If Your Application is Deferred

If your Early Decision application was deferred to the Regular Decision round, we provided instructions for what to do next in your decision letter. We also linked to our deferred student website, which restates this information and answers the most common questions we get about deferral.

To have your application considered again in RD, you must complete two steps.

1. Complete the deferral form in your MyUVA Applicant Portal by January 15th.
2. Submit your fall trimester/semester grades by February 15th. 

On the defer student page, we explain that midyear grades can be submitted either by the student using their portal or by the school counselor. We aren't picky!

That is all you have to do. 

What else should you send?
Nothing else. We know there are third parties urging you to do other things. I strongly suggest that you follow our instructions instead of theirs. We specifically address Letters of Continued Interest (LOCIs) on that deferred student page. Please take a moment to read it if you haven't already. You're a senior and you have a lot on your plate. We are trying to help you use your limited time in the most productive way.

 

How many people will get offers in RD?
I can't predict the offer rate for the defer group. I've seen it as high as 16% and as low as 4% in recent years. Our decisions depend on midyear grades and how the rest of the applicant pool looks. 

It's now the Early Action students' turn to have our attention. Your application will get a second turn during RD if you choose to continue in the process. 

Deferral is back for 2024-2025

I just got word that we will have the option of deferring applications during the Early Decision and Early Action cycles this coming year.

If you are just starting the college search, you may not know that we tried a defer-free process last year. The possible decisions for all three rounds of admission were the same: admit, deny, and waiting list. Our colleagues at UNC Chapel Hill have done this for years and while it was interesting to try it out at UVA, we have ultimately decided to go back to the process we've been using for decades. 

The defer information page is back on our website and our FAQs are updated. I'm going to use the "defer" tag on this post you anyone who is curious can read past posts about this topic. 

Reminders about the Deferred Application Process at #UVA

It can feel like an odd time in the college application process if your application was deferred during the early rounds. There's a lot of general advice out there about what you should be doing and while that advice might be appropriate for other schools, it's not necessarily useful for the process at UVA. We wrote the defer FAQs in hopes of giving students clear information about what they should and shouldn't do right now. Let's talk about some of the things that come up a lot.

Don't worry about emailing admission officers.

You don't have to email us to prove you're interested in UVA. If you check that you want to be considered during the deferred application review, we will consider you. Similarly, if you decide you no longer want to be considered, you can opt out via your portal. 

If you have questions for us, we are happy to answer them (email undergradadmission@virginia.edu and your message will be routed properly), but you don't have to write an LOCI for UVA. 

Use your portal to keep your application up to date.

Your midyear grades were due by February 24th and we aren't picky about whether you or your counselor sent them. You can submit any other updates via the upload feature in your applicant portal. 

Using the portal to send your updates is the fastest way to get them into your file. If the system doesn't give an error message, your document is filed. (By the way, the portal can't "read" the document, so it's not going to show the item on the checklist.)

Check your SIS account for financial aid information.

The admission and financial aid processes are separate at UVA, so you have a separate account (in what we call SIS) to manage your aid application. If the financial aid officers (they were for Student Financial Services or SFS) request documents, be sure to follow their directions for submission!

A word about statistics...

If you've looked at old posts on this blog, you may have noticed that I switched to reporting the actual number of defer offers instead of a percentage in the final admission statistics post of the year. Part of the trouble with generating a percentage is that the number of deferred applications changes over the course of the season. We offer the option to two rounds of early applicants and they can withdraw via their portals at any time. The number of deferred applications on 12/15 is different from the number on 2/15 or 3/15. 

Waiting

What should you do if you are deferred at #UVA?

Being deferred is tough. I got deferred from two schools that were on my list back in the day and I still remember that "now what" feeling that followed notification. The wait for a decision already felt long and it suddenly got longer. Back then, schools didn't provide you with much information beyond what was in the view book you got in the mail after taking the SAT. Thankfully, we can give deferred students a link in the decision letter that goes to the Defer FAQs page. 

