A system and method for downlink feedback in communications between a station and an access point. In some embodiments, the method includes: receiving, from the access point, by the station, a null data packet announcement (NDPA) including a first number of spatial streams, and sending, by the station, to the access point, a Compressed Beamforming Report (CBR) including a second number of spatial streams, different from the first number of spatial streams; or sending, by the station, to the access point, an Operating Mode Indication (OMI) declaring a change in a station Modulation Coding Scheme (MCS) capability for a third number of spatial streams; or sending, by the station, to the access point, an Association Request including a declared Single-User (SU) MCS capability for a first bandwidth and a declared Multi-User (MU) MCS capability for the first bandwidth, the MU MCS capability being different from the SU MCS capability.