Why are applicants deferred?

NYU aims to provide a final decision to students who apply for Early Decision admission, but in some cases, we defer candidates to a later round of admission to determine how such candidates compare in a larger applicant pool. From year to year, depending on the applicant pool, the number of students who will be deferred varies. This year, of the candidates who applied for Early Decision, less than 5% were deferred to a later round of admission. This means that these students will be considered alongside our applicant pool at large - and not just our Early Decision candidates. We only defer students who are viable candidates for admission.

What can an applicant expect if they choose to withdraw their application?

Students who withdraw their application from the applicant pool will no longer be considered a candidate for admission. Students should withdraw their applications if they are no longer interested in being considered for admission to any of NYU’s schools or programs. To find your response deadline, please see the email with the subject line "Your Early Decision application to NYU has been deferred."

What else can students send to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for consideration?

Deferred applicants can upload a copy of their mid-year grades when they become available and should request that their counselor submits the Common Application Mid-Year Report. If you have any new tests that you would like us to review, you can upload an unofficial copy of your score report to your applicant portal or send official scores directly from the testing agency.

Does being deferred change an applicant’s eligibility for scholarships or need-based aid?

No. Students who submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile by the deadlines will be eligible for both need- and merit-based financial aid consideration.

Can a deferred applicant change their campus, school, college or program selection when being considered for Regular Decision?

Students are welcome to update their primary school, college, or program of interest or to indicate their interest in additional NYU campuses, schools, colleges, or programs by filling out the NYU Application Information Update Request form via their applicant portal.