<ol>
<li><p>When I applied to Brown, all the way back in '03, I was deferred. It made me miserable, it made my favorite teacher (who’d written a rec for me) angry, and it meant that I’d have to spend countless hours over my Christmas break perfecting my other applications. Then, I got in RD. Take-away: Being deferred is not the kiss of death.</p></li>
<li><p>The whole ED system makes applicants throw themselves with complete abandon at one school. It’s easy at that point to forget just how happy you’d be at lots of other schools. College is so much better than high school, and that’d be true even for your safety schools. Take-away: You’re almost certainly going to be happy wherever you end up.</p></li>
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<p>Thanks for this I’m saying Adios to CC after I post my results (stupid pledge >.<) but this gives me a little hope. The double legacy who’s freaking lazy as heck with grades so much lower than the rest of ours who applied is the only one who got in from my school.</p>
<p>“You should know that during the past few years the admission rate for students deferred Early Decision has been consistent with that for Regular Decision applicants.”</p>
<p>It means that even after deferral, your chances of getting in regularly are no worse than someone who has only applied through regular decision. The point being that the school does not view deferred candidates as inferior to fresh faces.</p>
<p>but they also don’t view them as superior either. basically it just means now you’re up against about 25000 more applicants then you were before</p>
<p>“It is important for me to reiterate that your application will be considered without prejudice in the spring evaluation of our Regular Decision applicant group…” </p>
<p>Do they mean like they’ll compare us w/ the RD applicants, but then we have the priority that the RD applicants don’t have?</p>
<p>ED candidates don’t get preferential treatment during the RD round. </p>
<p>I know this may be hard to believe, but there are students who apply to a college ED, get accepted, and then decide to go elsewhere. This happens all the time. So Brown does not look at an ED candidate and say – oh, we like him more because he’s shown extra special interest by applying early. </p>
<p>If Brown is still your first choice this winter, then you need to communicate that to admissions.</p>
<p>rainbow: I know a lot of double legacies who did not get into Brown despite outstanding grades, high SATs and great ECs. You didn’t see this person’s application, so you don’t know what else he or she has going for him that led to an acceptance. I assure you that the vast majority of legacies accepted are uber qualified.</p>
<p>mgcsinc’s message is right on. There are many wonderful schools out there, and you can be happy at many of them.</p>
<p>oops, I wrote my comment incorrectly. I meant to say, </p>
<p>“I know this may be hard to believe, but there are students who apply to a college ED, get deferred, get accepted RD, and then decide to go elsewhere.”</p>
<p>I’m a senior and an RD applicant (meaning: not an authority), but my advice would be to include this information in an email with updated accomplishments.</p>
<p>@Rainbow: I was going to say the same thing as fireandrain—being a legacy applicant is definitely not a free pass into the school. I know many people who applied ED, who are legacy, that did not get accepted. One person in particular has legacy with roots back to his great-grandfater. If I’m not mistaken, at least six family members attended Brown and his family donates. He was deferred.</p>
<p>My son, who is currently a sophomore at Brown, applied ED and was deferred. We were shocked and devastated as we thought he would surely get in, given his academic record, his interests and essay. He was not a Brown legacy (rather a double Dartmouth legacy, which didn’t do us any good then since his heart was set on Brown) or an athletic recruit. </p>
<p>Despite the deferral, Son really wanted to go after Brown. Though he dutifully filled out a bunch of RD applications over the holidays, we took the advice of some parents on this website and followed up with a couple of letters to the Admissions Office to let them know that Brown was still his first choice and to give them periodic updates on his grades and accomplishments. We also supplemented with some additional teacher recommendations. We also stated quite openly that if Son was accepted, he would attend Brown. </p>
<p>Well, as you now know, Son got accepted RD (as well as to Dartmouth, Penn and Cornell) and is there now, as happy as can be.</p>
<p>Bottom line, if you really want to go to Brown, don’t give up. Show them you are still as interested as ever.</p>
I’m saying Adios to CC after I post my results (stupid pledge >.<) but this gives me a little hope. The double legacy who’s freaking lazy as heck with grades so much lower than the rest of ours who applied is the only one who got in from my school.</p>