College admissions - it's decision time.
If you're like most college-bound high school seniors, you spent the last 12 months visiting colleges, researching schools for the "best fit," completing admission applications, pouring your heart into college admission essays, and asking people to write letters of recommendation on your behalf. And now you're waiting to hear whether you are: Accepted. Denied. Wait-listed.
Accepted. That's the easy one and it's even better if you're accepted at more than one college because then you get to choose where to go to college.
Denied. That's the big OUCH. It hurts to be rejected by anyone and especially by a college you really wanted to attend.
Wait-listed. That one hurts, too, and it prolongs the anguish of not knowing where you are going to attend college.
Ripping open a letter from the college admissions office should not feel like you are ripping a bandaid off a fresh wound. Don't let it get to you.
MAKE A PLAN B
Mildred Johnson, director of undergraduate admissions at Virginia Tech*, advises, "Do not take the process too personally. Many students do get offered admission to their first choice and, in many cases, the colleges they feel is their 2nd choice becomes their 1st choice."
Take whatever admissions decision you are given and assess your options. If accepted by your 1st choice, ask yourself "Is this really where I want to go to school?" Visit campus again, meet with professors in your field of study, and talk with students before accepting the offer.
If you are denied admission or wait-listed, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. The admissions decision is not personal--it simply means the admissions team did not see you as a good fit for the freshman class the school is trying to establish at that time. Now that you know that, move on to Plan B. Johnson suggests attending another college or a community college and then transferring. "Transferring is always an option should students want to explore what I call 'Plan B'. It should be an exciting time for a student, so they need to take a breath and relax ."
So breathe and make a Plan B that suits your life. Consider taking a Gap Year where you work and save money, travel, or help others through a volunteer program either locally or abroad. Consider applying to other colleges. Consider community college. You have so many great options!
~~~
*Virginia Tech is a client of Smart College Visit, Inc.
According to Stephanie Klein Wassink, founder of Winning Applications, a college and graduate school consulting firm, "It is possible to improve one's chances of admission when wait-listed." It's safe to say that Wassink knows a thing or two about the college admissions process and, in particular, what it feels like to be wait-listed.
Once on the wait-list for University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Wassink went on to secure admittance. Years later she became a member of the admissions committee for Northwestern University’s Kellogg School where she read and evaluated 2000 applications annually, performed as many as 50 interviews per week, and made admit, deny, deferral and wait-list recommendations to the Director of Admissions.
Today, an independent college admissions counselor,Wassink offers the following advice to students who find themselves on the wait list:
- If you have not interviewed with someone from the admissions committee, now is the time to do so (preferably on campus).
- Be sure to practice your interview skills with a seasoned interviewer until you are confident that your skills are strong. (We'd like to add that you take care to dress appropriately for your college admissions interview).
- If you can, visit the campus again, attend an admissions information session, and take time to ask these Important questions:
"What percent of students are typically admitted after being deferred?"
"Is there anything I can do that might increase my chances of gaining admission?"
According to Wassink, not only will this earmark you as a deferred candidate, but the
information session speaker may note your visit and strong school
interest in your application file. "When your application is reevaluated
that interest will shine through. Since schools are more inclined to
extend offers to students they believe will accept admission, this is
critical."
She also recommends asking someone who has NOT read your application to read it and offer constructive criticism. This may give you a fresh perspective on why you were deferred. Perhaps, unknowingly, you gave the wrong impression or neglected to include something important. Not only will you hopefully be able to "fix it" by sending the school that deferred you some clarification, but you may also be able to head-off a similar miscommunication at other schools.
And, most importantly, without becoming a nuisance, keep the admissions committee abreast of any NEW accomplishments on a regular basis.
***
For more information about Stephanie or Winning Applications, please visit the company web site or send an email to stephaniekleinwassink@winningapplications.net
Wait-Listed? Don't Take it Personally If you received a letter from a college stating that admission has been deferred and you've been added to the school's wait list, don't panic. Take a deep breath and then take a moment, or several moments if needed, and process what being wait listed is all about.
Barbara Cooke, author of the "Parent's Guide to College and Careers: How to Help, not Hover" (May 2010), suggests that rather than focusing all your emotional energy on hoping for acceptance, have an honest conversation with your parents about expectations for college. "What do you expect to happen differently if you go to college A vs. college B? What do your parents expect to happen differently? If you make the wait list for a selective or highly selective institution, you have strong personal and academic skills to begin with. You will flourish and grow at any one of a number of schools."
Maureen P. Tillman, L.C.S.W., founder of College with Confidence, encourages students to take a close look at the positives of the schools that you did get into. "There are many colleges where you can be happy. Explore these fully. No school is perfect. For the most part, it is what you make of the college experience that matters."
It's not personal. It's business.
Students and parents need to understand that a wait list is a business process and not a personal critique of wait-listed applicants. According to Cooke, "College recruiting and admissions is a complex and sophisticated financial business that is focused on increasing applicant yields and generating net revenue. Colleges need a full class of incoming students to help them meet their revenue goals. Having a wait list is the way colleges make sure they will have a full class of students and thereby meet targeted goals."
Since it's likely that you won't hear from the school that wait listed you until July, go ahead and make plans to visit or re-visit the colleges who did offer you admission. You will need to reply to one of your admission offers and submit a deposit by May 1 to secure a seat at another college. Visiting a college now, as an admitted student, can shed new light on what that school has to offer.
Related links:
- Dos and Don'ts on a College Visit
- Dressing Smart for your College Admissions Interview
- Student-to-Student: Questions to ask on a College Visit
Admission status letters have been mailed to high school seniors nationwide. An applicant will either be accepted by their first-choice school, rejected, or deferred, which is also referred to as "wait-listed." If you've been wait-listed, then waiting passively for the college to contact you again is not best course of action according to Edward B. Fiske, author of the #1 bestselling "Fiske Guide to Colleges 2010."
Instead, Fiske recommends that if you've been deferred, you should "go on the offensive" and send a deposit by May 1 to your first-choice school among those colleges who did accept you as a student, and then follow the steps below to get off the wait list and get accepted to the college of your choice. Visiting a college at this stage may be the most important college visit you make.
- Send a letter ASAP to the admissions director emphasizing your unyielding desire to attend. State specifically why you think the match is a good one and highlight new information.
- Call to see if you can arrange a campus interview. "Students who have been offered regular admission wait-list status are well advised to pay a visit by mid-April, perhaps with a set of recent grades in hand," says Peter Van Buskirk, former Dean of Admissions at Franklin and Marshall.
- Send examples of impressive work. This is particularly relevant if you have an area of special talent or if you have produced new work of which you are especially proud.
- Ask a current teacher to write a recommendation highlighting your recent achievements. Ask teachers who wrote letters for you previously to send updates.
- Ask your guidance counselor to write or call and see that the admissions office is kept up to date with your grades and other achievements.
