It’s that time of year again: Christmas trees are being decorated, cookies are being made and early action/early decisions results are rolling in. 

While most people around the country are opening presents, high school seniors are opening up admissions portals with concern as more and more students are being met with deferrals.

At first glance, a deferral can seem like the quiet cousin of rejection, but really, they are a testament to how much harder college admissions have become. 

The reason behind the increasing number of deferrals? The sheer number of applications to colleges and universities, especially in the southeast.

Many news outlets including Fox, The Times and The Wall Street Journal, seem to be blaming social media for the sudden rise in popularity southern schools are seeing. This SEC craze is the reason schools like The University of Georgia, Florida State University, Clemson and The University of South Carolina are receiving a record-breaking number of applicants and having to crack down on who they can admit. 

In an article released by UGA detailing the stats of their early action round, they shared that out of 30,490 total applicants only 9,500 students were admitted, with an average GPA falling between 4.17- 4.20. They stated that the number of accepted students has actually increased, but compared to the amount of students who applied, the acceptance rate has significantly decreased. This is just one example of how less acceptances doesn’t mean weaker students but instead, tougher odds. 

Now, back to deferrals. Because of this “southern school gold rush,” colleges seem to be using deferrals more strategically. Postponing decisions is a way for admissions officers to protect yield rates, manage enrollment numbers and compare early applicants to the regular decisions pool, according to IvyWise. All this to say, deferrals are often a sign that your application is competitive, but schools just need a bit more information from your application in this unpredictable year.

A deferral is not a no; it’s a chance to show colleges what more you have to offer. Take this time to draft up a letter of continued interest, send in your mid-year report card and keep confident.  

As the admissions season continues, it’s important to recognize that this process is more competitive than ever before, especially amid the sun belt scramble. For the influx of students who have been deferred, don’t forget you are still very much so in the race. Though it might be hard, try to remember that good things come to those who wait.