My matches are Northeastern, Boston U, and UCSD, Purdue, and Wisconsin. @Chembiodad
Some years ago I attended a Cornell CAS info session where we were told CAS does not like to defer people, because if they don;t make it in ED it is unlikely they would make it in RD. Perhaps COE has the same policy. Which does not mean that they don’t defer anyone, but that the number they defer is relatively low. Of course this was a little while ago so who knows if it’s even still true at CAS.
I don’t think you should panic though, or even fret about it. If your stats are solid then the reason has to lie with “soft” factors, which often can be variously weighted and interpreted by different readers. (Unless you got a bad rec letter you don’t know about…) So another reader, elsewhere, may weight them more highly.
Plus, the reason may have nothing to do with your credentials, but more about fit. Maybe after reading your whole application they thought you would really be happier elsewhere. This does happen, believe it or not. They prefer people who really “belong”. Maybe nothing you said made them think that was you, notwithstanding that you applied ED. Or at least others seemed to “fit” better.
Think of it this way: if they really were not going to admit you (however short-sightedly on their part), it’s better to have them reject rather than deferring. Because deferring might give you false hope. This way you are completely unfettered in pursuing your other opportunities. And hopefully find the ones that fit you yet better.
This is not an evaluation of your worth as a human being, or even a student. Consider it their loss.
@monydad This was very insightful. Thank you for your words, and well said
@Chembiodad nice break down! thanks