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I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this question, but I don't know where else to post it. To provide some background, I was accepted to NYU, which is basically my dream school, but am now hoping to defer for a year or two for several reasons: 1) current financial situation (lots of credit card debt that I'm not paying off as quickly as I thought I would be able to), 2) personal situation (in a long-term relationship overseas with someone who is having trouble getting a U.S. visa; also just wanting to spend a little more time living overseas before starting school), and 3) career planning (I don't have any public interest experience after college, but I would like to have some significant experience to list on my resume since I hope to go into public interest law and hear this is one of the main things they look at for 1Ls).

Admittedly, some of these reasons are more compelling than others, but I feel like I would be better off waiting a year to start. With that said, I've heard NYU doesn't grant deferrals very often and I'm wondering if anyone on here knows whether that's really the case and, if so, what might convince them to grant a deferral in my case.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know about NYU, but Northwestern told me that the earlier in the cycle someone requests a deferral, the more lenient they are about not requiring a death in the family/natural disaster/health crisis-type reason to justify it. I have no info from other schools, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's a common thread.

I applied for my deferral (from NU) in January...March seems pretty late. If you're gonna ask, I'd ask NOW and not waffle about it any longer. The worst that happens is they deny you and you're in exactly the same situation you are right now. Call the admissions office and ask what they want you to send/fax/email (letter, essay, a certain form, etc.) to request the deferral.

Thanks for the advice. I found the following on the Admitted Students website:

21. How can I request a deferral?
You must request a deferral in writing. Send a request to NYU School of Law, Office of Admissions, Wilf Hall, 139 MacDougal Street, Suite C-20, New York , NY 10012. You will be informed of the Committee’s decision in writing.

22. May I request more than a one-year deferral?
The Committee on Admissions may grant two-year deferrals in very rare cases where a specific reason is given for the request (such as a military service, Teach for America, or Peace Corps commitment). The Committee will not grant a request in excess of two years.

So, I'm going to try to get working on my request today and hopefully have it finished by Wednesday or Thursday. I would have asked earlier, but I only found out that I was accepted in the last week or so. Anyone have any suggestions on what approach to take to writing the request or any insights into how likely they are to grant it?

spaceman82 wrote:Thanks for the advice. I found the following on the Admitted Students website:

21. How can I request a deferral?
You must request a deferral in writing. Send a request to NYU School of Law, Office of Admissions, Wilf Hall, 139 MacDougal Street, Suite C-20, New York , NY 10012. You will be informed of the Committee’s decision in writing.

22. May I request more than a one-year deferral?
The Committee on Admissions may grant two-year deferrals in very rare cases where a specific reason is given for the request (such as a military service, Teach for America, or Peace Corps commitment). The Committee will not grant a request in excess of two years.

So, I'm going to try to get working on my request today and hopefully have it finished by Wednesday or Thursday. I would have asked earlier, but I only found out that I was accepted in the last week or so. Anyone have any suggestions on what approach to take to writing the request or any insights into how likely they are to grant it?

I have absolutely no idea how likely they are to grant it. I'll PM you my letter that I sent Northwestern, to give you one example of a letter that worked.

spaceman82 wrote: I don't have any public interest experience after college, but I would like to have some significant experience to list on my resume since I hope to go into public interest law and hear this is one of the main things they look at for 1Ls

Is this true?

I don't know exactly how extensive the experience has to be, but I have heard that one of the main things they look for is some kind of demonstrated commitment to public service. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, though.

For anyone interested, I've written up a deferral request letter focusing on my financial situation and lack of public service experience and plan to mail it tomorrow. I was a little reticent to discuss the more personal matters because it just seemed like it would be unprofessional. Hoping this was the right approach...

hey everyone,

im trying to submit a deferral at a different T14, and i was wondering if someone would be able to PM me their deferral requests.

if so, id greatly appreciate it, thanks!!

I actually heard it's really easy to get a deferral at NYU, and know someone who got one this cycle already. Good luck!

bump... also, how is scholarship money handled in the case of a deferral at NYU?

I can tell you that my request was granted--and that others also had theirs granted last year.

In terms of scholarship money and financial aid, my understanding is that you have to re-apply for it all the next year and just hope for the best. I'm not sure if they make exceptions for people they really, really want, but from what I've heard, that is how it generally works.