If you’re here, you probably got deferred from NYU, and you don’t know what to do next. First of all, we’re sorry that happened, and take some time to process. We will wait.
Deferred from University of Virginia (UVA) Early Decision (2023-2024)
Deferred from University of Southern California (USC) Early Action (2023-2024)
Deferred by Columbia Early Decision (2023-24)
So, you’ve been deferred by Columbia University. That’s a huge bummer. Instead of throwing yourself into action right away, we highly recommend giving yourself a moment to wallow. Eat a pint of ice cream, cry into your pillow, or cuddle with your pup. Allow yourself to feel all the feels, so that you can move on to getting things done.
Deferred from Duke Early Decision (2023-2024)
If you find yourself here, we’re sorry you got deferred from Duke. First things first, that's tough, and we feel for you. Take the time to let those feelings sink in – be it sadness, frustration, or whatever you're experiencing – because it's valid! But once you've had a moment to regroup, we’ve gotta get to work on your regular decision strategy, and that deferral letter too.
Deferred by Dartmouth — Now What? (2023-24)
How to Transfer to Colorado College
Colorado College is a small, liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Can’t believe we just had to say Colorado three times in one sentence. Anyways, CC (that’s what we’re calling it) is known for their super unique Block Plan, where you take one class at a time for about eight weeks. Pretty neat!
Rejected Early Decision from Columbia 2023
Getting a rejection in the Early Decision round is definitely not easy. But the good news is, it’s really just the start, and that one rejection has no bearing on how you’re going to do with other, similarly competitive schools. The thing about Early Decision is it comes alone and it comes first. It’s sometimes easier to tolerate a rejection when it’s preceded by several acceptance letters. College admissions are extraordinarily competitive these days and the Ivies are just more competitive than any other time or place in history. That’s it. It doesn’t get harder. And Columbia in particular has just a 4% acceptance rate! So, if you’ve been rejected in the Early Decision round, don’t despair. We have some advice about how you might go forward. (And don’t worry, it’s really not that much more work!)
How to Transfer to Claremont McKenna
Claremont McKenna College is a small liberal arts school located in Claremont, California, and it’s a part of the Claremont Colleges – a unique consortium of 5 undergrad colleges that share resources and a campus, but each has its own focus. Claremont McKenna is known for their programs on business, finance, government, econ, public affairs, and international relations, and is also slightly more conservative than their fellow Claremont College associates.
9th Grade Summer Plans: Biology Major Edition
You’ve heard about the birds and the bees, but what about the biomes and the black holes? Sorry if that opener was misleading — we’re not talking about the reproductive cycle of the void today (although hold up while we file this away for future presentations #WelcomeToMyTedTalk). The point is there’s a lot more to ~the study of life~ than you’ve got time to cover in AP Bio. Whether you’re studying abyssery and starlight in astrobiology or learning about infectious diseases in microbiology, you’re falling under the biology umbrella in one way or another.
How to Transfer to Bryn Mawr
Bryn Mawr College is a women’s liberal arts school located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It’s a small school, with only around 1400 undergrads and 350 postgrads. They’re a part of the Seven Sisters, and they share a school paper with Haverford! They’re known for being politically super progressive and hella feminist – they were the first college in the US to offer a PhD in social work (and doctorates to women in general), they were one of the first women’s colleges to accept trans and non-binary applicants, and they renamed May Day as “May Hole” because maypole was too phallic. If this sounds like your jam, you might be considering applying as a transfer.
Rejected Early Decision from Brown 2023
Getting a rejection from your Early Decision school can be crushing. You’ve worked very hard. You’ve not only put in the sweat equity, but you’ve invested emotionally and envisioned yourself at a particular school, otherwise, you wouldn’t have applied to a binding opportunity. We understand it’s a tough blow. But we also want you to keep in mind that college admissions are incredibly competitive. The acceptance rate for Brown is just 5%. So, the fact that you didn’t get into Brown ED does not mean you should rule out all of the other Ivies or other similarly competitive schools. We like to have our students consider it to be a minor setback, as opposed to a failure. Here are some steps you can take to help you get back on the horse after a setback:
How to Get into Colby College
How to Transfer to Amherst
Amherst College is a small liberal arts school located smack dab in the middle of Massachusetts. Amherst (the town) is peak college town vibes, with Amherst College, UMass Amherst, and Hampshire College all packed into 27 square miles. In addition to Amherst classes, students can take classes at UMass Amherst, Hampshire, or the nearby Smith College and Mount Holyoke College. Amherst is known for a totally open curriculum – no core classes to mess with. They’re also known for having an academic culture in line with the Ivy League, and they have the admissions stats to back it. In 2022, Amherst’s acceptance rate was 7.25%, and their transfer acceptance rate was 6%. To put it more plainly, 503 people applied to transfer to Amherst in 2022, and only 30 were admitted.
How to Get into Bowdoin
Bowdoin College is a small liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. Bowdoin is popular for its STEM programs and historic campus. Bowdoin is part of the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium, an athletic conference and interlibrary exchange with Bates College and Colby College (you probably called that one,) sometimes also called the “Maine Big Three.” Bowdoin’s location is quintessentially Maine as it’s located near both the Casco Bay and the Androscoggin River. Outside of their main campus (pun!), they also own a coastal studies center on Orr’s Island and a scientific field station on Kent Island.
How to Transfer to Barnard
Barnard College is a women’s liberal arts school located in NYC, as one of the colleges contained within Columbia University. So, it’s not Columbia, but it’s not not Columbia. But your degree does say Columbia on it. It’s a whole thing. It’s small, with less than 4,000 undergrads, but you share resources, sports teams, Greek life, libraries, and dining halls with all the Columbia undergrads too. You can also take classes at Julliard!
Rejected Early Decision from Penn 2023
Getting rejected can be tough. Getting rejected Early Decision can be extra tough because it doesn’t come along at the same time as acceptance letters to all of the other schools you’re going to get into. But we want to make sure you don’t fret too much. Just because you’re rejected from Penn doesn’t mean you should cast aside any hope of getting into the others or similarly competitive top-tier schools. Penn is a really, really competitive school. In fact, the acceptance rate is just 7%. There are a ton of qualified candidates applying. So, don’t sweat this one too badly. We also want to offer some advice for what to do next:
How to Get into Bates
How to Transfer to Bowdoin
Bowdoin College is a small (less than 2k people small), liberal arts school located in Brunswick, Maine. They’re known for their poli sci and econ programs, as well as some STEM majors like biology, biochem, and neuroscience. They’re a great school if you’re looking for that classic, well-rounded liberal arts education to supplement more analytical majors. Doctors and scientists need to know history and how to write too, ya know!
Rejected Restricted Early Action from Yale 2023
Experiencing the disappointment of getting a dreaded rejection letter from your dream school during the Early Decision phase can be truly disheartening. You've invested your heart, soul, dedication, and countless hours into becoming an exceptional candidate. It's crucial to remember that this outcome doesn't define your worth or your potential. Your bright future still awaits, and there are other really, really good options out there.