College Decisions: What To Expect & What To Do Next

It’s that time of year. High school seniors are anxiously awaiting news from the final colleges on their lists. If you’re wondering what to expect & what to do next, read on for our advice.

But first, take a nice deep breath and remind yourself or the high school senior in your life: you are not your application–

College admissions can feel so loaded. Did I do everything right? Could I have done more? We want to stop you right there. A student is not an application. A student is not admitted, waitlisted, or denied. An application is. Know that it is exponentially more difficult for a student in the class of 2022 to gain admission to the same schools that their older cousins, parents, and grandparents breezed into 10, 25 or 50 years ago. The number of applicants at selective colleges has skyrocketed, making even the best, most qualified applicants subject to a great deal of luck in the process that is not reflective of their effort, or the quality of their applications. This is just the reality we face.

In this context there are a few helpful things to know about what happens next:

Expect another “record breaking” year:

Early decision and early action rounds at selective & highly selective colleges have already provided a good sense of what to expect. Expect that colleges will report “record breaking” numbers of applications and lower than ever acceptance rates. We anticipate it will be a tough year at those most selective colleges that have yet to release decisions. Denied applications are a part of the process, and we want every student to prepare for some denials in the mix of their college news.

What to know about deadlines, deposits, and how to enroll:

Every college in the U.S. has the same deposit deadline: May 1st. This is often referred to as “national deposit day.” Because May 1, 2022 falls on a Sunday, you can expect that many colleges will make May 2nd their official deposit deadline.

• Even though a college cannot require a student to deposit earlier, they can and do fill their classes, dorms, and specialized programs on a “first come first served” basis.
• If you definitely know you want to attend a college, and the financial aid package works for your family, it’s in your interest to deposit as soon as you are ready.
• Remember that some colleges require separate enrollment and housing deposits. Be sure to read all the emails and mail you receive from your college and follow the steps within your portal to fully enroll and secure your housing.
• This one is VERY important: You may only submit a deposit to one college or university. When you submitted each application you signed a statement that said you understand that you can only deposit and commit your enrollment to a single college. While it may be tempting to ‘hold a spot’ at one college while you wait to see if you have a better option down the road, do NOT do this! U.S. colleges and universities share a database of enrollment information that makes it easy to know if you deposit to more than one institution. There are cases of acceptances being revoked for doing so; don’t let this happen to you.
• There are many cases of college websites and portals crashing from an overflow of traffic on May 1st. Whenever possible, make your plan and your deposit a few days ahead of this deadline.

What to know about waitlists:

At highly selective colleges, the last few years have seen admissions offices dashing to announce that they are “fully enrolled” within hours of the May 1st deadline. We also know that admissions offices are ensuring that they are well backed up by offering, in some cases, thousands of applicants places on a waitlist, even though they know they are unlikely to offer more than 100 applicants a place in the incoming class. For this reason, we do not recommend that students ‘count on’ admission via waitlist. Look at your available options and choose a strong option that you can call home next year. If you do want to stay on the waitlist, you should do the following:

• Follow the steps to accept your place on the waitlist right away.
• Send an email to your regional representative or to the general admissions email to communicate your serious interest in the school, and briefly provide any additional new information (academic or extracurricular accomplishments, leadership positions, or awards they didn’t already know about) that will support your application.
• Connect with your School Counselor and let them know your intention and interest in a high priority school. Sometimes they can also contact that admissions office to convey your intentions.
• Be prepared to respond immediately. If you are serious about accepting a spot on a waitlist, you can likely expect to be contacted within 24–72 hours of the May 1st deposit deadline. Keep up to date on communications and updates from the college through their website, your email, and your portal.

Accepted student visit opportunities:

Many colleges you are accepted to will offer visit opportunities exclusively for admitted students. These are great opportunities to get to know the college better and finalize your decision.

• These programs can fill quickly, so if you would like to attend, you should respond right away.
• If you are unable to attend that program, it can still be worthwhile to visit; see what opportunities are available and book your tours now. Tours and visit opportunities will fill in April, so it can be a good idea to check out the admissions website now to reserve any opportunities you’d like to build into your plans.

Remember that there are good things awaiting you at any of your college options, and you are the most important ingredient. The steps you take to connect with opportunities, build community, and utilize the resources and experiences available to you on that campus are the greatest factors in shaping a college life where you will thrive– far more important than the name on that sweatshirt.

Connect With Us

Schedule your free Meet-N-Greet Meeting now!

We are based in the United States in Colorado and Connecticut and have expertise working with students nationwide and all over the world.