Understanding Deferred Admissions from Stanford's REA to Regular Decision

Being deferred from Stanford University's Restrictive Early Action (REA) program is a common occurrence, and it means your application will be reconsidered during the Regular Decision (RD) round. While no specific figures can provide an exact chance of acceptance, several factors can influence the outcome.

Overall Acceptance Rates

Stanford's acceptance rates, both for REA and RD applicants, are typically quite low, around 4-5 percent. These rates reflect the highly competitive nature of gaining admission to this prestigious institution.

Strength of Your Application

The strength of your application is a crucial factor in determining your chances of acceptance. If you present a strong profile with excellent grades, high test scores, impactful extracurricular activities, and compelling essays, your odds may improve significantly during the RD round.

Deferred Applicant Pool

Each year, the pool of deferred applicants varies, and this can affect the competitiveness of the process. If many strong candidates are deferred, it can become more challenging to get accepted. However, there is still a good chance of gaining admission if your application is exceptional.

Updates to Your Application

If you have new achievements, improved grades, or additional recommendations, submitting these updates can positively impact your application. Admissions officers are interested in seeing how your profile has grown since the initial submission of your application.

Institutional Factors

Admissions decisions can be influenced by the university's needs for specific profiles, such as diversity, or an intended major in a given year. Understanding these factors can provide insights into why certain candidates are deferred and what may improve your chances.

While being deferred can be disappointing, many students do achieve admission during the RD round. It is essential to remain positive and continue to strengthen your application if possible.

I believe that the mechanisms used by many elite private US colleges, including Stanford, follow a similar approach. The professional admissions staff from these institutions often train together during the off-season, sharing policies and procedures to ensure consistency and fairness.

Based on the data from MIT, where the overall admissions rate last year was 6.7 percent, and the combined rate for early acceptance and deferral through regular decision was 9.5 percent, we can use a similar ratio to estimate Stanford's chances.

var stanfordAcceptanceRate 5; var mitRatio (9.5 / 6.7); var stanfordExpectedAdmissionRate mitRatio * stanfordAcceptanceRate; console.log("Expected Admission Rate for Stanford: " (2) "%");

According to this analysis, one would expect approximately 7.1 percent of those who apply through REA to be admitted through the RD cycle.

For further guidance, consider consulting with admissions counselors, reaching out to current or former students, and monitoring the latest admissions data.

Good luck!