everyone mentioned “deferred” or “acceptance” for SCEA. But you can also be straight denied. Here is the letter they send for that …
The Committee on Admissions has completed its Early Action meetings, and I am very sorry to inform you that we cannot offer you admission to the Class of 2021. I wish that a different decision had been possible, but I hope that receiving our final decision now will be helpful to you as you make your college plans.
In recent years, the Committee has been faced with increasingly difficult decisions; nearly forty thousand students now apply for the sixteen hundred and sixty places in the freshman class, and the great majority of our applicants could be successful here academically. In addition, most candidates present strong personal and extracurricular credentials. The Committee has, therefore, been faced with the necessity of choosing a freshman class from a great many more talented and highly qualified students than it has room to admit.
We wish we could admit more of our fine applicants, and we understand how difficult the college application process can be for students and their families. While the Committee conducted its deliberations with the utmost care, we know that no one can predict with certainty what an individual will accomplish during college or beyond. Past experience suggests that the particular college a student attends is far less important than what the student does to develop his or her strengths and talents over the next four years.
We very much appreciate the interest you have shown in Harvard, and we hope you will accept the best wishes of the Committee for success in all your future endeavors.