My Admissions Process: Deferred, Waitlisted, Admitted
May 1st of my senior year, I wasn’t wearing a Purdue shirt. Instead, I was representing another Big 10 school because I wasn’t committed—or even admitted—to Purdue. That morning, I was doing a last-minute review for my AP Chemistry exam when I decided to scroll through my phone. Given that it was Decision Day and Purdue was my dream school, I checked my admissions portal one last time to reread my waitlist decision letter. But this time, there was an update: I had been admitted to Purdue’s First-Year Engineering program after being deferred and then waitlisted. I was ecstatic! Later that day, after finishing my AP Chemistry exam, I officially committed to Purdue.
The first time I toured Purdue, it was a cold and rainy day in West Lafayette, and to be honest, I didn’t love it. At the time, I had considered studying engineering but wasn’t entirely sure. In the spring of my junior year, my mom found an event hosted by Purdue’s Women in Engineering Program called "Exploring Engineering." I decided to give Purdue another chance. My mom and I visited for the weekend, and it turned out to be a game-changer. The event not only introduced me to the field of engineering but also allowed me to hear firsthand experiences from current students. I was drawn to the strong, supportive community of women in engineering. That weekend solidified my decision: I wanted to study engineering at Purdue. For high school students interested in engineering, I highly recommend attending the Exploring Engineering event, which is offered twice a year—there’s one coming up in April!
When application season arrived, Purdue was my top choice. Beyond its outstanding engineering program, I was drawn to the collaborative environment and the extensive support for women in STEM. I submitted my application on October 6th, and then came the hardest part—waiting. Purdue’s decisions were expected to be released by January 15th, but they came out a few days early. I was at Portillo’s when I saw on Purdue’s Instagram that decisions had been made. Nervously, I checked my portal, knowing this was it—and I was fervently hoping I was accepted. Instead, I was deferred. I knew this was a possible outcome, but I wasn’t sure what it meant or what to do next. After lots of Googling, I submitted a letter of continued interest detailing my achievements since my initial application. Then, I waited again.
My deferral letter stated that my final decision would be released by March 31st. February passed with no news. Then, I saw online that other deferred applicants were receiving decisions, yet March 31st arrived with nothing in my portal. When I finally received an update, it wasn’t an acceptance or a rejection, I had been waitlisted. I was frustrated. After months of waiting, I still had no clear answer.
With this uncertainty, I had to consider my other options. Though Purdue was still my dream school, I committed to my second-choice university because waitlist decisions are unpredictable, and I couldn’t afford to wait indefinitely. The day after being waitlisted, I attended an admitted student event at my second-choice school and officially committed. At that point, I accepted that attending Purdue was likely a dream of the past. I still checked my admissions portal occasionally, but less and less as time went on.
Then came May 1st, Decision Day. On a whim, I checked my portal one last time, expecting nothing. But to my shock, I saw an acceptance letter. Against all odds, I had been admitted. To this day, I haven’t met anyone else who was deferred, waitlisted, and then admitted—but it happened to me.
If there’s anything my admissions journey taught me, it’s that anything can happen. Sometimes things go your way, and sometimes they don’t, but the most important thing is to stay open-minded and flexible.
Ellie Bergeron, Chemical Engineering
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