So I have to defer this year due to circumstances outside of my control. I am active duty military, and the service would not release me from my duties to attend school this cycle. I was really worried about schools being open to my situation, but so far they have been very welcoming. The takeaway for me was that they were willing to defer me because I could not affect my situation. Had it been a deferral to do something that I wanted to do, their decision may have been different. The whole process makes me feel like the school actually chose me and wants me to go there; I’m not just another name on a list that they skip and move on to the next.
The process will obviously be school-dependent, but here’s how it has gone for me thus far.
School 1 - I sent an email to the director of admissions 4 days after being accepted. She quickly responded with the school’s process. I had 2 weeks to decide or lose my seat. I would have to pay a $1500 non-refundable deposit before the Dean would look at my case (which was basically just the email I sent). After paying that much money, I would hope that the deferral would be close to automatic. I chose to withdraw because I was accepted to a school higher on my list, but I was almost willing to pay to hold a seat while waiting to see what other schools were going to decide.
School 2 - I sent an email to the admissions office (Friday) the day after getting the acceptance letter. I got no response back, so I waited until lunch on Monday to give them a call. I was handed off to the admissions counselor, who knew immediately who I was based on my situation. The Dean had already reviewed my file, and the deferral letter was in the mail. I actually received it the same day as the snail mail acceptance letter. They are giving me 2 weeks to make a final decision. Here are the caveats: 1) Withdraw from all other schools now, 2) Pay the standard $100 reserve fee now plus $1000 non-refundable deferral fee by the start of 2014 classes (all applied to tuition), 3) Only apply to the school next year and comply with AMCAS requirements. The counselor mentioned they may even grant me another year if the situation doesn’t resolve by next year!
I’m hoping to hear back on my #1 choice’s decision very soon before I commit, but I definitely can’t pass up the opportunity being offered to me.
Awesome! Glad to hear it worked out!
Though I’m curious to know why they need you to reapply through AMCAS for the following year. I wonder if it’s just a numbers/metrics things for them.
This information is very helpful for others to know. Thanks for sharing, and I’m glad it worked out so well for you!
Best,
Liza
Thanks y’all. And yes, reapp is purely for metrics. They made it sound like it’d be free minus the cost of resubmitting transcripts. I can see maybe having to pay the AMCAS fee too.
Congrats! Sounds like everything is falling into place! 
I’m sure this is school specific, but in my case, the follow-up deferral application through AMCAS is very simple. I have to send in my transcripts again to verify my academic record and any new grades, and then I have to click submit. I asked the admissions office if I had to rework or resubmit my personal statement, and she said no. I then asked if I had to re-input or update my experiences section since for some reason AMCAS wiped it out from last year. She again said no, “unless you want to start where you left off last year. You’re in medical school, clean slate.”
I feel it’s a great philosophy for work and life: “What you did in the past was good enough to get you here, but now it’s time to prove you have what it takes to stay.”