GSAS Defer Policy
Master’s and Postbaccalaureate Admits
Master’s and postbaccalaureate admits are allowed to defer up to one academic year (i.e., if admitted for fall 2022, then they can defer their admission to fall 2023). Those departments with curriculum that accommodates a Spring start for a student, can allow the fall 2022 student to defer to spring 2023 as opposed to having them wait a year to enroll. If they wanted to enroll in GSAS later than one academic year, they would have to reapply. The reapplication process is less cumbersome for the applicant than the original application process as the majority of materials are retained in the application system. Admits should email Carrie Robertson (carrob@brandeis.edu) requesting permission to defer. Carrie will then walk the admit through the steps and timelines of the process. Please note that financial packages from the original admission offer are not guaranteed to carry forward to the new academic year, though they are often able to.
Admits requesting to defer will be required to pay the non-refundable $300 enrollment deposit, unless they have received 100% tuition scholarship or are a Brandeis community member. Admits who originally intended to matriculate in fall must pay their deposit by August 31. Students who originally intended to matriculate in spring must pay their deposit by January 10th. After depositing, GSAS will confirm with the department whether it approves of the deferral and confirm which semester the admit can defer to. GSAS will then update the admit’s application in Slate to reflect the new start term, create a revised admission letter, and email the admit CCing the department.
In November and December, GSAS will contact the summer and fall start defers to reconfirm their intention to enroll. Summer and fall defers have until February 1st to reconfirm before being withdrawn. In September and October, GSAS will contact the spring start defers to reconfirm their intention to enroll. Spring starts will have until December 15th to reconfirm before being withdrawn. These deadlines were established to give departments a sense of their incoming class sizes before making new admission decisions. GSAS will notify departments of their defers’ reconfirmations or declinations of enrollment.
PhD Admits
As stated in the GSAS Bulletin, doctoral admits are not eligible to elect to defer their enrollment. Due to the university’s current one-year budget model, there are financial impacts on committing to future PhD slots when a PhD admit requests to defer. Should a PhD admit wish to matriculate in a subsequent academic year, they must reapply in full. Exceptions are made by GSAS in extenuating circumstances, such as delays in obtaining a visa or complications with an external funding source. Should a doctoral admit be faced with extenuating circumstances, the department should reach out to Jaclyn Farina (farina@brandeis.edu) for guidance.