Final Steps
Paying for College
Paying for college can be overwhelming! Click here to go to the Paying for College section which will help you calculate the cost of college and guide you through the many options in paying for college.
Deferred Admission
Deferred admission occurs when a student has applied to a college either through Early Action (non-binding) or Early Decision (binding) admission programs, and they are neither accepted nor denied admission. They are deferred into the regular pool of applicants. Students who wish to remain competitive through this second round of consideration, should maintain contact with admissions representatives to re-affirm their continued significant interest in the school.
It is important to know that once you have been deferred by a college, you are no longer bound by that school’s early application rules. You are free to consider any offers and financial aid from all colleges that you have applied to.
College Waitlist
Sometimes instead of either admitting or rejecting a student, a college will offer the student a place on its waitlist.
Who Gets Waitlisted
There are various reasons why students are waitlisted:
- More students are applying to more colleges, it has become harder for colleges to predict which admitted students will enroll. Consequently, colleges are waitlisting more students as a form of insurance.
- Students may be waitlisted because they have not shown enough demonstrated interest in the school. They may calculate that the student is not interested enough to enroll if the college admits the student.
- Sometimes overqualified students are waitlisted because the college assumes the student has applied to many of the very competitive schools and will not choose them over one of these other schools instead. A high acceptance rate makes the college look less exclusive or desirable and can hurt its ranking and prestige. Colleges like to show a low acceptance rate of students who receive an offer of admittance and a high yield of admitting those who do receive an offer.
- Colleges have to hedge their financial aid budgets. They can only accept as many students with financial need as their budget allows. When a college offers an early action or early decision plan, many admission offers have already been made by November. So when regular decisions are made in March, a waitlist can serve as a way to play it safe until the college has acceptances in hand and knows how much financial aid money is left.
Ranked Waitlists
Some schools rank their waitlists. Students should check with the college’s admissions office to find out whether it ranks their list or not. If students can find out where they are ranked on the list they can better gauge their odds of admission. However, many schools do not rank their waitlists. Rather, they use the waitlist as a means of replacing a student who declines admission with a student who is similarly situated, e.g. to fill an orchestra spot, to replace someone on a sports team, to admit another student within a particular major, etc.
First Decisions: TAKE ACTION
- The first thing waitlisted students should do is accept an offer from one of the colleges or universities that did accept them and pay the enrollment deposit to that school by May 1. The student must then decide whether or not to accept a place on the waitlist of the other school.
- Students are advised to only accept a place on the waitlist if the student intends to enroll at the college if admitted. If the student decides to accept a place on the list, the student should follow the college’s instructions for accepting the waitlist invitation. It is important to keep in mind that colleges may have very little financial aid left for students admitted from their waitlist.
Strategies for Getting off the Waitlist
Most students will not get off the waitlist, but there are ways to improve the odds. Most importantly, a waitlisted student needs to be proactive; the student should be eager and creative without appearing distraught or desperate. The student should mail an eloquent “letter of enthusiasm” to their assigned college admissions officer. If appropriate, this letter should state:
- That the college is the student’s first choice and that the student will definitely enroll if admitted.
- State why the college and the student are a great fit, identifying specific academic programs or activities.
- The letter should point out what the student will contribute to the campus community.
- If the student is able to pay for the college without financial aid, this is the time to let it be known with wording such as, “My parents have been saving and investing for years so that I could attend my dream school- Your College Name. My enrollment is not contingent upon receiving financial aid.”
- Some sources also suggest having the school counselor contact the college’s regional admissions officer on the student’s behalf.
- It may also be a good time to send an extra letter of recommendation if it will add a perspective they have not already heard. It could be from a different teacher, or anyone else who knows the student well and can speak of their recent accomplishments, character, academic abilities, or special talent.
- The student should update the college with any recent accomplishments, e.g. took the SAT/ACT again and scored higher, won an academic competition, founded a new club, nominated for a special honor, raised a grade in a class, etc.
- The student should study hard to maintain strong grades and stay involved in high school and community activities.
- The student should continue to periodically (every two weeks) touch base with the admissions officer, indicating continued interest and enthusiasm. Some students continue to communicate with colleges even after the official date for consideration is closed.
- If the student is still on the waitlist after graduation, the student should update the college with a final transcript and any new AP and IB test scores.
What Students Should NOT Do
- Do not ask alumni of the school to make calls on their behalf.
- Do not let their parents interfere. The student needs to be the point of contact.
