<p>It is my understanding that students are deferred not simply so Princeton can string them along for several more months but so that (a) a student can prove a continued upward trend in grades, extracurricular accomplishment, or another aspect of the application; or (b) Princeton can round out their class with the appropriate numbers of engineers, actors, etc., much like a waitlist. That explains why they defer so many: they want to keep their options open.</p>
<p>In other words, a deferral strikes me as a “rejection unless ____.”</p>