<p>Discuss...</p>
<p>So that they can compare you within the context of the RD pool, I would guess.</p>
<p>So you can agonize for another three months of your life.</p>
<p>Haha, actually, what star_s said. It's to let qualified applicants know that the college still wants them, but doesn't have enough room.</p>
<p>Okay, I'm only going to ask questions, since I don't get the point, hence my reason for asking the original question.</p>
<p>star_s: They're not supposed to be comparing you, really. It's supposed to be holistic and contextual, so I don't think that reason makes sense.</p>
<p>asiantofu: "Not enough room"? But if they get in later, than obviously there was enough room.</p>
<p>It's not like they're deferring you to Spring semester, like state schools do, for space reasons. Youre going to be a part of the same class of 2013. Why can't they just accept you then, rather than later? What is the real reason for deferral? To keep early rates low?</p>
<p>I think the deferees are people the college doesn't actually want to admit - but are okay enough to be accepted. So they just string these people along in case they don't get enough people in the RD round who they like - deferees are pretty much like benchwarmers who are only kept on the team in case of emergency and rarely get any playing time. It's sick really.</p>
<p>I think it's because they see you as a competitive applicant, but not a sure bet - meaning, they want to wait to see who else applies to see where you fall in that bigger pool.</p>
<p>I think if I get deferred and then I get in, I might be kinda ****ed at Yale. It's sort of saying, you're not good enough to get in and we only let you in because we didn't have enough peope we liked in the RD round.</p>
<p>SCEA - Will take me to Yale
Defer + admit - Will definitely consider Yale, but could get tempted away by other schools that actually <em>want</em> me.</p>
<p>Like, ionno, I would just feel a little uncomfortable if I knew they considered me a borderline fit at Yale. :/</p>
<p>I don't care how I get in, if I get in, I am so going :).</p>
<p>Yeah, but wouldn't it feel bad to you if you knew in your heart that you only got in because of luck and not because you're good enough to get in as a person?</p>
<p>ionno, just my opinion.</p>
<p>I agree with pshan. Before, I figured I'd be angry. If I get deferred, I will seriously consider my other top schools (Williams, Dartmouth, WashU, and Brown). But I highly doubt any will woo me away from Yale if I get in come April.</p>
<p>lol, am I the only person that would attempt to fall madly in love with another school if I get deferred?</p>
<p>I think deferrals are emblematic of everything that's wrong with the education system now. ><</p>
<p>deferral is death. but i can't imagine myself not loving yale right now. or ever.
but i know it CAN happen. that's how i jumped ship from Columbia to Yale haha.</p>
<p>but in the end, i won't feel snubbed or anything if i get deferred...</p>
<p>"Yeah, but wouldn't it feel bad to you if you knew in your heart that you only got in because of luck and not because you're good enough to get in as a person?"</p>
<p>LOL i already chalk it up to mostly 'luck' if i get in ;)</p>
<p>I agree with freesia001.. if you check out the 2012 Decisions thread, it seems like a little luck does play a hand in decisions..</p>
<p>I still think if you really are a great person with a great personality and passions about life and school in general, you have a 100% chance of getting in.</p>
<p>That's right 100%.</p>
<p>It's not like, oh SAT threshold, GPA threshold, put name on dart and let admin officers play Russian Roulette and darts at the same time to decide.</p>
<p>^^^Yeah, I hate when people say admissions is a crapshoot. That makes it seem like some sort of random process. It's not. These people (adcoms) know what they want and they pick it.</p>
<p>Yeah one of my friends, who wasn't really all too amazing by CC standards (two sports, a couple clubs, no special "talent", decent scores + gpa) got accepted by almost all of his top choices. While it seems like an anomaly, I believe that he definitely deserved to get in. Even though his "awards" didn't qualify him as extra-special, his attitude towards life definitely did. </p>
<p>It's something hard to gauge, but I read his essay, and it really gave a great sense of how he was brought up, and how that's made him who he is today.</p>
<p>that. is possibly one of the most messed up posts i've ever read.</p>
<p>i've never met you, but if you don't get in, i guess you're 'not really a great person'</p>
<p>c'mon man, 100%? Then why don't wonderful people get in every single school they apply to? ARE YOU SERIOUS?</p>
<p>i honestly have no idea how admissions can make such tough choices...and i would say 'great person...great personality...' is totally subjective.</p>
<p>lastly, sorry if i sound harsh :( really.</p>
<p>It doesn't matter if you have a great personality or are a great person. It's how you translate in those five sheets of paper that make the difference.</p>
<p>Colleges, especially elite colleges, are looking for students who are multidimensional and would fit into their student body. After you get into the top twenty or so schools, academics are largely the same. They are no longer looking for students who can do the work or even ones who will contribute to campus life--all qualified applicants will have these characteristics.</p>
<p>They're looking for people, but not just any people who were lucky enough to get ahead in the college game from elementary school onwards. Elite schools are looking for people who will take that knowledge beyond the classroom, beyond the extracurriculars, and even beyond those four years. They are looking for people who are not merely going to be succeed for themselves, but for the benefit of the world as well.</p>
<p>I didn't really mean great, but it's a characteristic that's hard to put a finger on. </p>
<p>He was definitely accomplished in his endeavors, but he had this vitality of the mind and outlook on life that I haven't really seen in other people and I really admire him for it. It's really hard to put a finger to it. I didn't mean that other people aren't great, just there are some personality factors that aren't quantified by awards/hours/ecs that are really central to who one is, and that admissions officers probably have a much better grasp of detecting those factors than we do.</p>
<p>^ I think I know what you're talking about.</p>
<p>He must have been eloquent, or at least competent enough to illustrate those characteristics in his essays. No one believes me when I say that those are probably the most important factors after the academics/scores and extracurriculars...</p>