<p>If a kid applies ED and is deferred, does anybody know the likelihood of what happens to that kid during the RD process? Is he/she more or less likely to be accepted RD? Or is an ED deferment usually a polite rejection, resulting in an RD rejection?</p>
<p>It's hard to answer that question in general. Really depends on the particular school and what their ED or EA acceptances look like compared to the RD round.</p>
<p>As much as it is possible to generalize, a binding ED application is probably the best shot you're going to get for an acceptance letter. If they are clearly going to accept you, they'll do it then. At most colleges, if you get deferred ED, you are better off mentally looking at that as an "oh well, I gave it my best shot..." and move on. If you get an acceptance in April, consider it a pleasant surprise.</p>
<p>My son was accepted RD to a school at which he was deferred ED. It is a school that really likes to take kids who want to go there, so the fact that he had applied ED was probably in his favor. However, we were surprised he was accepted, as a very discouraging letter had been sent out after the deferral letter, suggesting that admissions RD for kids deferred ED was at a lower rate than even plain RD applicants. It worked out for him, and for the son of a friend of ours as well, however. </p>
<p>Bottom line, as IntDad notes, ED is still your best shot....at this school the ED acceptance rate is substantially higher than RD....which is not the case everywhere.</p>