Deferring Your Application

Saint Mary’s allows students to defer their undergraduate offer of admission, meaning they can postpone when they start at Saint Mary's, under the following circumstances:

Domestic undergraduate application

  1. One-Time Deferment: An applicant can only defer their admission start date once. 
  2. Admission Confirmation Deposit: Non-refundable Admission Confirmation Deposit must be paid prior to requesting admission deferral. 
  3. Domestic Students: Domestic students can defer from January to September or September to January. If a domestic student would like to opt for January to May or January to July, they can choose this option, but the rule of one deferral per application will still remain.  
  4. Deferral Deadline: The deferral request must be received on or before the first day of classes for the intended original start date and must be submitted via the SMU Application Portal. 
  5. Updated Transcripts: If you have been attending classes elsewhere or will continue studies during the deferral period, we must receive an updated official final transcript. 
  6. Future Plans: Students must complete section of deferral request which details their reason for the deferral request and their plans during the deferral period (specifically, will they be continuing studies or studying elsewhere). 
  7. Missed Deadline: Failure to defer on time will result in being required to complete another application for admission and paying the application fee again. 
  8. Deferral Beyond One Term: Students who wish to defer beyond the next consecutive term must reapply for admission, including paying the application fee. 

Please complete the Deferral Request through your online application portal. 

International undergraduate application

  1. One-Time Deferment: An applicant can only defer their admission start date once. 
  2. Admission Confirmation Deposit: Non-refundable Admission Confirmation Deposit must be paid prior to requesting admission deferral. 
  3. International Students: International students can only defer to either the September or January start dates. Students can only defer to the next start date (e.g. September admission can defer to immediate January intake; January can defer to immediate September intake) 
  4. Deferral Deadline: The deferral request must be received on or before the first day of classes for the intended original start date and must be submitted via the SMU Application Portal. 
  5. Updated Transcripts: If you have been attending classes elsewhere or will continue studies during the deferral period, we must receive an updated official final transcript. 
  6. Future Plans: Students must complete section of deferral request which details their reason for the deferral request and their plans during the deferral period (specifically, will they be continuing studies or studying elsewhere). 
  7. Missed Deadline: Failure to defer on time will result in being required to complete another application for admission and paying the application fee again. 
  8. Deferral Beyond One Term: Students who wish to defer beyond the next consecutive term must reapply for admission, including paying a new application fee. Any previously paid Admission Confirmation Deposit will be valid on future applications for up to one year from the original intake semester OR up to the point when a third Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) is being requested, whichever date occurs first. 

Please complete the Deferral Request through your online application portal.