- Do not tell the admissions officer stories such as how they have attended every football game with their family since preschool and simply can’t imagine attending any other school. Keep the reasons for wanting to attend related to special programs and academic opportunities.
- Do not pester the admissions office—don’t call/email them over and over again, don’t show up at the admissions office. Keep the communication on task as described above.
Final Waitlist Thoughts
If accepted off the waitlist, be ready to make a decision very quickly. Typically the offer will be made via a phone call and the timeframe to respond will be very short; 24-48 hours is common.
If a student changes their mind, and no longer wants to be on the waitlist, the student should immediately contact the admissions representative for their region and ask to be removed from the list and/or do so via the student’s online portal with that college.
In the End be prepared not to be accepted. Be prepared to attend elsewhere. Move forward. There is more than one good fit. The student can find happiness elsewhere!
Final College Choice
If students are admitted to more than one college or university, they must choose one school to accept and attend. A student can accept one school and also accept a place on another school’s waitlist.
Some considerations in making this decision are:
- Overall Considerations
- Quality of the Department/Major
- Quality of Pre-Professional Program Advising (if applicable)
- Financial Aid Packages
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When you've made your final selection please record in Naviance.
More to Consider
- Overall Considerations
- Quality of the Department/Major
- Quality of the pre-professional advising program
- Financial Aid Packages
- Conclusion
Overall Considerations
Students should look at the overall picture of each school. Do they have strong alumni networks? What kind of monetary resources does each school have to devote to its students? How easy will it be for the student to get personal attention at each school? What are the availability of internships and research opportunities? Some schools have entire offices devoted to helping students with internships either during the school year or in the summer. What percentage of students participate in internships and/or research? What are the location implications of each school? What are the size implications and campus type of each school? What sort of career placement services does each school offer? Students should also factor in any other considerations that matter to them such as school spirit, housing options, or distance from home. If a student is having trouble choosing between schools, he or she should consider visiting or revisiting a school during an admitted students weekend, which are frequently held in April.
Quality of the Department/Major
Students should examine and compare the quality of the department in which they wish to major at each school. This can be done by examining the department’s web page, visiting and possibly phoning or emailing professors with specific questions. The student should look at four things:
- Compare the scope of the departments. Look through the course catalogue to see what classes are offered and how frequently. Do the departments tend to be traditional or alternative? Is the department focused on certain areas of the major?
- Compare the professors. Look at the professors’ personal websites and examine their curriculum vitae’s (resume) on the college website. Where were they educated and what have they done or published since then. What areas do they focus on in their teaching, research and publications.
- Compare the “life of the departments.” Does the department support the students beyond offering classes? Is there a department colloquium, a review, a symposium? Is there some information suggesting what students should be doing over the summer? Does the department arrange internships for the students? Is there a sense of camaraderie? The student can tell a lot of this by carefully reviewing the department website. Is there more to the department than just going to class?
- Compare the departments’ values about graduate versus undergraduate students. If the school has graduate students, is the focus on them or does energy go to the undergraduates too? Do the undergraduates have research and publication opportunities?
Quality of the pre-professional advising program
If applicable, look at the quality of each school’s pre-professional advising program. Does the college have counselors to help guide pre-law, pre-med, pre-vet, pre-business, etc.....students through their undergraduate years with advice on course selection, standardized test (LSAT, MCAT..) preparation, the professional school application process, internships, recommendations, summer programs, professional school admissions fairs...? What does the pre-professional advising department say they are going to do for students? Are the advisors certified in their respective areas? What programs, services, and personal support are offered? What is each college’s success rate at getting students admitted to law school , medical school...? Do note that professional school admission rates have been manipulated by some colleges.
Financial Aid Packages
Students should carefully compare the financial aid packages offered by each college. Do the packages differ in amount, in percentage of grants versus loans versus work study? Do the packages include merit scholarships? If one college’s financial aid offer is more generous, the student should graciously contact the financial aid offices at the other schools to see if they will match the more generous offer. The student should also let all of the colleges know of any significant changes in the family’s finances, such as a parent’s job loss, that have occurred since the student applied for financial aid.
Conclusion
Many factors play into the choice of which school to accept and attend. Students should compare the quality of the college experience at each school beyond just name, size, and location. The student should send in his or her acceptance and admissions deposit by the college’s deadline. However, some honors and sports programs will require an earlier commitment for you to secure your place. If the student is accepting a place on a college’s waitlist, he or she must also accept an admission offer from one of his or her other colleges.