What Do High Deferment Rates at Harvard mean for the Class of '25?

Typically, the amount of incoming Harvard students that defer enrollment and take a gap year is between 80 and 110 students. However, this year, The Harvard Crimson reported the number is currently at 340. That figure represents over 20% of the Class of 2024, and furthermore, more than 20% of the undergraduates in total at Harvard will not be enrolling for the fall semester. Many of the students are estimated to be international first-year students, whom have had their F-1 visas revoked by the U.S. government, therefore inhibiting their return.

So what does this mean for the Class of ‘25, which will be joined by many of these students deferring this year? Prospectively, colleges will have fewer open spots next year which may mean a more competitive application process in the coming year. Most colleges have denied that deferments affect the open slots for subsequent admissions cycles, but we’ve never seen numbers like this before. If anything, it seems likely that colleges will begin denying gap-year deferments which are typically approved without much resistance.

That being said, top colleges are still taking steps to adapt the admissions process in the face of COVID-related challenges, including the suspension of standardized testing requirements and a more realistic expectation of student’s extracurriculars in this time. Additional COVID-19 related updates to standardized testing and college admissions can be found here.

For specifics on what colleges will be expecting this year and more advice on how to navigate this unprecedented admissions cycle, reach out to an expert from the Ivy Link team to design a personalized plan for your student.