academic records were submitted, I have continued to work hard and excel in my classes. In my first semester of senior year, I earned my highest GPA to date, a 4.02 weighted. These grades increased my cumulative GPA from a 3.97 to a 4.0 weighted.

Shortly into the second semester, I was selected for membership in my school's Cum Laude Society. This is a significant honor: Cum Laude is an academic honors society, the independent school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa. Membership in the society is limited to the top 20% of scholars in the class.

Beyond my core academic coursework and accomplishments, I continue to thrive in my electives and science research. On February 20, my [INSERT PROJECT HERE] will be exhibited and judged in the Youth Art Month show for Southeastern Wisconsin. Selected as one of five pieces from all artwork created in my high school this year, I am incredibly proud of this piece. In the coming weeks, I will complete my science research project, Sustainable Wave Energy: Harnessing Ocean Power With a Novel Linear Generator. After completion and presentation, I will earn the Independent Science Research Distinction.

Thank you for your time and consideration with my application. I remain enthusiastic about the opportunity to become a member of [State University]!

Sincerely,
[Student Name]
[High School Name]

4. Waitlist

What It Means

You are admissible, but the college does not currently have space to offer you admission. If spots open later (typically after May 1), students on the waitlist may be offered admission.

Important: Each year, colleges predict their yield percentage (the percentage of students offered admission who choose to enroll). When the college underestimates this percentage, the college is likely to admit students from its waitlist to fill the extra spots. 

Whether colleges go to their waitlists and which students they admit from the waitlists varies incredibly widely from year to year. Most of the time decisions about which students to admit from waitlists is determined by demographic factors (for example, the college is not yet enrolling enough students from the Midwest, and the college would take Midwestern students from the waitlist; or the college doesn’t yet have enough engineering majors, and will admit waitlisted engineering students).

Next Steps

• Just like a defer, it is critically important that you follow the instructions that the college provides in your decision letter!
• Opt in to the waitlist (this is not automatic).
• Submit a brief, thoughtful Letter of Continued Interest (see the examples above for defers).
• Decide on a college where you were admitted to submit your enrollment deposit by May 1 and get excited about attending that school! 

About Liz Jackson

Liz Jackson serves as the director of College Guidance at University School of Milwaukee. She has more than 15 years of experience helping students and families find the right college. With experience in counseling, higher education research, and school leadership, Liz enjoys getting to know students and matching their interests to the unique offerings of each college.