Receiving an early action denial can definitely be a learning opportunity for students. It can give them a clearer understanding of where they stand academically compared to the requirements of the college that denied them.

One useful approach is to compare the acceptance rates of the colleges that have accepted them to the acceptance rate of the college that denied them. If there is a significant difference, it may indicate that the college that denied them has higher requirements for academic profile than the student's current level. In this case, the student may need to adjust their expectations and strategy for the regular decision round.

For instance, if a student has been accepted to several colleges with acceptance rates around 50%, but was denied by a college with an acceptance rate of 20%, it may indicate that the college that denied them has higher academic requirements than the colleges that accepted them. Therefore, they may need to consider adding more colleges with acceptance rates similar to their prior acceptances to their regular decision round.

Colleges may defer, if they don’t find your application strong enough for full acceptance. They are moving your decision to a later date, usually regular decision. The admission committee will review your application once again. Some colleges might let you choose to move your application to ED2.

By the time the admission officer reads your application again, they have a better sense of the applicant pool that has applied and can compare your application against this larger pool. 

Make sure to read the deferral decision carefully. The colleges will let you know if there are any steps you need to take for further action. These can include choosing an application plan like ED2/RD, sending mid-year grades, filling a continued interest form or letter, sending additional materials etc. Check college website to see if there is any information for deferred students.

Some colleges welcome extra information like Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI), another reference letter etc., whereas some just ask, "do you want to continue being considered or withdraw?". For e.g., USC only wants to know if you would like to continue, whereas Case western welcomes any additional information/updates. Make sure to send mid-year grades to all schools that deferred you and also to all Regular Decision schools.

Many colleges will allow deferred students to write a letter of continued interest. Here are some tips on how to write an effective LOCI:

• Start with a statement that shows your continued interest in attending the school. Let them know that you are still very interested in being considered for admission.

• Only include new information that you haven't previously mentioned in your application. This can be an academic update, new extracurricular activities or accomplishments, awards, or anything else that shows your continued growth and achievements since you submitted your application.

• Include an updated resume that highlights any new experiences or accomplishments.

• Keep the tone of the letter positive and respectful. Avoid expressing any resentment or negativity towards the college or the admissions decision.

• If the college is your first choice, it's okay to let them know. Expressing your commitment to attending the school if admitted can show your genuine interest in the college.

• Make sure to send the letter within a week or so of your deferral, and check the due date for any LOCI submissions.

• Finally, don't let the deferral decision get you down. Take some time to reflect on your goals and continue to work hard on your academics and extracurriculars. Remember that there are still many great colleges out there, and you will find the right fit for you.

If you have applied ED, you probably will get a decision in December. One of three things can happen.

You get accepted to your first-choice school, Congratulations! ED is a binding agreement; you have few days to confirm and pay your enrollment fee. You will now, have to withdraw all your applications that you have already submitted to other colleges. Most colleges will have a withdrawal button or link on the portal. If not, email the admissions email and ask them to withdraw. You are done with your admissions cycle and now to the fun stuff, looking at housing, finding a roommate etc.

You get rejected. This is not the outcome you wanted. But now you have to pivot. If there are more schools that you haven’t yet submitted, you will need to work on those applications quickly as the regular decision deadlines will be coming up soon. Prioritize any remaining applications and start working on them.

You are deferred, this means your decision was not made by the early decision date. They are waiting on more information from you and will reevaluate your application as a RD application. This is where there are some steps you will need to take, like sending a letter of continued interest (LOCI), sending your mid-year grades etc. Sometimes the school asks you if you want to change your application to ED2. Think about this carefully and choose between switching to ED2, continuing as RD or completely withdrawing the application. If you have gotten a great acceptance into a similar school and are not interested in this anymore, feel free to withdraw.

If you applied EA, or Restricted EA (REA), you will still get the above 3 types of decisions. Early Action (EA) and Restricted Early Action (REA) applications have a non-binding decision deadline, meaning that if you are accepted, you do not have to commit to the school immediately and you do not need to withdraw any of your other applications. REA has some additional restrictions on where else you can apply. You have until the regular decision deadline to make your final decision. This gives you more time to compare financial aid packages and consider other factors before making a final decision. Most EA and REA are released in late December to the end of January time frame.

If you applied to a college or university through the early decision process, you likely signed a binding agreement that requires you to enroll in that school if accepted. However, there are some circumstances in which you may be able to decline an offer of admission.

Some schools may allow students to decline an early decision offer if the financial aid package they receive is not sufficient to make attendance feasible. In this case, it is important to communicate with the school's financial aid office as soon as possible to discuss your options. Keep in mind that policies can vary by institution, and it's best to consult with the specific school's policy and financial aid office. 

Financial aid office at a college or university may ask for more information and work with you to provide additional financial aid if possible. They may also be able to help you explore alternative options for funding your education, such as scholarships, grants, or student loans.

However, it's important to keep in mind that each institution's policies regarding early decision agreements and financial aid may vary. While some schools may release students from their early decision commitment if the financial aid package is not sufficient, others may not.

If you are considering declining an early decision offer due to financial aid, it's important to understand the potential consequences. Breaking an early decision agreement can have serious consequences, including being blacklisted by other schools and potentially harming your future college applications.

It's always best to carefully consider all of your options before making a decision, and if you're unsure about what to do, seek advice from your guidance counselor or another trusted advisor.

You have to provide the final transcript to the college where you decide to enroll. If your grades fall significantly, admission officers will get in touch with you or your counselor to find out the reason. Usually, admission is not rescinded for a little lower grade, but a plagiarism/integrity violation can be grounds for rescinding the offer.