As seniors start hearing back from colleges, they will discover quite a menu of possible responses. Here is an explanation of the possible decisions you will hear from colleges in the coming weeks and months, as well as action to take for each one.
ACCEPTED: Celebrate, but get back to the books as soon as you can! Senior grades matter big time, and your mid-year and final grades should look as good as, if not better than, your previously submitted grades. Do not drop hard classes at this point. Your acceptance is conditional, so stay on task all the way through graduation day. Remember, you do not need to send in your enrollment deposit until May 1, so wait until you hear back from all your colleges (including financial aid offers) before making your final decision.
DEFERRED - This is the big one that requires more attention on your part. First, read all communication from the college very carefully and follow all instructions. They are most likely waiting to see if you submit higher test scores and/or higher grades as the year goes along. They will probably tell you which test dates they will still accept at this point. If you have received a deferral and your current test scores are below or near the bottom of the average range for that college, and if you still want to go to that college, I recommend that you take the SAT or ACT one more time and have those new scores sent directly to the school. In addition to testing, make sure you are earning the highest grades you possibly can this semester. Have your school send mid-year grades to the college after semester grades are ready. Finally, email an admissions counselor at the college to express your continued interest in the school, and if it is your first choice, tell them! If you have not yet visited the college, schedule the visit. Then include the date of the visit in this email. I know this is not the decision any of you want to hear, but hang in there and keep trying! Many students who are deferred end up being accepted later in the year. The game is most certainly not over!
DENIED - This one hurts. There’s no getting around it. Give yourself some time, and then try to focus your energy on other schools. You still have time to submit additional applications, so please contact me ASAP if you want to discuss that. There are many January 1 deadlines, so you would need to request transcripts and recommendations from your high school before the break.
WAIT-LISTED - Be sure to communicate with the college expressing your continued interest and your desire to be on the wait list. And get excited about some other schools.
SPRING ADMIT - Sometimes colleges offer students admission starting in January of the following year instead of August. This means you would have that first fall to do something else, kind of like a “half gap year.” You could take classes at a community college, work to save money and try out different career areas, or spend time traveling or doing community service. Many students have found this option to be a wonderful blessing in disguise, so if this is something you are offered, give it some consideration.
GUARANTEED TRANSFER - The college might give you this option, which means that you can enroll there as a sophomore if you attend college somewhere else the first year and make a certain minimum GPA. The first college could be a community college or a 4-year school.
ACCEPTED: Celebrate, but get back to the books as soon as you can! Senior grades matter big time, and your mid-year and final grades should look as good as, if not better than, your previously submitted grades. Do not drop hard classes at this point. Your acceptance is conditional, so stay on task all the way through graduation day. Remember, you do not need to send in your enrollment deposit until May 1, so wait until you hear back from all your colleges (including financial aid offers) before making your final decision.
DEFERRED - This is the big one that requires more attention on your part. First, read all communication from the college very carefully and follow all instructions. They are most likely waiting to see if you submit higher test scores and/or higher grades as the year goes along. They will probably tell you which test dates they will still accept at this point. If you have received a deferral and your current test scores are below or near the bottom of the average range for that college, and if you still want to go to that college, I recommend that you take the SAT or ACT one more time and have those new scores sent directly to the school. In addition to testing, make sure you are earning the highest grades you possibly can this semester. Have your school send mid-year grades to the college after semester grades are ready. Finally, email an admissions counselor at the college to express your continued interest in the school, and if it is your first choice, tell them! If you have not yet visited the college, schedule the visit. Then include the date of the visit in this email. I know this is not the decision any of you want to hear, but hang in there and keep trying! Many students who are deferred end up being accepted later in the year. The game is most certainly not over!
DENIED - This one hurts. There’s no getting around it. Give yourself some time, and then try to focus your energy on other schools. You still have time to submit additional applications, so please contact me ASAP if you want to discuss that. There are many January 1 deadlines, so you would need to request transcripts and recommendations from your high school before the break.
WAIT-LISTED - Be sure to communicate with the college expressing your continued interest and your desire to be on the wait list. And get excited about some other schools.
SPRING ADMIT - Sometimes colleges offer students admission starting in January of the following year instead of August. This means you would have that first fall to do something else, kind of like a “half gap year.” You could take classes at a community college, work to save money and try out different career areas, or spend time traveling or doing community service. Many students have found this option to be a wonderful blessing in disguise, so if this is something you are offered, give it some consideration.
GUARANTEED TRANSFER - The college might give you this option, which means that you can enroll there as a sophomore if you attend college somewhere else the first year and make a certain minimum GPA. The first college could be a community college or a 4-year school.
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