There it is, the letter you have been waiting for. Is it too big to be a denial or is it too small to be an acceptance? The stress is real. Now that most students’ applications are in, part two begins: figuring out how to play the college cards that are now dealt to them.

While other students happily received an acceptance letter, it is becoming more common for students to see a deferral especially from their top schools. Being deferred from a highly ranked school is common, no matter who you are. A deferral is not a denial but it is also not an acceptance–yet! Students deferred from early action are now moved into consideration with the pool of regular deadline applicants. It means more students are competing for less slots.

Senior Colby Blaze, accepted to the University of Georgia and the University of Virginia, has been deferred from the highly ranked school, Princeton University. “The feeling after being deferred could only be related to the feeling after losing a big game…I guess I just thought, it is what it is,” Blaze said.

The thoughts going through a senior in high school waiting to hear back never end, and with facing reality Colby knew what to expect. “College acceptance is real competitive these days and I certainly can’t expect to get into all the schools that I am applying to… The only advantage of my deferral was that it provided me with motivation to finish the rest of my applications,” Blaze said. And with positive thoughts comes a positive mind leaving the senior to believe his deferral happened for a reason. “Quite simply, Princeton thought that there were 700 more qualified candidates. And I guess now it’s my job to prove that they were wrong,” said Blaze.

For  guidance counselor Karen Gauthier, a note of deferral is not the end. “They have to focus on anything they can do differently between now and the rest of the time so they can stand out more,” Gauthier said. “I encourage students to take a deeper look and repackage themselves, maybe take the SAT’s again, list some more activities, you can even write the admissions office a letter.” Although a deferral is not what most seniors want to see, it can happen. “These letters are the hardest because kids doubt themselves, with questions like; What was I missing? Why not me? And what can I do to make it me?” said Gauthier.

Senior Morgan Bentivegna was accepted to her “reach” and top choice– The University of Michigan. The process to reach that goal was difficult, however. “It is just way too much. Some schools would have one essay, others would have over seven and it was very overwhelming. It’s also tough trying to describe yourself into a word limit,” she said. “During the wait, I would constantly check my school’s online portals to see if I was up to date as well as to see if maybe my decision came out early. For Michigan, I was supposed to find out on December 25, but I found out the 21st– such an amazing Christmas present!”

Bentivegna found her acceptance through an e-mail around 6:30am. “I thought it was a joke, I was honestly so excited I might have teared up a little bit… It is a pretty awesome feeling getting into one of your schools, not to mention your top.”

Morgan graciously added some words of advice for the class of 2015 by saying “Study for the SAT’s…And start your applications early! It pays off, I promise!”

Gauthier has been dealing with the college process for years. Whether it’s kids not wanting to apply at all or just leaving it to the last minute, Gauthier has an easier way to go about the process. “At first the kids are confused, but after the outline process, you place it all together and it’s a lot easier than thought. It’s all about breaking it down into steps.”

With over 300 students to every house office, it is a pleasant but not unusual sign when seniors go to their house to get congratulated. Upstairs in House E there is a special map of all the colleges and universities in the US. Students who have been accepted may go up and flag their college with their name for a little special recognition.

Lastly is the letter nobody wants to ever receive, the one that starts out with: Dear (student), thank you for applying to (college x), I am sorry to inform you… And that’s where most kids close the letter up and throw it in the trash.

“A denial of acceptance is not fun to deal with or go through,” Gauthier said. Most students who get denied, are denied from their reach. Again, putting the blame on themselves only makes it worse. In Gauthiers’ words, “A denial doesn’t mean you didn’t do your best at BHS. A denial means you are not a good match for what that college is looking for… I couldn’t do my job if I didn’t believe that everyone winds up where they are meant to be,” Gauthier said.

Because many students now apply to several different schools, odds are at least a couple of those letters arriving in the next month will be acceptances. Students are then faced with the challenge of picking the best one for them.

“It all boils down to an acceptance to a school that you feel is the best fit for you. You can walk around on campus and there are students you see and get along with,” Gauthier said. “The final decision should be combined with the best choice for a family’s financial situation.”

By May 1, also known as the National Notification date, seniors must make a choice: their time is up and they must choose the school that works best for them. “In the end, I truly believe everyone will end up where they are supposed to go…From admission, deferrals and rejections, there’s a place for everyone; It’s just all about finding your perfect fit. Oh yeah and  GO BLUE!” said Bentivegna.