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Title says it all: In an email from the admissions office, I learned that Northwestern requires the $750 seat deposit before you can even request a deferral. Is this normal?

I recongnize that it probably cuts down on the number of people who apply, get in, and just can't decide on whether they want to go to LS or not, so they want to stall for a year. But in my case, since I won't be able to attend if I don't get the deferral, I'd just be out the $750, and have to apply all over again next year (with no guarantees I'd be accepted again). That's an expensive gamble.

Plus they give you no clue of what constitutes an acceptable reason for a deferral.

The email:
Thank you for your interest in Northwestern Law. We do offer 1 year
deferrals only and this is on a case-by-case situation decided by Dean
Johann Lee. However, you would have to submit a seat deposit before your
deferral request could be considered.

That being said, if you would secure a deferral, you are still more than
welcome to attend Admitted Student Weekend.

(edited because I can't spell)

This sounds pretty normal based on the experience of other people I know who deferred. In most cases, you need to commit to attending a school (which means putting down a deposit) before you can ask them for a deferral.

I think the real question you should be asking is how often they deny deferral requests. If you are really worried I would contact the dean directly, explain your situation and ask if you were to deposit if it would be granted.

Sorry I didn't get a response to you in the other NU thread where you posted. It sounds to me like maybe they changed their policy since last year. My seat deposit was definitely after the deferral was granted, but like I said in the other thread, I still had to pay them. We had some medically compelling/complicating issues so maybe they just took pity on us or something.

I think they would grant your deferral, but of course it would cost you the seat deposit to find out. If they didn't grant your deferral would you simply withdraw or would you attend in the fall? If you'd withdraw, that might be your answer, you'd just have to hope to be readmitted next year. By then you should be able to know if NU is the school for you, and could ED to better insure admittance. my two cents anyways.

homestyle28 wrote:Sorry I didn't get a response to you in the other NU thread where you posted. It sounds to me like maybe they changed their policy since last year. My seat deposit was definitely after the deferral was granted, but like I said in the other thread, I still had to pay them. We had some medically compelling/complicating issues so maybe they just took pity on us or something.

I think they would grant your deferral, but of course it would cost you the seat deposit to find out. If they didn't grant your deferral would you simply withdraw or would you attend in the fall? If you'd withdraw, that might be your answer, you'd just have to hope to be readmitted next year. By then you should be able to know if NU is the school for you, and could ED to better insure admittance. my two cents anyways.

There's just no way I'd be ready to attend in the fall, so it's defer or withdraw. And then I'd have to decide between waiting and applying to NU next year (with no guarantee I'd get in again), or just matriculating here at Lewis & Clark this fall.

$750 on the chance that they will defer you isn't really that much to gamble.

99% sure they will grant your deferral request if you send it simultaneously with your seat deposit.