 
If you are a senior, you have a lot on your plate. I've read your essays and answered your direct messages on Instagram about feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities, sleep deprivation, and struggles with time management. Try to see that our directions and FAQs are trying to help you manage this process. If we tell you not to worry about doing something (like writing a "Letter of Continued Interest," which is specifically addressed in the FAQs), take it off your to-do list. It's not going to move the needle. Use your energy elsewhere!

I know there are people out there who will cite the student from another year who sent all sorts of extras and got admitted. They may be convinced they were offered admission during Regular Decision because of those extras when the admission officers were really just looking for those mid-year grades. Keep it simple. Let the FAQs be your guide.

Not loving this situation.

Let's Talk about #UVA25 Early Decision: The Defer

 Deferred students can use this post to talk and ask questions. Please be sure to read the defer FAQ page.

Your application hasn't finished it's journey yet.

We know the wait is tough, but we think reviewing your application during Regular Decision could help your case. You must submit the deferral form in your portal if you want to be considered in Regular Decision. Please upload your midyear grades in your portal by February 15th.

Hang in there! 

 

Jack hopes you can find a peaceful place to wait.

Let's Talk about #UVA24 Early Decision: The Defer

Deferred students can use this post to talk.

Your application hasn't finished it's journey yet.

We know the wait is tough, but we think reviewing your application during Regular Decision could help your case. You must submit the deferral form in your portal if you want to be considered in Regular Decision. Please make sure we get your midyear grades by February 15th.

Hang in there! Review the defer FAQ page for answers the most common questions.

Jack hopes you can find a peaceful place to wait.

Deferred from #UVA21 Early Action? Read This.

Being deferred is tough. I still remember the feeling of limbo that I got when I was deferred in high school. The wait was so long and it suddenly got longer. Back then, we didn't have the internet and schools didn't provide you with much data beyond what was in the view book you got in the mail after taking the SAT. Today, I'm glad we can communicate with our students so they understand some of the reasons why we might defer a student.

There can be many reasons for deferring a student, but in my experience, two cases are most common:

1. The Big Senior Program

Many schools allow students to have more control over course selection as they advance. Senior year is often the year with the most freedom and many students go for the big finale. This is awesome! Senior year should be the finale to your high school career. Your transition to college is going to be smoother when the leap to college-level work isn't a huge one, so a strong senior program is smart.

When we see a student with a wonderful transcript and an ambitious senior program, we sometimes feel that seeing mid-year grades from these top courses can help us make a final decision.

2. The Upward Trend

We try to counsel students about waiting for Regular Decision if they are rebounding from some shaky grades earlier in the high school career. There are other voices pushing students to submit applications early because there is a belief that early rounds are easier. Some schools may have a different process for their early round, but we have the same review style no matter when you apply.

When we see someone who is rebounding from a weak year (whether that's about a grade or program), we often feel it's best to get one more semester of work in the file. If you are rebounding, know that we are rooting for you!

How Do You Respond?

There's a link in the decision letter you received that goes to a Defer FAQs page that covers what you are supposed to do next.

We get plenty of emails/comments that question our advice on that page. You do not need to start a defer campaign. I think there are people out there who insist that you must do this and that might influence the process at other schools. If you look back at the two scenarios I cited above, the issue isn't with supplements or recommendations (remember, we turned off the non-academic recommendation function in Common App). An academic update about how the first semester went will be most helpful.

If you are a senior, you have a lot on your plate. I can't tell you how many essays I've read about sleep deprivation and time management in the last few years. We are trying to help you be smart about how you spend your limited time. If a college tells you not to worry about doing something, don't do it. It's not going to move the needle. Use your energy elsewhere!

I know there are folks out there who will cite the student from another year who sent all sorts of extras. They may be convinced they were offered admission during Regular Decision because of those extras when the admission officers were really just looking for those mid-year grades. Keep it simple.

