Were you deferred for Early Decision admission to Middlebury College? You might be upset, but it’s crucial that you reassess your admissions strategy while still holding onto hope. After all, admission could be right around the corner! Let’s review the strategic steps you can take to secure admission and make Middlebury your home for the next four years.

Now, if you were rejected Early Decision at Middlebury, ignore everything we just said! Although Middlebury is now off the table, there are lots of other great schools that are still on the table, as long as you’re willing to reevaluate and make changes to your Regular Decision applications. Read on to find out more!

Middlebury College Early Decision Admission Rates Over 19+ Years

First, look at the Early Decision acceptance rate data from 2005 to the present. Unlike most elite schools of its caliber, Middlebury has seen a rough increase in the ED acceptance rate during the last two decades. This trend is an anomaly. During this same period, almost all other top schools saw either a decrease or no change in their ED acceptance rates. 

Admissions Cycle	Middlebury College Class Year	Early Decision Acceptance Rate
2025-26	Class of 2030	Not Yet Released
2024-25	Class of 2029	Not Yet Published
2023-24	Class of 2028	34%
2022-23	Class of 2027	42%
2021-22	Class of 2026	45%
2020-21	Class of 2025	47%
2019-20	Class of 2024	45%
2018-19	Class of 2023	47%
2017-18	Class of 2022	48%
2016-17	Class of 2021	44%
2015-16	Class of 2020	33%
2014-15	Class of 2019	33%
2013-14	Class of 2018	35%
2012-13	Class of 2017	33%
2011-12	Class of 2016	29%
2010-11	Class of 2015	36%
2009-10	Class of 2014	29%
2008-09	Class of 2013	27%
2007-08	Class of 2012	25%
2006-07	Class of 2011	24%
2005-06	Class of 2010	35%

How Many Early Decision Applicants Does Middlebury College Defer/Reject?

Middlebury typically defers around 12% of Early Decision applicants and rejects around 42% of ED applicants. 

5 Steps to Take After Being Deferred by Middlebury College

Here are five steps any student can take to counteract a deferral and optimize their odds of admission to Middlebury:

1. Try to identify the shortcomings of your Early Decision application with as objective an eye as possible. Sure, this is easier said than done, so consider an Ivy Coach PostMortem application review. This service for seniors will equip you with a fuller understanding of what went wrong and how to improve, and you’ll walk away with a new strategy oriented around a singular admissions hook.
2. As soon as possible, pen a Letter of Continued Interest outlining how your singular hook will allow you to take advantage of Middlebury’s resources and opportunities. Don’t fill it with brags, boasts, or bitterness. Instead, reaffirm your interest and highlight your newfound hook!
3. Review your remaining Regular Decision applications and update them with your new competitive strategy. Now is the time to get rid of all of the mistakes you made in your Early round application.
4. Sit down with your high school counselor to help them understand the new strategy outlined in your Letter of Continued Interest before requesting they make an advocacy call to Middlebury on your behalf. And don’t let them  refuse such a call, as admissions advocacy is in their job description!
5. Remember to keep up your grades and stay on your best behavior at school. Show Middlebury what they’re missing! Maintaining a strong academic performance will boost your chances once Middlebury glimpses your mid-year report.

What Not to Do After Being Deferred by Middlebury College

Here’s a comprehensive list of the things to avoid as you navigate your Middlebury deferral:

1. Reach out to the Middlebury admissions office to find out why you didn’t get in. The reason doesn’t matter, and it’s improbable they’ll tell you the genuine reasons why you were deferred in any case.
2. Send weekly updates to Middlebury on all that you’re up to and all you’re achieving. All you can do is submit that one compelling Letter of Continued Interest. Any further contact by you will only render you less likable, and it will drown out the power of your letter. Don’t sabotage your chances!
3. Complain to your high school counselor. Don’t make it seem like it’s their fault you didn’t get in. You applied to a highly selective school, so the results are your own responsibility. Besides, your high school counselor can be your greatest advocate in Regular Decision.
4. Upload nonsense to your application portal. Middlebury doesn’t want to see your dental records. They don’t want to see lots of additional letters of recommendation. The thicker the file, the thicker the student, as they say.
5. Don’t pitch a tent outside the admissions office or take out a bus advertisement imploring Middlebury to admit you. Don’t send them a video. And don’t send them cookies either. Hey, you’d be surprised by the crazy things deferred students do!

