Were you deferred for Early Decision admission to Claremont McKenna College? Remember that plenty of students before you have successfully overcome this setback and now call Claremont McKenna home. This is your comprehensive guide to navigating your deferral.

The Percentage of Accepted Claremont McKenna Early Decision Applicants

Admissions officers at Claremont McKenna seek to admit highly enthusiastic students who are 100% sure that this prestigious liberal arts college is meant for them, so they admit Early Decision applicants at a much higher rate than Regular Decision applicants. Roughly 30% of ED applicants have earned admission over the last eleven years, an acceptance rate that has stayed relatively constant even as it has dwindled to record lows at other elite institutions. 

Admissions Cycle	Claremont McKenna College Graduating Class	Early Decision Acceptance Rate
2023-24	Class of 2028	25%
2022-23	Class of 2027	30%
2021-22	Class of 2026	29%
2020-21	Class of 2025	35%
2019-20	Class of 2024	28%
2018-19	Class of 2023	25%
2017-18	Class of 2022	31%
2016-17	Class of 2021	32%
2015-16	Class of 2020	25%
2014-15	Class of 2019	26%
2013-14	Class of 2018	31%
2012-13	Class of 2017	28%

5 Things Deferred Claremont McKenna Early Decision Applicants Should  Do

Don’t wait to take the following five steps to help counteract your deferral and earn admission to Claremont McKenna:

1. Objectively consider the shortcomings of your application in light of your deferral. Unsure where to begin? An Ivy Coach PostMortem application review with a former elite college admissions officer will clarify areas for improvement. You’ll come away with a new competitive strategy centered around a singular admissions hook.
2. Without delay, write a Letter of Continued Interest that shows Claremont McKenna how you’ll capitalize on all that their campus offers by pursuing your singular hook. And whatever you do, don’t come across as well-rounded! Students with a particular passion, pursuit, or cause are much more admissible than students who succumb to the well-rounded myth!
3. Review your remaining Regular Decision applications and revamp them with your new strategy.
4. Your high school counselor is a crucial ally in your journey to secure admission. They have a secret weapon to help you: their advocacy. Ask them to make an advocacy call to the Claremont McKenna Admissions office after reading about your singular hook in your Letter of Continued Interest. Even though some counselors may hesitate, it’s their job to get admissions officers to fight for your case.
5. After all this hard work, you must keep your grades up for the rest of senior year. Claremont McKenna’s mid-year academic check-in will factor into their final decision.

What Not to Do After Being Deferred by Claremont McKenna 

Now, let’s turn to the many actions to avoid as you navigate your deferral:

1. Instead of asking Claremont McKenna admissions officers why you didn’t get in, save your questions for an Ivy Coach team member. We’ll give you the truth about your application they wouldn’t dare to provide you with!
2. Don’t fill your Letter of Continued Interest with brags and boasts! Moreover, don’t send countless emails detailing every last achievement. If you’ve gotten Ivy Coach’s help with your Letter of Continued Interest, you’ve already done all you can to convince Claremont McKenna that you’re a good fit.
3. Don’t take out your frustration on your high school counselor when you need them in your corner to make an advocacy call. Your deferral is no one’s fault but your own.
4. Some families think any and all documentation of their child’s brilliance will surely convince admissions officers to reverse course. They upload everything from extra recommendations to Duolingo scores to dental records to the application portal. Don’t be one of these students or families.
5. While a trip to the California desert might sound relaxing, don’t make any visits to campus post-deferral. Your enthusiasm will come across as a nuisance!

Claremont McKenna Deferral FAQ

Is it really possible to earn admission to Claremont McKenna after a deferral?

It is possible to turn around a deferral to Claremont McKenna. Take it from our clients who have done so. The road doesn’t end here, so keep your spirits up and see this through!

Does Claremont McKenna courtesy defer some students?

Yes, some unlucky students are deferred for admission to Claremont McKenna even though they will not ultimately be admitted. These courtesy deferrals, as they are known, include legacies and underperforming students who attended a high school with a strong institutional relationship with Claremont McKenna. Admissions officers don’t want to upset alumni donors or jeopardize receiving applications from other students at the competitive high school who apply in the Regular Decision round, so they withhold their final decisions as long as possible. And, no, they’ll never tell you this.

Ivy Coach’s Help After Claremont McKenna Deferral

Don’t take on the burden of your child’s deferral alone. Instead, turn to Ivy Coach to optimize your child’s odds of admission to Claremont McKenna. Fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch about our PostMortem and Letter of Continued Interest deferral package.