If deferred, the good news is that you weren't rejected. That said, your admissions chances are similar to the rest of the applicant pool, and highly selective schools send out far more rejection letters than acceptance letters. If you've been waitlisted, you are more likely to stay on the waitlist than to be admitted.

Is deferred better than waitlist?

A deferral letter is not the same as a waitlist letter. Colleges defer an application when they do not want to make a decision right away. If students receive a deferral letter, it means the university will review their application again at a later date and make the decision to accept, decline, or waitlist then.

Do deferred applicants get accepted?

According to the university, about 15% of deferred applicants gain admission in the Regular Decision round. Yearly trends and changes to the admissions process can also affect deferral statistics.