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I applied early to Princeton and was disappointed when I found out I'd been deferred. I have 1430 SATs (750V, 680M), a 730 SAT II average (with an 800 on the writing), receive mostly A's in the most difficult course load my high school offers (13 A's, 4 B+s and one B to be exact) and am a swimming recruit. I've also had alumni contacts, three of whom have written recommendation letters on my behalf. Now, the coach told me only one recruit got in early, so he has a bunch of slots to fill regular. Does anyone have a clue as to what my chances might be? Obviously, I've applied to other schools, but Princeton remains my top choice. Any help would be appreciated.

By Roger (Roger) on Monday, December 31, 2001 - 10:51 am: Edit

Hi, Tim, and welcome to College Confidential. Sorry to hear about your deferral, but don't give up hope just yet! Evaluating your chances in the RD pool is difficult, but there's some good advice for Ivy-deferred applicants in the Columbia University forum at Sad to be deferred from my dream school.

You might also find the article in the College Admissions section on dealing with deferrals and waitlists to be useful.

Good luck, and let us know how things work out!

By Dadster on Saturday, January 05, 2002 - 10:48 am: Edit

Tim, don't give up yet. While on the one hand you can view the deferral as a big negative that throws you into the even more competitive RD pool, the fact that you applied Early Decision should give you a slight edge over similarly qualified RD applicants. Do what you can in the intervening time to let them know of your continued strong interest, and also do what you can to strengthen your application. Good luck!