Was your child deferred from Harvard College in the Early Action round to the Class of 2030? Do you want to ascertain your child’s chances of admission in the Regular Decision round post-deferral? Curious to know the best game plan for your child after receiving Harvard’s deferral notification? Or was your child outright rejected?

If so, you’ve come to the right place to learn what a Harvard deferral means and what a deferred student should do after learning Harvard kicked the can on their admissions decision. And if your child happened to be rejected, we’ve got lots of tips for you as well.

What Percentage of Early Action Applicants Does Harvard University Typically Defer?

While the percentage of students Harvard defers each Early Action cycle can vary, Harvard has not yet released admissions statistics for the Class of 2029 (be sure to read more about why Harvard is keeping its figures close to the vest for now). For the Harvard Class of 2028, 83.06% were deferred. The previous year, for the Harvard Class of 2027, 78% of applicants were deferred. Some years Harvard chooses to release the data point, while other years, the Ivy League school keeps it close to the vest. But, historically, most students not offered admission to Harvard’s incoming class in the Early Action round are deferred rather than denied outright.

Harvard Defers Too Many Early Action Applicants

We’ve long argued at Ivy Coach that Harvard, and many elite universities, defer too many Early applicants. After all, if only around 10% of Early applicants will ultimately earn admission in Regular Decision, it makes little sense that the school would need to string so many students along. Instead, the school should outright reject some of these applicants so they can move on and set their sights on their new dream schools.

But, of course, Harvard strings such a large group of these students along to keep their options open. In the unlikely event the Regular Decision pool is small or weak, Harvard has over 7,000 deferred applicants to fill seats. And these students, if admitted, will likely want to attend Harvard even more now after their deferrals since Harvard played so hard to get.

What Percentage of Early Action Applicants Does Harvard University Typically Deny?

While the percentage of students Harvard denies each Early Action cycle can vary and the statistic has not yet been released for the Classes of 2030 or Class of 2029, for the Class of 2028, 7.7% were rejected outright. The previous year, for the Class of 2027, 9.5% of applicants were denied admission. Some years Harvard chooses to release the data point, while other years, the Ivy League school keeps it close to the vest because they don’t distinguish the deferred candidates from the denied candidates in their data. But, historically, most students not offered admission to Harvard’s incoming class in the Early Action round are deferred rather than denied.

What Percentage of Early Action Applicants Does Harvard Typically Accept?

In a break from tradition, Harvard did not disclose its Early Action admission rate for the Class of 2029 on the day EA decisions were released (December 12, 2024). For the Class of 2028, 8.74% of Harvard’s Early Action applicants earned admission — the highest EA admission rate since the Class of 2024. Below you will find Harvard’s Early Action admission rate for each year, dating back to the 2002-2003 admissions cycle for the Class of 2007. You’ll note one indisputable trend: a shrinking percentage of admitted students.

Admissions Cycle	Harvard Graduating Class	Harvard’s Early Action Admission Rate
2025-2026	Class of 2030	Not Yet Released
2024-2025	Class of 2029	Not Yet Released
2023-2024	Class of 2028	8.74%
2022-2023	Class of 2027	7.56%
2021-2022	Class of 2026	7.87%
2020-2021	Class of 2025	7.4%
2019-2020	Class of 2024	13.9%
2018-2019	Class of 2023	13.4%
2017-2018	Class of 2022	14.5%
2016-2017	Class of 2021	14.5%
2015-2016	Class of 2020	14.9%
2014-2015	Class of 2019	16.5%
2013-2014	Class of 2018	21.1%
2012-2013	Class of 2017	18.4%
2011-2012	Class of 2016	18.2%
2010-2011	Class of 2015	Not Reported
2009-2010	Class of 2014	Not Reported
2008-2009	Class of 2013	Not Reported
2007-2008	Class of 2012	Not Reported
2006-2007	Class of 2011	21.8%
2005-2006	Class of 2010	20.8%
2004-2005	Class of 2009	21%
2003-2004	Class of 2008	23.3%
2002-2003	Class of 2007	15.1%

What Should Applicants Do After Being Deferred by Harvard?

PostMortem Application Review

After receiving word of a deferral from Harvard, we recommend swiftly completing Ivy Coach’s PostMortem application review. During this PostMortem, we:

• Offer feedback on up to three complete college applications. We go through every section of each application, including the essays and non-essay portions.
• Brainstorm a powerful extracurricular hook to present as singularly talented rather than well-rounded in activities and storytelling. Elite colleges don’t want students who do sports, music, and community service. They want students who excel in one specific area that’s of interest to them.
• Correct mistakes on the seemingly insignificant but very important non-essay portions of applications. If your child included their social security number, it implies they’re applying for financial aid. If your child filled up the Additional Information section with superfluous material, it risks rendering them unlikeable. If your child isn’t taking all five key subjects as a senior, including foreign language, it can preclude their admission.
• Compose an appropriate list of colleges for Regular Decision. Often, there are elite colleges that are glaring omissions on students’ Regular Decision lists. We can’t tell you how many times students end up attending the school we add to their list — the glaring omission.