A Word About Statistics

People inevitably ask me for stats about the defer pool. I don't have data to cite a trend, but I can say that residency will still be a major factor, with more deferred students from Virginia getting offers in Regular Decision. School choice and the size of the pool are also factors.


I know this isn't the decision you wanted to see the other night, but I hope you realize that deferral is not the end of the road. It means we see things we like in your file and we want to see more. Hang in there.

Not loving this situation.

Let's Talk about #UVA21 Early Action: The Defer

Deferred students can use this post to talk.

Your application hasn't finished it's journey yet.

Once your mid-year grades arrive, your file will be reviewed again during the Regular Decision round. At this point, you should simply make sure your mid-year report is sent when the grades are ready. Most of your counselors will do this automatically.

We know the wait is tough, but we think your mid-year grades could help your case. Hang in there! You should see the link to the defer FAQ page in your letter, which answers the most common questions.

Jack hopes you can find a peaceful place to wait.

What To Do When You're Deferred for #UVA20

Being deferred is tough. I still remember the feeling of limbo that I got when I was deferred in high school. There are different reasons for deferring a student out there, but there are two that come up a lot in our discussions.

1. The Big Senior Program

Many schools allow students to have more control over course selection as they advance. Senior year is often the year with the most freedom and many students go for the big finale. This is awesome! Senior year should be the finale to your high school career. Your transition to college is going to be smoother when the leap to college-level work isn't a huge one, so a strong senior program is smart.

Seeing mid-year grades from these top courses can help us make a final decision on the file.

2. The Upward Trend

We try to counsel students about waiting for Regular Decision if they are rebounding from some shaky grades earlier in the high school career. We know that there are lots of other voices pushing students to submit applications early because there is a belief that early rounds are easier. That might be the case at some schools, but not at UVA.

When we see someone who is rebounding, we often feel it's best to get one more semester of work in the file. If you are rebounding, know that we are rooting for you!

How Do I Respond?

There's a link in the decision letter you received that goes to a Defer FAQs page that covers what you are supposed to do next.

We get plenty of emails/comments that start with an acknowledgement of those FAQs, but then a question about sending the things we tell students not to send. You do not need to start a defer campaign. I think there are people out there who insist that you must do this and that might influence the process at other schools. If you look back at the two scenarios I cited above, the issue isn't with supplements or recommendations (remember, we turned off the non-academic recommendation function in Common App). An academic update about how the first semester went will be most helpful.

If you are a senior, you have a lot on your plate. I can't tell you how many essays I've read about sleep deprivation and time management in the last few weeks. You are all obviously busy and you have to be smart about how you spend your limited time. If a college tells you not to worry about doing something, don't do it. Use your energy elsewhere!

A Word About Statistics

People inevitably ask me for stats about the defer pool. I haven't been able to run reports off multiple years, so it wouldn't be appropriate to cite a trend. Suffice it to say that residency is still a factor, with more deferred students from Virginia getting offers. School choice and the size of the pool are also factors.

Waiting is so hard.

Let's Talk about #UVA20 Early Action: The Defer

Deferred students can use this post to talk.

Your application hasn't finished it's journey yet.

Once your mid-year grades arrive, your file will be reviewed again during the Regular Decision round. At this point, you should simply make sure your mid-year report is sent when the grades are ready. Most of your counselors will do this automatically.

We know the wait is tough, but we think your mid-year grades could help your case. Hang in there! You should have already seen the link to the defer FAQ page, which answers the most common questions.

Jack hopes you can find a peaceful place to wait.

The Impact of Snow Days (and Snail Mail Submissions)

Did you know that admission officers tend to dislike snow days?

We had a pretty quiet winter in Virginia up until about a week ago. Mother Nature decided to finally let us have a taste of what our friends up north are experiencing and sent us some snow. Schools around the Commonwealth were closed and we know that other regions have been experiencing snow closings away well.

