MIT Sloan | Mr. Tim Cook Of Seafood
GMAT 700, GPA 3.8
NYU Stern | Ms. Professional Storyteller
GRE 326, GPA 3.4
Yale | Ms. Public Service To B-school
GRE 320, GPA 3.2
Kellogg | Mr. Team Builder
GMAT 690, GPA 4.0
Harvard | Mr. Missed The Boat?
GMAT 720, GPA 4.0
Said Business School | Mr. DRM
GRE 317, GPA 2.9
Duke Fuqua | Mr. Athletic Banker
GMAT 770, GPA 2.8
Kellogg | Ms. Grocery Lady
GMAT 740, GPA 3.65
Stanford GSB | Mr. Technocrat Investor (Deferred)
GRE 338, GPA 3.52 (Department Rank 1/60)
Georgetown McDonough | Ms. Medical Doctor Yarn Artist
GRE 309, GPA 3.23
Harvard | Ms. Sustainability-Focused Consultant
GMAT 770, GPA 3.9/4.0
NYU Stern | Mr. Disgruntled Academic
GMAT 720, GPA 3.6
INSEAD | Mr. Future Luxury Hotel Area Manager
GRE 284, GPA 5.25/10
Cambridge Judge Business School | Mr. Sports BI Analyst
GMAT 640, GPA 3.52
Tuck | Mr. Musician
GMAT 700, GPA 3.97
Stay informed.
Sign Up!
PQ Logo
Featured Schools
Rice-MBA-logo
University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
Search for:
Toggle navigation PQ Logo
Today's Featured Schools
Featured Schools
Rice-MBA-logo
University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
  • Search for:
  • Sign In
  • Register
  • News
    • MBA News
    • Archives By Category
  • Rankings
    • Rankings Home
    • Poets&Quants Top 100 MBA Ranking
    • Poets&Quants International Top 50 MBA Ranking
    • Poets&Quants Best Online MBA Ranking
    • Best MBA Programs For Entrepreneurship
    • Fantasy MBA Ranking Game
  • Schools
    • MBA Programs
    • Executive MBA Programs
    • Online MBA Programs
    • Specialized Masters Programs
    • Kelley Direct Day In The Life
    • Spotlight On IE Tower
    • Insider’s Guides to the Top Business Schools
    • School Videos & Deep Dives
  • Admissions
    • MBA Admissions News & Advice
    • MBA Admissions Consultant Directory
    • The Admissionado | MBA Exchange Hub
    • MBA Game Plan With Fortuna Admissions
    • Handicapping Your MBA Odds
    • Calculate My MBA Odds
    • Podcasts By P&Q
  • Financing
  • GMAT / GRE
    • Test Prep Advice & News
    • Test Prep Resources From Manhattan Prep
  • Students
  • Jobs
  • EMBA
  • Online MBA
  • Masters
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Home
  • News
  • Rankings
    • Top 100 MBA Ranking
    • Top 50 International MBA Ranking
    • Top Programs For Entrepreneurship
    • Top Online MBA Ranking
    • All MBA Rankings
    • Fantasy MBA Ranking Game
  • Schools & Programs
    • MBA Programs
    • Executive MBA Programs
    • Online MBA Programs
    • Specialized Masters Programs
    • Kelley Direct Journal
    • IE Tower Spotlight
    • Insider’s Guides To Top Schools
  • Admissions
    • Admissions News & Advice
    • Admissions Consultant Directory
    • The Admissionado | MBA Exchange Hub
    • MBA Adventure With Fortuna Admissions
    • Handicapping Your MBA Odds
    • Calculate My MBA Odds
  • Financing
  • GMAT / GRE
    • Test Prep News & Advice
    • Manhattan Prep Resources
  • Students
  • MBA Jobs
  • Executive MBA
  • Online MBA
  • Specialized Masters
  • Events
  • Videos & Podcasts
  1. Home
  2. Sponsored Blogs: Insights & Advice From MBA Admissions Consultants
  3. What Business Schools Really Think When You Ask For A Deferral

What Business Schools Really Think When You Ask For A Deferral

by: Karen Marks, president and founder of North Star Admissions Consulting on June 14, 2017 | 3,078 Views
June 14, 2017
    • Copy Link
    • Share on Facebook
    • Share on Twitter
    • Email
    • Share on LinkedIn
    • Share on WhatsApp
    • Share on Reddit

mba chosen deferral

The dust is settling, and the MBA application cycle is winding down. For some of you, despite having been admitted to one or more schools, you may not feel sure that are ready to matriculate – at least not to those programs. If this sounds familiar, you might be considering asking for a deferral.