Common Mistakes Addressed During Ivy Coach’s PostMortem

If your child made any of the following mistakes (which are definitely not exhaustive) in the Early Action round, it’s time to take corrective action for the Regular Decision round:

In their Personal Statement, they penned an essay about sports, music, community service, their grandparents, or travel.

In a Why College essay, they name-dropped professors or classes. Or they wrote generic sentences that could apply to any school in America (“I want to go to the school because of its beautiful campus, intimate class sizes, wonderful professors, and diverse student body.”). Admissions officers weren’t born yesterday! They know students can cut and paste those sentences for almost any school.

They bragged about the number of hours they volunteered at each activity in the activities section (hours per week should be on the left-hand column, not in the valuable description). Students should preserve the words in the description to include small details about each activity.

Their activities section included a mix of sports, tutoring, and music — rendering them well-rounded. It should be the opposite of their objective.

They tooted their own horn about their activities in their essays, which will only come across as selling: admit me, admit me! There’s no need for students to incorporate all of their activities in their storytelling.

They applied to a school that was an impossible dream, and their Regular Decision list is more of the same. It’s time for a reality check. At Ivy Coach, we tell it like it is — whether students and their parents want to hear it or not.

Write a Letter of Continued Interest

A Letter of Continued Interest should be designed as a glowing love letter to the school. It should be brimming with specifics of how a student hopes to contribute their singular hook — whatever that singular hook might be — to the institution’s culture, traditions, programs, institutes, activities, and so much more.

If a student did not frame their narrative powerfully in their initial application, which is all too common, it’s a chance to reframe their narrative. But the letter cannot just be a Personal Statement. It must contain specifics that only apply to the college that deferred their candidacy. It should be a portrait of the student actively engaged on the campus, contributing their singular hook to the school’s pertinent offerings.

But we know you want more specifics on what to include in a Letter of Continued Interest. We’re sorry to disappoint. The secret sauce of Ivy Coach’s Letters of Continued Interest is a delicious, secret family recipe.

What a Letter of Continued Interest Should Not Do

No matter what you read online, a Letter of Continued Interest should be devoid of brags or updates. That’s for the school counselor to relay to the admissions office — not for students to relay. No one likes a braggart. Inserting brags and updates in the Letter of Continued Interest will generally render the student less likable. It should also not contain a list of schools to which the applicant has already gained admission, as that will only lead admissions officers to dislike the student strongly (who would root for that student?). And it should not begin with, “My name is…” A Letter of Continued Interest should not be uncreative!

When Applicants Should Submit Their Letters of Continued Interest

Deferred applicants should submit a Letter of Continued Interest within a few days of their deferral. If deferral notifications go out on December 15th, we encourage students to submit their Letters of Continued Interest by December 20th.

And while submitting right away is preferable (we believe in the primacy effect of social psychology, and we want Harvard’s admissions officers to know the student doesn’t have sour grapes), if students are slow to prepare their Letters of Continued Interest, we prefer they not submit them in the few days leading up to Christmas or between Christmas and New Year’s. We would rather they upload them a few days into the New Year.

How Applicants Can Submit Their Letters of Continued Interest

The letter should be uploaded to Harvard’s portal. There’s no need to email it since Harvard’s admissions committee prefers any update or letter be uploaded to the deferred candidate’s portal.

Chances of Getting into Harvard After Being Deferred

Historically, about 10% of students who Harvard defers ultimately earn admission in Regular Decision. While this data point can vary from year to year, it’s rarely released by the school. But, over the years, Ivy Coach’s sources in Harvard’s admissions office have confirmed that 10% is the general rule of thumb. That figure has remained relatively consistent over the last decade.

A Harvard Deferred Student’s Chances Improve Dramatically with Ivy Coach

For students who first come to Ivy Coach after a deferral by Harvard, over the last five years, about 44% earn admission to Harvard in Regular Decision. This means that the majority — 56% — still do not get in. It’s why we only take on students after a deferral from Harvard if they fully understand that their chances aren’t strong and all we can do is give them the best chance possible. If that’s not enough for them, we’d much prefer they seek help elsewhere.

