How much does Harvard defer?
Asked by: King Mertz | Last update: October 23, 2025Score: 4.3/5 (47 votes)
For the Harvard Class of 2028, 83.06% were deferred. The previous year, for the Harvard Class of 2027, 78% of applicants were deferred. Some years Harvard chooses to release the data point, while other years, the Ivy League schools keeps it close to the vest.
Does Harvard defer a lot of people?
Each year, between 90 and 130 students defer their matriculation to the College, and they report their experiences to be uniformly positive. After graduation, large numbers of Harvard students take time off before beginning work or graduate school.
Does Harvard let you defer?
If a student has already replied as enrolling, but has since changed their mind and would like to defer, they may contact the Admissions Office or submit the Request to Defer form on the Admitted Students Website explaining the request for a deferral as soon as possible and in any event by the end of June.
How many applicants did Harvard defer?
The number most people forget to look at though, is the 78%. Seventy-eight percent of early applicants were deferred. Only 9.5% were denied. It was harder, in the 2022-2023 application cycle, to be denied from Harvard Early Action than it was to be deferred.
Is Harvard free if you make less than 100k?
If your family's income is less than $85,000, you'll pay nothing. For families who earn between $85,000 and $150,000, the expected contribution is between zero and ten percent of your annual income. Families who earn more than $150,000 may still qualify for financial aid.
Harvard University Reports 20% Of Freshman Will Defer
What is the cheapest Ivy League school?
Princeton is often acknowledged as the “most affordable Ivy” due to its commitment to extensive financial aid offerings.
What happens if you get into Harvard but can't afford it?
We make a promise to every admitted student: your financial circumstances will not keep you from Harvard. With our generous financial aid program, a commitment to economic diversity, and a breadth of tools and resources, our office helps make sure nothing stands in the way of your Harvard education.
Can I get into Harvard in my 30s?
There is not an age requirement for applying to Harvard, though applicants are expected to have some secondary school experience.
What are the odds of getting accepted after deferral?
As a deferred student, your application will be reconsidered in the regular round and you are released from the binding commitment of early decision. Across the more competitive schools, roughly 10% of deferred students are ultimately accepted in the regular decision round.
How many people did MIT defer?
The higher acceptance rate in the Early Action pool suggests a Regular Decision acceptance rate of roughly 3-4%. Meanwhile, 8,052 applicants were deferred — 64.1% of applicants.
Does Yale defer people?
So just as Yale's deferral rate has decreased over the last few years, the Ivy League school's rejection rate in the Early Action round has surged. In short, Yale is rejecting many more applicants than it used to defer, only to later reject so many of them in the Regular Decision round.
How many Harvard waitlists are there?
Unfortunately, the number of people on the Harvard waitlist is not public knowledge. Due to Harvard's competitive nature and the published numbers from similar schools, Harvard's waitlist is roughly 1000 to 2000 people. For the 2026 class, we know that Harvard accepted 36 students from the waitlist.
How many people get deferred from Cornell?
Cornell Deferral FAQ
And since, in recent years, between 21.7% to 24.3% of applicants have been deferred, the overwhelming majority have been denied admission outright.
What does it mean when Harvard defers you?
It means that you are POTENTIALLY a candidate Harvard would consider. Essentially, you weren't put in the "definitely nope" pile. It speaks very little to the strength of your application however, especially from Harvard. roughly 80% of applicants for early Harvard will be deferred.
What is the dropout rate for Harvard?
What are the graduation rates for students at Harvard University? Harvard University boasts impressive graduation rates, with 97% of students graduating, placing it in the top 5% of institutions. The retention rate is also noteworthy at 96%, ranking in the top 10%.
Does MIT defer a lot?
Yes, since MIT's Early Action deferral rate has been between 64% and 73% over the last several years, a figure that is higher than many of MIT's Ivy League peers, there's no beating around the bush that an MIT deferral doesn't carry quite as much weight as, say, a Brown University deferral.
How many Harvard deferrals get accepted?
Historically, about 10% of students who Harvard defers ultimately earn admission in Regular Decision. While this data point can vary from year to year, it's rarely released by the school. But, over the years, Ivy Coach's sources in Harvard's admissions office have confirmed that 10% is the general rule of thumb.
Is getting deferred from an ivy good?
For many students, this can be an advantage, as the Regular Decision pool is typically not as strong as the early pools. A deferral also provides students the opportunity to show an improvement in grades, especially if they're taking a challenging senior year course load.
Is deferral a soft rejection?
Deferrals are not rejections. Rather, they signal that the admissions office sees potential in your application but is not ready to make an early decision. Instead, the admissions committee wants to evaluate it alongside a larger applicant pool, so they send a deferral letter.
Can you get into Harvard with a 3.1 GPA?
While it's certainly possible to get into Harvard with a low GPA, as the numbers bear out, it's improbable. For the Class of 2027, a mere 2.21% of admitted students to Harvard had GPAs below 3.5.
Who is the youngest person to get into Harvard?
Harvard University (1909–1914)
Although the university had previously refused to let his father enroll him at age 9 because he was still a child, in 1909, at age 11, Sidis set a record by becoming the youngest person to enroll at Harvard University.
What is the average age at HBS?
Share if you like the post: Average age of the class at HBS is 27 years.
Does Harvard give 100% financial aid?
While you're not likely to find a "100% scholarship" at Harvard, their need-based financial aid program is designed to make it affordable for students from all economic backgrounds.
Is Princeton free for low-income families?
Princeton is now offering grants covering “100% of tuition, room and board” for students whose families earn up to $100,000, beginning in fall 2023, according to Princeton's Admission and Aid page. Typically, Princeton tuition is over $83,000 per year, according to News 12 New Jersey.