We don't have many snow days at UVa (there was a stretch were we were convinced that UVa just didn't close at all!). CavDog never understands why people complain about going out in the fluffy stuff, but he doesn't have to shovel or commute. He also doesn't know that snow days affect when we release admission decisions.

When schools are closed, that means your counseling staff isn't in the office. When the counseling office is closed, that means mid-year reports aren't being sent to us. So we become stuck. Without mid-year grades, we don't have any new information when we review deferred applications that were moved from Early Action to Regular Decision. Without mid-year grades, we can't finalize a Regular Decision application.

In a couple weeks, when people start asking when we'll be done with the process, I'll probably refer them back to this point.

What's more, many districts still don't allow or have the capacity for the online submission of mid-year reports. We asked for mid-year grades to be sent to us by February 15th and we imagine that some of them are sitting in bins of mail that couldn't be transported due to the snow. Our staff has resorted to calling counselors to ask them to read grades to us over the phone so we could move forward with reading a file.

Please enjoy your snow days and bear with us as we work through all of your applications. As always, we aim to release early, but April 1st is the official notification day.

It's EA Flip Time!

We are starting to roll the applications of those we deferred during the Early Action round over to Regular Decision. If you are an EA Defer, your decision is disappearing so we can put you into the RD pool. If you were admitted or denied during Early Action, you shouldn't notice any changes.

Mid-year reports have been rolling in for the last week or so and we know this will continue for a while. If you were offered admission during EA or have an active application right now (which covers EA defers and RD applicants), we need your mid-year reports. Applicants, remember that these are sent by your counselor, so keep focusing on your school work.

RD folks, we've emailed you several times if you are missing a mandatory component of your application. If we don't have the testing, transcript, or teacher rec about which we emailed you by Thursday, we're moving on.


By the way, some amazing work is happening at the Rotunda this week. The carrara marble capitals that were made to replace the ones that have been crumbling are being installed! There's a great slideshow on the UVA Today website.

Flip!

Let's Talk About Decisions 2014: The Defer

Students who were deferred can use this entry to talk.

There's no way around it.  This is probably the toughest decision (or maybe it's a "non-decision") to get from a school after applying under Early Action. In most cases, we have deferred students when we think senior grades are needed before making a final decision. At this point, you should simply make sure your mid-year report is sent when the grades from the first semester or second trimester are ready.  Most of your counselors will do this automatically.

Feel free chat here. You should have already seen the link to the defer FAQ page, which answers the most common questions.

CavDog hopes you find a peaceful place to wait

Let's Talk About Decisions: The Defer

Students offered a spot on the defer list can use this entry to talk.

There's no way around it.  This is probably the toughest decision (or maybe it's a "non-decision") to get from a school after applying under Early Action.  In most cases, we have deferred students when we think senior grades are needed before making a final decision.  At this point, you should simply make sure your mid-year report is sent when the grades from the first semester or second trimester are ready.  Most of your counselors will do this automatically.

Feel free chat here. You should have already seen the link to the defer FAQ page, which answers the most common questions.

CavDog hopes you find a peaceful place to wait

Moving on with regular decision

Happy February!  We are knee deep in the regular decision review, but I wanted to give you two updates.

1.  This Friday at 5 PM, all the Early Action applicants who were deferred will be switched over in our system to regular decision status.  This is behind-the-scenes stuff that allows us to get your file back into the "ready to read" pipeline once your midyear grades arrive.  If you log into SIS, you'll get a note about decisions coming out on April 1st if you hit the "view decision" link since you're back in the pool.


2.  About 25 students who were deferred still haven't seen their decisions.  We're emailing them one more time to give them a chance to check.


3.  Regardless of how you applied, your counselor will probably be sending us your midyear grades in the next week or so.  Many of the regular decision applications I'm reading this week already have fall semester grades in them, which is great.

If your school is on a trimester system, we want second trimester grades in your midyear report.  We realize that your schools' reports might come in a tad later than those from schools on a semester calendar.

Waiting.