<p>(The title is a reference to a Langston Hughes poem)</p>
<p>In recent days I had stopped hearing from colleges I applied to, and my patience was wearing thin. I was growing worried about getting into University of Wisconsin (the school I may want to attend next year), and after having heard from only 2 of the 10 schools I had applied to, tension ran high. on 12/8 I thought I would be subject to an ego boost by being accepted to Florida State University. I logged in and saw that I was accepted, an ego boost yes, but an acceptance that rang somewhat hollow because I had already been accepted to the University of Pittsburgh and it looks more likely that I will be going there than a lot of schools I applied to. While online I decided to check my status at Tulane (something of a reach, for the hell of it application in case I grew wary about attending a large school in the coming months, however I do have deep emotional ties to the city of New Orleans). The 'decision' was in, I was deferred until April.</p>
<p>In all honesty I was encouraged a little bit by it. I was expecting to get flat out rejected because my measly 1820 SAT score and 3.48 Unweighted GPA don't stack up to the schools stat profile as well as it does at Wisconsin. I do however know that it is a distinct possibility that I will be 'Postponed' (a more positive word for deferred) at UW. </p>
<p>The point of this post however is not much ado about me. It is for people who actually have been, or will be deferred at their top choice, or other schools important to them. </p>
<p>What do you do when you get deferred to better your chances of getting in? Is it better to send in some things to put more strength in your application or sit on it and wait as to not look jumpy (Or desperate)? </p>
<p>If you are deferred at a school that you are on the fence about, is it better to let it go and decide not to attend that University, if you have one already that you are more excited about (Such as Pitt for me) or should you try to keep your options open as long as possible?</p>
<p>Do Mid term grades need to be better than usual generally or will keeping up the sameish work pace be enough to get you in?</p>
<p>What percentage (and I'm sure I could google this) of deferred applicants end up getting in? What schools have infamously high rates of this, and what ones are infamously low?</p>
<p>and lastly, can being deferred at one school give you reason to be optimistic at another (or for that matter the same school)?</p>