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Admission Decisions are in: Now What? (Download PDF Version)
Outcomes
The best possible outcome to the entire college-application process is to gain admission to at least one college on your list.Here are some things to keep in mind:
You have only been offered admission to a college when you receive a letter of admission from the Director of Admission. Even if the decision is verbally communicated to you by someone who works at the college, it is not for real until you have the actual decision letter.
Always read the fine print in the admission offer. Some letters of admission might contain conditions you need to fulfill before the offer is official.
It is a myth that admission offers only arrive in thick envelopes! Many offers today are in thin envelopes with additional materials to follow. The second mailing is often the fat one.
Read the entire letter you receive. Some letters start off sounding like a denial when they are not. Many colleges have a waiting list because they cannot currently admit all students who are qualified for admission.
See the waiting list section below.
It can be difficult when you start receiving denial letters. But you cannot let a few bad-news mail days get you down. You should get ready for the day when acceptances start to arrive. Almost all students who have done their homework and applied to a variety of colleges will receive at least one offer of admission.Here are some things to keep in mind:
You are not a failure. Although it may seem difficult at the time, do not take the decision personally. In most cases, your denial of admission has more to do with the large volume of applications than whether or no you are qualified for admission.You will have other options. You are better off directing your energies to those colleges who have opened their arms to you, than focusing on the colleges that denied you. Allow yourself to feel good about the colleges that want you to join their communities.
Colleges place a lot of students on a wait list today. Students apply to several colleges and only end up at one. That means that some of the places that the college thinks it has filled are really going to be empty –some students will choose to attend another school instead.
When you are placed on the wait list, a college is asking you, “If we have room later, would you like to be considered?” If the college that has wait listed you is one of your top choices, you may want to say “yes!” But if the college is not one of your top choices, you should probably not accept the wait list offer.
Taking Action
After all of the decisions are in, you have a whole new set of concerns. It is time to sort through those admission offers and narrow your choices down one more time. So, what is the best way to whittle down your multiple options? Revisiting the campuses, of course.When you revisit, do you bring your parents or go on your own? The student should be the final decision maker. After all, he/she is the one who will be calling one of these places home for 4 years. However, parents can often add much to the second visit by way of insights and observations. Whatever the decision, the emphasis should be placed on the student making the decision and the parents supporting that decision.
During the long waiting game, you have also had a lot of time to think about and compare your notes on the colleges you applied to, and it is a good idea now to review the information on the ones that accepted you; preferably before your visit.
You may want to:
Focus on your tip-top choices first. You may have a change of attitude because you are no longer focused on making a good impression on them, but asking if they are making a good impression on you!
Then explore your other college options by reading through your comments from your first visit, or talking about it again with the people that were at the visit with you.
Attend any admitted student open houses because colleges pull many valuable resources together for you on this day. You can talk with professors, attend a class, stay over in the dormitories, and eat in the dining hall.
Call the Admission Office before your visit because you will want to meet with an Admission Officer this time. You have had the general tour…it’s time to ask specific questions. Remember, any question or concern that is important to you is worth communicating.
Call the Financial Aid Office before your visit and speak with a representative when you are on campus.
You might want to ask about work-study options in place of loans, loan terms, and payment dates and options.
Don’t forget to check out the social and extracurricular options that are available near the campus. You will not be spending all four years on campus!
Know your deadlines
Some colleges will try to squeeze you into making a decision before the official Candidate’s Reply Date (May 1st). Unless you chose an early application program that committed you to attending if admitted, you are not required to decide until the official reply date. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
Some colleges offer benefits if you send in your enrollment deposit before May 1st. You may want to consider sending in your enrollment to obtain these benefits- like guaranteed housing or that spot on the athletic team.However, you should only do this if you are certain of your college choice and can get your money back if you change your mind before May 1st. Here are some additional thoughts on letting colleges know your decision, whatever it may be:
Notify every Admission Office that you applied to of your decision for their college. This form can be found in the decision envelopes.
If admitted, file the additional financial aid forms required. This also tells your college that you have decided to attend.
You should not miss the housing deadline. This is one deadline that can jeopardize your college plans in a notable way.
Sending the final transcript
Most offers of admission are conditional, based upon satisfactory completion of your senior year. The “satisfactory completion” can mean different things to different colleges. For most colleges it means to keep up the good work that you have already been doing.
What happens if you let your performance slip? Every year, many students are surprised to get a letter from the Admission Office of their college choice requesting a detailed explanation of poor academic performance. Student who have no real explanation may find their offer of admission withdrawn by the college. You can avoid this sad situation if you continue to excel academically.Choosing Which College to Attend
College Name
(list only if offered admission)
Type of College
Public
Private
Is this the type you are looking for?
Location
In California
Out-of-State
Is the location a drawback for you?
College Size
Small, medium, or large?
Is this the size you are looking for?
Majors
Does this college offer the exact majors you are interested in pursuing?
Is there a broad curriculum in case you change your mind?
Instruction
Average class size
Student/teacher ratio
Do they have Teaching Assistants?
Semester or quarter system?
Support Service
Do they have an extensive freshman orientation?
Job placement after graduation?
Counseling services?
Student Satisfaction
Do most students graduate in 4 years?
How many students go on to graduate school?
Do current students have positive things to say?
Extra-Curricular
Have desired athletic teams?
College Name
(list only if offered admission)
Extra-Curricular
Have desired clubs?
Have desired study abroad opportunities?
Physical Facilities
On-campus housing guaranteed?
Is dorm life comfortable for you?
Off-campus housing offered?
Costs
Can family pay for tuition and fees?
Offered financial aid?
Offered a merit scholarship?
Decisions
Is this college one of your top-picks now?
Do you need further information in order to decide?
Do your parents agree with the answers on this worksheet?
Last modified: December 18, 2007
Yannis Grammatis