What to Do When Rejected By Middlebury College

Okay, so the worst has come to pass. Try to find your peace and take some deep breaths, and then immediately go into making the most out of Regular Decision mode. Middlebury typically defers around 12% of Early Decision applicants and rejects around 42% of ED applicants, so take solace in the fact that you’re not the only one experiencing this disappointing turn of events.

Typical Middlebury Early Decision Acceptance Rate	Typical Middlebury Early Decision Deferral Rate	Typical Middlebury Early Decision Rejection Rate
Approx. 46%	Approx. 12%	Approx. 42%

So is that all there is to it? Does your admissions journey end here? Of course not! Figure out what went wrong and how to best proceed with Ivy Coach’s PostMortem, which is a comprehensive review of your application’s shortcomings guided by a member of our team of former elite college admissions officers. You’ll come away with a competitive strategy for Regular Decision admission oriented around an irresistible singular hook (irresistible, that is, to admissions officers at your remaining schools!). There’s still time to get ahead of your college destiny with our help!

Next Steps After Being Rejected by Middlebury

PostMortem Application Review

After receiving word of a deferral from Middlebury, don’t wait too long before contacting Ivy Coach for a PostMortem application review. Yes, you can do some deep breathing to re-center yourself for a few minutes during this overwhelming time. And feel free to remind yourself that countless others have been in the exact same spot. But time is of the essence now, so it’s crucial to spring into action once you’ve regained your peace after (ideally) a few short minutes.

During Ivy Coach’s PostMortem, we:

• Reevaluate current applications that you’re still working on. We’ll comb through each and every section of the application, including the essays and the non-essay portions. We need to readjust which schools you’re prioritizing now that you’ve been rejected from your top choice. Oh, and if you believe that these applications are close to done, we’ve got a reality check for you. There’s no point doubling down on those same mistakes! This is your one and only opportunity to change course.
• Fix your narrative so you come off as a uniquely talented individual rather than as a well-rounded one. You may have learned the hard way that presenting yourself as someone who excels in various domains only serves to make you seem like a jack of all trades and thus a master of none. Colleges these days want masters of one! So, we’ll correct this misconception and help you pivot to a strategy that actually works, otherwise known as Ivy Coach’s secret sauce: the singular hook.
• Correct the little-known missteps and errors that stand out to an admissions officer, even if they seem insignificant and unimportant. Rejection can always come down to something as plain and simple as a thought or idea that was miscommunicated and did not vibe with that college’s culture. For instance, students who brag make themselves unlikable to admissions officers since no one likes a braggart (and, yes, writing about how you fundraised $45,000 for a charity is not impressive, it’s bragging. Or if you were chosen out of a pool of thousands for a seemingly prestigious but actually totally blasé summer enrichment program at a highly selective university, that counts as bragging too!).
• Take stock of your admissions prospects moving forward with a realistic eye and consider applying Early Decision II at a school that, while perhaps less of a reach for you than Middlebury, hits the sweet spot between prestige and admissions feasibility. Not all students are right for ED II, and not all schools provide an ED II round. It’s time to do your research and figure out an admissions pathway that works for you.

Application Assistance

Following your PostMortem, a necessary first step for us to understand what went wrong and how you should reposition your application narrative, we:

• Overhaul your applications with Ivy Coach’s assistance. Now that you have a game plan to move forward and you understand the college admissions landscape a little better, let’s put everything you’ve learned from your PostMortem into practice. We can’t fix every mistake you’ve made throughout high school, however, there’s a lot we can still correct at this late date with regard to how you position your narrative and how you plan to get admissions officers to root for you.

