Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

With so many college decisions to be announced in the next several weeks, it’s natural and appropriate to hope for good news! But you should also be prepared for some disappointment as most every student gets a rejection letter in this highly competitive college admissions process; it’s almost a fact of life. Hopefully, there will be more good news than bad and you will have some good choices to make.

Once you have heard from all of your colleges, you will need to decide by the May 1st reply date which of those that have accepted you to attend. Take time to consider all your options; now the power to decide lies with you—it’s your choice. You may also want to visit some campuses again during April. Most colleges offer special visit days for accepted students, so take advantage of those if you can.

Try to make your decision by mid-April so that you can send in your tuition deposit (where required) to reserve your place well before the May 1st deadline. You may not deposit at more than one college.

We also encourage you to advise the colleges accepted you but that you will not attend that you appreciate their offer but have decided to go elsewhere. Colleges will appreciate this information and your thoughtfulness might help future applicants from your high school.

Wait Lists:
As more students apply to more colleges, it has become increasingly difficult for colleges to predict their yield – the percentage of admitted student who will enroll. Therefore, many colleges are now placing more students on their wait list, in some cases 25% or more of applicants, which they can go to if they need more students to fill their class. The number of students who are accepted from the wait list varies from year to year and from college to college but usually it is a small percentage of students who opted to stay on the wait list; in some years, it might be none. The good news is that, while wait list offers are certainly not guarantees, they do indicate that the college likes you and might accept you if they have room.

If a college that is high on your list offers you a place on their wait list, reply immediately as colleges have been known to admit candidates from wait lists in direct relation to the order that the replies come in. When you reply, it is critical to include a note expressing your continued strong interest in the college; if it is your first choice, say so (and be sure your guidance counselor is aware so they can confirm that should the college contact them). In addition, should you have new information worth submitting to the college – a new set of strong grades, another teacher recommendation, etc., be sure to mention that in your note or ask your guidance counselor to pass the information on to the colleges. Avoid sending excessive new information/recommendations or sending multiple emails to colleges to make your case; that can be counter-productive.

If you are placed on more than one wait list, rank them in order of preference. You may be contacted and asked for an immediate decision. If you do not want to remain on a particular wait list, notify that college as soon as possible as it will reduce the waiting period for someone else.

It is important to realize that a wait list means what it says, “You have to wait.” You should not expect to hear from most colleges until the May 1st reply deadline when they know their yield. It may take longer, they may invite you to start in January instead of September, or they might not accept you at all. If you are offered a spot and decide to accept it, notify the college where you initially deposited, as well as any other wait list colleges, that you will be enrolling elsewhere. Remember that you may not deposit at more than one college at the same time.

Lastly, while we encourage you to accept a wait list offer if it’s from a college high on your list, you need to be realistic about your chances. It’s best to assume you will be attending the college where you deposited and engage with it since that is most probably where you will go.

We wish you the best of luck!