<p>Hi guys.
I honestly think I was a match/ a little reach candidate with good stats and really good extra curricular activities.
But the only thing that was holding me back was my essays, which I wrote 2 days before deadline because it ED'ing was a very sudden decision. Not that surprisingly, I found out that I have been deferred from NU.</p>
<p>So here are my questions..
1.Will I still have a chance, or even higher than other RD's, in getting in to this school this coming April?
2. What do I have to do in first semester in order to raise my chances?
3. Can I rewrite my essays (both common app and the school one) and re-turn them in?
Thank you!</p>
<p>Here is a semi-educated guess at the situation.</p>
<p>Historically, NU had deferred very few students. They’ve either admitted or rejected at the ED stage. (Those who post regularly, please confirm my recollection on this).</p>
<p>This year, we’ve seen a number of students post that they’ve been deferred, so there may be a change in this policy at NU. This coincides with NU’s reporting that it has received a record number of ED applications.</p>
<p>So my guess (and this isn’t based on anything I’ve seen from NU), is that NU has some kind of a cap on how many students they will accept ED. With the increase in ED applications, they found themselves with more students who they wanted to accept than they could under the Cap, and in fact, probably found themselves with a number of students who they felt would have had a good shot at the RD pool who couldn’t be accepted ED. Rather than penalize someone who applied ED (i.e., someone who really wants to go there), they deferred a number of students.</p>
<p>So --</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Will you have a chance – I’d say yes.
1a Even higher than other RD’s. Well, you’re certainly a qualified student (i.e., you’ve passed the first cut) so yes, in that regard. As to the rest, it depends on the pool. NU claims not to consider demonstrated interest in the school as a factor – but who knows.</p></li>
<li><p>Continue to get great grades – no senior slump for you. If you retake SAT or ACT and it’s better let them know. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Communicate with NU – send a note immediately saying that NU is still your first choice and you intend to go there if admitted (if this is true). If you win any significant award or have any other achievement that would legitimately have been part of your original application – tell them.</p>
<ol>
<li> Rewriting the Essays, etc. – I have no idea. Perhaps your GC can call NU and find out for you.</li>
</ol>
<p>I’d be honest with you and tell you that you probably has very slim chance of getting in RD. It is much easier to get in to NU with ED than RD, and if you didn’t get in ED, you probably won’t RD. I’m not saying you would not get in hundred percent, but you have a slim chance. Personally, I was accepted ED, but I don’t think I would have been accepted if I applied RD. My plan for when I get deferred was to forget about NU and go for other colleges.</p>