Ah, spring. It’s a time for blooming flowers, rising temperatures, and receiving college admission decisions. We’ve all seen the YouTube videos of ecstatic students jumping for joy over receiving an acceptance letter. However, there is a lesser known but equally common reaction that occurs: Tearing open an envelope and wondering “what does my college application status mean?” To help you avoid falling into the latter category, we’ve compiled the most common college application status meanings and the next steps needed for each.
If you receive a fat envelope in the mail with an admit decision, congratulations – you’ve been accepted to the university! This is a no-strings-attached decision, meaning you don’t need to meet any additional requirements or submit any additional information.
An application status of conditional admit means you’ve been accepted to the university, but you’ll need to meet certain criteria in order to enroll. For example, you may be required to start during a semester other than the one you applied for, take part in a special college-readiness program, or complete additional foundation courses.
Top universities have become extremely selective and almost always receive more qualified applications than seats available in the next class – particularly for students seeking a traditional fall semester start. If your application wasn’t competitive for fall semester admission, it may have been evaluated for summer or spring semester admission when fewer applicants seek to enroll.
In addition, admissions officers may have determined that participating in a college-readiness program or taking special courses will ensure you transition to college seamlessly and are ready to meet the academic rigors of a selective university.
ReferredA status of referred could mean many things. If you’re applying for a talent-based program such as music or art, your application may need to be evaluated by staff outside the admissions office. Applicants also might be referred for consideration for a special academic program.
Students applying to talent-based programs often need to complete additional steps, such as scheduling an audition or submitting a portfolio, in order for the university to make an admission decision. If you are not applying to a talent-based program, your application may be referred to another department that admits students to special programs (for example, first-generation-in-college or 2+2 transfer programs).
If you receive a status of deferred, you aren’t currently admissible to the university but could be at a later date.
If your grades or test scores are not competitive for admission, the university may want to see your first-term senior year grades, new test SAT/ACT test scores, or in some cases, a personal statement addressing a recent drop in your grades before making a final admission decision.
If you applied to a university as an early decision or early action candidate, a deferral means you weren’t admitted in the early round, but your application will be considered as part of the regular decision pool of applicants.
WaitlistedYou may receive a status of waitlisted when you are qualified for admission, but there is not currently space available in the incoming class.
Universities with rolling admission evaluate applications as soon as they are received and issue decisions shortly thereafter. If you applied late in the application cycle, you may be qualified for admission, but all slots have been filled already. Alternatively, you may be waitlisted if you qualify for admission, but all spots have been offered to applicants with stronger credentials.
If you receive a denied status, it means you have not been accepted to the university.
While it can be hard to acknowledge, you may have been denied for any number of reasons, from grades or test scores that were not competitive to coursework that doesn’t meet minimum academic requirements (such as a certain number of high school math or language courses).
A status of cancelled means your application has been canceled voluntarily or by the Office of Admissions.
Either you elected to cancel your application, or the Office of Admissions cancelled it for failure to pay an application fee or submit requested information by the deadline.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of your college application status meaning, but if you still have questions, don’t go it alone. Please reach out to the admissions recruiter at the universities where you’ve applied for assistance. For students who have applied to USF, contact the USF Office of Admissions for help, either online or by phone at 813-974-3350.
Want quick access to the application status definitions in this article? Download our glossary so it’s handy whenever you need it.
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Jen Carlevatti, former Associate Director of Communications and freelance Content Developer for USF, she enjoys empowering students in college admissions.
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