What To Do After Being Rejected By Harvard

Did you receive a rejection from Harvard? If so, you’re not alone. While Harvard typically defers far more students in the Early Action round than it rejects, it’s still a possibility. Countless students with stellar grades and competitive applications have found themselves in the same situation. So, what’s next? Ivy Coach has a plan. Are you ready to take the next step?

By signing up for Ivy Coach’s PostMortem, you’ll develop a competitive strategy for Regular Decision admission with the help of our team of elite college admissions officers, including Ivy Coach’s Chad Faber, a longtime former Harvard admissions officer.

Every year, we help many students turn around their futures by optimizing their cases for admission to their remaining schools. Elite schools want to be assured that you’re worth the risk of admission — that you’ll actually do something with the gift of admission. We proceed from that knowledge by developing a plan to make the most of your future campus by leveraging all the resources and opportunities it has to offer. Pivoting your focus to Regular Decision schools could be a game-changing decision that results in an acceptance letter — but remember, time is of the essence. Don’t delay in taking control of your admissions destiny!

Harvard Early Action Rejection Rate

First, let’s unpack where you stand as a rejected Harvard applicant. Typically, Harvard defers the majority of applicants. For the Class of 2028, 86.03% of students received deferrals (only 7.7% were rejected). For the Class of 2027, that same figure stood at 78% (only 9.5% were rejected).

Now, since we have a reputation for not sugarcoating at Ivy Coach, we’re not going to start sugarcoating now. After all, you’ve entered a no spin zone. As such, in light of Harvard’s high deferral rate, a rejection from Harvard means it wasn’t even close. It means either there are major mistakes in a rejected student’s application and/or Harvard was so far beyond the realm of possibility. Students should always apply to reach schools (just not impossible reaches).

Had you come to Ivy Coach before facing rejection, we likely would have told you how to reposition your case for admission and/or rethink your Early strategy.

Admissions Cycle	Harvard University Class Year	Harvard’s Early Action Rejection Rate	Harvard’s Early Action Deferral Rate
2025-2026	Class of 2030	Not Yet Released	Not Yet Released
2024-2025	Class of 2029	Not Yet Released	Not Yet Released
2023-2024	Class of 2028	7.70%	86.03%
2022-2023	Class of 2027	9.50%	78%

What Should Applicants Do After Being Rejected by Harvard?

PostMortem Application Review

After receiving word of a deferral from Harvard, we don’t recommend delaying before contacting Ivy Coach for a PostMortem application review. Yes, you should take a deep breath to re-center yourself for a few minutes during this stressful time, and remind yourself that countless others have been in your exact position. But ultimately, time is of the essence now, so spring into action once you’ve regained your peace (you can burn some minutes regaining your peace, but not hours).

During Ivy Coach’s PostMortem, we:

• Help you to reevaluate the current applications you’re working on. We go through every section of each application, including the essays and non-essay portions, and readjust which schools you’re prioritizing now that you’ve been rejected from your top choice. You may think these applications are done or near-done, but, after a Harvard rejection, why double down on the same mistakes? This is your opportunity to correct course.
• Work with you to present you 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 a master of none. We’ll correct this mistake and help you pivot to a strategy that actually works: the singular hook.
• Correct the little-known mistakes and missteps that may have contributed to your rejection. Sometimes, rejection comes down to something as simple as a thought or idea that was miscommunicated and did not gel with that college’s culture. For instance, students who brag do themselves no favor in the Harvard admissions process since no one likes a braggart (and, yes, writing about how you raised $25,000 for a charity or were selected out of a pool of thousands for a seemingly prestigious but actually totally unimpressive summer enrichment program at a highly selective university is indeed bragging!). Other times, for elite schools like Harvard, assuming you have met the academic standards of admitted applicants (which you should double-check before applying anywhere!), admissions officers may not have been convinced you’ll make the most out of your time on campus.
• Take stock of your admissions prospects and consider taking advantage of the Early Decision II round for a school that, while less of a reach than Harvard, 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. Do your research and pick 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 need to reposition your narrative, we:

• Revamp your applications with Ivy Coach’s assistance. Now that you have a game plan and know the ropes of the college admissions landscape, it’s time to put everything you’ve learned from your PostMortem into practice. While we can’t fix every mistake you’ve made throughout your high school career, there’s a whole lot we can still correct at this late date in terms of how you position your narrative and how you hope to sway admissions officers to root for you.