Here is insight into what business schools really think when you ask for a deferral:

 

  • They assume that you are planning to reapply to your first choice, which presumably isn’t their school.

Even if you tell the admissions committee that you want to defer for personal or professional reasons they will suspect that you are going to reapply to another program.

  • If you cite finances, they think that you don’t have your act together.

Admissions Committees expect you to understand your finances before you apply, and to assume responsibility for paying for school. Although they get that business school is a giant investment, there are many equally qualified candidates who can afford it, so asking for an extra year to set aside more money isn’t very compelling.

  • They know that there is a good chance that you aren’t ever going to matriculate, and they become less invested in yielding you.

Statistically, there is a pretty high attrition rate for deferred candidates. Schools understand that you are less likely to ever attend if you ask for a deferral, and they aren’t prone to incentivize you to matriculate with scholarships, preferred housing, etc.

  • They may be personally disappointed.

Admissions officers have likely gotten to know you throughout the application process, and may have even advocated for you to get in over other candidates. As a result, they may feel let down that your plans have changed. It’s helpful to know this before initiating any deferral conversations, so that you can be appropriately sensitive to the dynamic.


Karen has more than 12 years of experience evaluating candidates for admission to Dartmouth College and to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Since founding North Star Admissions Consulting in 2012, she has helped applicants gain admission to the nation’s top schools, including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Wharton, MIT, Tuck, Columbia, Kellogg, Booth, Haas, Duke, Johnson, Ross, NYU, UNC, UCLA, Georgetown and more. Clients have been awarded more than $47 million dollars in scholarships, and more than 98% have gotten into one of their top choice schools.

Comments or questions about this article? Email us.

Trending

Consulting Pay: What MBAs Earned In 2022

business schools to watch

10 Business Schools To Watch In 2023

Poets&Quants 2022-2023 MBA ranking

Poets&Quants 2022-2023 MBA Ranking: A Surprising Change At The Top

mba salaries and bonuses

MBA Salaries & Bonuses At The Top 30 U.S. Business Schools

Tagged: admissions consultant, admissions consulting, deferred admission MBA, deferring mba admission, how MBA admissions works, Karen Marks, MBA admissions committee, mba admissions consultant directory, MBA admissions consultants, North Star Admissions

Post navigation

Previous Article: The Favorite Professors Of Top MBAs
Next Article: You Can Now Re-Order GMAT Exam Sections
  • Stay Informed. Sign Up! Login
    Logout
    Follow Us
  • Personal MBA Coach: The Benefits Of A Deferred MBA
  • Partner Blogs
    Dr. Judith Silverman Hodara Fortuna

    Tips For Finance Candidates: Turn A Layoff Into MBA Admission

    by Judith Silverman Hodara, Fortuna Admissions (24 hours ago)
    Caroline Diarte Edwards

    5 Top Tips To Maximize Your MBA Application Process Now

    by Caroline Diarte Edwards, Fortuna Admissions (2 weeks ago)
    Cassandra Pittman Fortuna

    What You Need To Know To Get Into INSEAD & LBS

    by Cassandra Pittman, Fortuna Admissions (2 weeks ago)
    Karen Marks, president and founder of North Star Admissions Consulting

    MBA Admissions Advice You Might Not Want To Hear

    by Karen Marks, President and Founder of North Star Admissions Consulting (3 weeks ago)
  • Specialized Masters Program Directory MBA Admissions Consultant Directory Online MBA Hub Home Assess My MBA Odds Fantasy MBA Ranking

Our Partner Sites: Poets&Quants for Execs | Poets&Quants for Undergrads | Tipping the Scales | We See Genius

About Poets&Quants | P&Q News Archives | Privacy Policy | Advertising & Partnerships | Editorial | Contact Us | Sign In / Register

Copyright© 2023 Poets&Quants, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Website Design By: Yellowfarmstudios.com