<p>If you look at statistics of schools people got into, you’ll see that the same person can be accepted at many schools and rejected at peers or even “lower” schools. For all these elite schools, it’s very much lottery as well as qualifications. Don’t take a rejection or deferral at one highly selective school as much more than a coin flip for predicting acceptance at other schools. You’ll get into a lovely place, one that you DO really want.</p>