What Not to Do After Being Rejected by Harvard

Below are five surefire ways to sink your chances of Regular Decision admission after receiving the unfortunate news of a Harvard rejection:

1. Do not submit your remaining applications as is. A rejection is valuable data on your admissions journey, indicating that something is awry (particularly when Harvard defers the majority of applicants and rejected applicants typically make up less than 10% of the overall pool). Don’t ignore the signs and proceed as planned! This is your only chance to pivot to a more effective strategy. There is no second opportunity after Regular Decision deadlines.
2. Do not, under any circumstances, reach out to the Harvard admissions office with questions about why you were rejected. Guess what: they won’t give you a straightforward answer, and your enthusiasm will only serve to assure them that they made the right decision. Harvard does not conduct appeals. Don’t waste your time (or theirs).
3. Do not be super picky with your choice of Regular Decision schools and/or omit safety schools from your Regular Decision list. Unsure what constitutes a safety school? That’s where our team of former elite college admissions officers comes in. Thinking of omitting Duke because you’d prefer not to go to school in the South? Think again. After a Harvard rejection, you’d be so very lucky to earn admission to Duke. We do not tolerate such pickiness at this time of year from rejected applicants. Rejected applicants should open their minds because so often, they’ll 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 because it won’t serve the applicant.
4. Do not blame your school counselor for an admissions decision that is ultimately your responsibility. High school counselors are not always perfect at their jobs (i.e., they sometimes refuse to make advocacy calls on behalf of their students), but they are your #1 ally in the fight for your college future. Alienating them is the worst thing you can do right now. Don’t even think about it!

Frequently Asked Questions about Harvard Deferrals and Rejections

If Harvard defers so many students, does my child really have a chance?

Harvard does not rank its deferred students. So there is no way of knowing if your child has a legitimate chance of earning admission in the Regular Decision round.

But your child earmarked their Single Choice Early Action card for Harvard, so to give up after a deferral defies logic. And doing nothing is giving up. If a deferred student hopes to earn admission during Regular Decision, they should submit a compelling Letter of Continued Interest.

If I’m a Harvard legacy, could my child’s deferral be a courtesy deferral?

Absolutely. Rarely are legacies denied admission. After all, it doesn’t behoove a college to lead an alum to think they didn’t even strongly consider their child. But, just like with the rest of the deferred applicants, there’s no way of knowing with certainty if your child was a courtesy deferral.

Should my child send in a video instead of a Letter of Continued Interest? Would that be more creative?

No, Harvard does not want to see a video. Also, don’t take out advertisements on buses either. Some deferred students do some crazy things in the hope of getting some attention after a deferral — but, if history is any guide, it’s doubtful to work. The letter is the way to go. Your child can demonstrate creativity in their approach to the letter. After all, just because a student submits a letter doesn’t mean that letter is any good. It’s all about the quality of that letter!

Beyond submitting the Letter of Continued Interest, should my child wage a campaign to the Harvard admissions committee to stand out further?

No, your child should not annoy Harvard’s admissions committee. Instead, they should use their one opportunity to speak through the Letter of Continued Interest and use it wisely. But it’s not about the frequency of contact. It’s not about bombarding admissions officers with bi-weekly emails or regularly scheduled updates to your child’s portal. We’re all for the school counselor calling Harvard’s admissions office to lobby on your child’s behalf, but we’re not for your child pestering admissions officers. It will not serve their case for admission.

Should my child have realistic expectations and focus their attention on the Regular Decision schools?

Yes and no. There’s no choice to be made here. Your child should focus on submitting the best applications possible to their Regular Decision schools. Still, they should also focus on submitting a compelling Letter of Continued Interest to Harvard. Why cut bait after your child applied to Harvard Early Action over all other private universities?

What lesson should I take from my child being rejected by Harvard?

Since Harvard defers the majority of Early Action applicants (86.03% for the Class of 2028 and 78% for the Class of 2027), a Harvard rejection is meaningful. It means the decision wasn’t even close. Harvard rejected fewer than 10% of all Early Action applicants both those years and those two years were not unlike many preceding years in the Harvard admissions office. Harvard has long deferred many more applicants than they accept or reject (combined!). In fact, we’ve criticized them for the practice since they keep the hopes of too many students alive when only around 10% of deferred applicants will earn admission in Regular Decision.

So what does your child’s rejection mean? It means your child’s Harvard application very likely didn’t go to committee (students on the cusp of admission can go to committee). It means your child overreached by a significant margin in the Early Action round and/or committed major mistakes on their application.

And, yes, we know. We have a reputation at Ivy Coach for not sugarcoating. It has served us for over three decades. We tell it like it is (whether families want to hear it or not). We’re not going to stop anytime soon.

Getting Started with Ivy Coach After Harvard Deferral or Rejection

If you’re interested in Ivy Coach’s help optimizing your child’s case for admission in Regular Decision to Harvard’s Class of 2030 after receiving a deferral, or with pivoting to Regular Decision applications after a rejection, fill out our complimentary consultation form. We’ll then be in touch.