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What a college admissions deferral really means and what to do next

Colleges are deferring more students than ever before, partly due to record application numbers and changing admissions policies. Schools like Clemson University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have deferred tens of thousands of early applicants in past years, reflecting a competitive and ever-evolving admissions landscape. A deferral doesn’t mean your student wasn’t good enough—it means they’re still in the running. And with the right approach, they can turn that “maybe” into a “yes.”