What Not to Do After Being Rejected by Middlebury

If you want to make yourself look bad in the admissions process, do these things (please do NOT do these things):

1. Do not submit your remaining applications as is to other schools. Use this rejection as a course corrector; it’s your one opportunity. Something clearly isn’t right about your application, and it ultimately led to a rejection. Don’t ignore that! There is no second opportunity after Regular Decision deadlines, so don’t put yourself in a bad spot intentionally if you can avoid it. 
2. Do not reach out to the Middlebury admissions office with silly questions about why you were rejected. What could they possibly say that you actually want to hear? It’s a waste of everyone’s time, yours and theirs, because they won’t give you an answer, and they’ll also just become more confident in their decision not to accept you. Middlebury does not conduct appeals. Don’t beg. It’s unbecoming. You have dignity! Your decision is final!
3. Do not be super picky with your choice of Regular Decision schools and/or leave off safety schools from your Regular Decision list. Unsure what counts as a safety school? That’s where our team of former elite college admissions officers comes in to help. You can’t afford to be that choosy in the admissions process anymore, not now that you’ve wasted your Early card. We do not tolerate any pickiness in December from rejected applicants. Often, students who come to work with us after a rejection end up attending a school that Ivy Coach adds to their list at this time of year. When we say we don’t tolerate pickiness, we really do mean it. It won’t serve you as an applicant.
4. Do not blame your school counselor for an admissions decision that is ultimately your burden to bear. High school counselors are not infallible, we know that (i.e., they sometimes refuse to make advocacy calls on behalf of their students), but they are also your biggest ally right now in the fight for your college future. That’s right, delete that angry email! Hang up that phone before you leave a voicemail you’ll regret!

Middlebury College Deferral and Rejection FAQ

What does Middlebury value that’s not necessarily important to other schools?

Middlebury is a small, close-knit liberal arts college located deep in the forests of Vermont. It values applicants who would do well in this environment, so a love of the outdoors, student traditions, and a deep knowledge of campus history are highly prized qualities.

Does Middlebury admit fewer deferred students than other top universities?

Middlebury typically admits around 10% of deferred candidates, a figure on par with the average across elite universities.

Is it really possible to earn admission to Middlebury after a deferral?

Yes, it’s absolutely possible to earn admission to Middlebury after a deferral. Where there is a will, there’s a way, and Ivy Coach’s expert guidance can certainly enhance your chances. Many of the students who first come to us after receiving deferrals from Middlebury have successfully been admitted to Middlebury post-deferral over the years, and we’re here to help you achieve the same.

How do I cope with the feeling of wasted time and effort now that I’ve been rejected at Middlebury? 

We know, rejection can hurt. You may feel like you spent all that time on your application for nothing. But we’re going to reiterate that a rejection can actually be a positive experience if you use it to inform how you should move forward. Yes, you’re going to have to spend more time and effort on the college admissions process even though you hoped you might be done already, but after a PostMortem with Ivy Coach, you have a lot more information than you had when you first submitted that application. You can use that to your advantage!

Can my child appeal their rejection from Middlebury College?

No. Middlebury does not allow appeals of admissions decisions. The word from the Middlebury admissions office is final. If your child received a rejection, your child will not be attending Middlebury next year as a member of the Class of 2030, but that doesn’t mean they can’t reapply next year for first-year admission (if they take a gap or PG year) or apply as a transfer candidate (if they go to another college next year).

Ivy Coach’s Help After Middlebury Deferral or Rejection

Your child’s deferral is just the beginning of their journey to Middlebury. The time is now to optimize their odds of admission through a PostMortem and Letter of Continued Interest package for deferred students.

And if your child was rejected by Middlebury, find out what went wrong through our PostMortem so the same mistakes aren’t repeated on their Regular Decision applications due in no time. Fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form and we’ll be in touch with an outline of our services.