Between Now and Then: What to Do After ED I Admission

First off, itʼs important for you to know that a denial is not an indictment on you as an individual or on your ability as a student. NYU—like many other institutions—receives tens of thousands of applications every year for a limited number of spots. It is a competitive application process with a competitive pool for a lot of competitive programs. Your ability to succeed in an academic setting is far, far less a function of where you go. It is more so function of what you bring to the table and the opportunities you take advantage of.

That being said, ED I admission release is just the tip of the iceberg. You may not have gotten into your first-choice school, but your second, third, fourth or fifth may be the one you honor with your amazing presence. If you havenʼt begun the early action or early decision II applications to the institutions that offer them, itʼs time to get cracking. Luckily, you already have the template from your ED I admission application to work off of. Work with your counselor or family to figure out what tweaks you can make to strengthen them. Then, donʼt hesitate to hit send on your next round of applications.

This is probably the most daunting space to be in at ED I admission release. Not knowing if or when your number might be called can be nerve-racking. A deferral decision at ED I release could mean a lot of things. It could be that we are waiting to see how your grades improve or if they hold steady. Or it could be that there is something missing in your application that we are still waiting on. Regardless of the reason for a deferral decision, youʼre going to want to do a few things:

1. Make sure you submitted all of your documents by checking your applicant portal. Remember that official documents such as transcripts and test scores must be sent by your counselor, a school official, or the testing agency.
2. Keep your grades up. Admissions offices reserve the right to review all documentation from when they first receive them up until final regular decision release. This includes spring midterm grades. A drop in your grades without explanation might take you from a deferral to a denial instead of to an admit. Maintaining or improving your grades over the course of the remaining weeks of your senior year could make a huge difference.
3. Send out more applications. A deferral from ED I to RD means you have the opportunity to weigh your options. Donʼt put all your eggs in one basket and send out those RD apps to the other institutions on your list.