Accepted or Not? … How to handle college admission decisions: College Decision Day May 1

Enhance with ideas from the mass mutual blog.

At ForwarDirections we discuss the three fits: academic fit, social fit and financial fit. Make sure these “fits” are balanced when you make your college decision.

“College acceptances should be accompanied with great joy: Students’ hard work and achievements, not to mention their skill in composing the college application, have paid off,” said Jeremy Hyman, coauthor of ” The Secrets of Picking a College” and “The Secrets of College Success.”

But acceptance can be tricky when it comes from more than one school. How can students choose between two or more worthy suitors?

Financial Fit: Cost considerations

“Financially, it’s important to incorporate how you will pay into your consideration of your options,” said Sabrina Manville, a former university administrator and college admissions consultant. “An acceptance is a cause to celebrate if it also includes a financial aid award and price that you can shoulder as a family. Make sure you understand your actual price by considering what is ‘free money,’ in the form of grants and scholarships, and what will need to be paid back in the form of loans.”

To simplify the process, you can use this college comparison tool from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to compare first-year costs of attendance, first-year financial aid, and debt at graduation for up to three schools at a time. And if you have financial aid offers from more than one school, use them to your advantage.

You can also use the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard to evaluate information such as the average cost of attendance for students in various financial brackets and the average salary of the schools’ federal financial aid recipients 10 years after graduation. This information can help you figure out if paying more to attend a certain school might be worth it. (Related: Finding the best ‘financial fit’ college)

Academic Fit and Social Fit

To separate schools on factors other than finances, consider gathering information from several sources:

• Additional college visits.
• Current students.
• Trusted high school teachers, advisors, and school counselors.

Also think about these things:

• Which school checks most of your boxes?
• Where can you get the most credits for AP and IB test results?
• If you want to study in a specific field, which school has the best reputation or most unique opportunities in that area? Is it the right city for you?
• How often do you want to visit home, and how easy will it be in terms of time and cost?
• What will the cost of living have on your budget?  
• How will the weather affect your quality of life at different schools?

Waitlist decisions: What to do

Getting placed on a school’s wait list might be less devastating than getting rejected outright. But it comes with its own set of challenges and next steps. If it is the right school for you, then you may want to accept the wait list option.

In the meantime, make other plans for college while you wait.

College Rejections

Few people get accepted to all the colleges to which they applied. Know that there are many colleges that can fit your needs as a student. A college rejection is no indication of a student’s worth or accomplishments, nor does it predict the future.  Decisions to make:

• 4-year college path Accept an offer: Is there a 4-year college that meets your needs where you will be happy?
• Community College path: Students may choose to attend a local community college and then re-apply in two years.
  • If choosing the community college route, make sure your plan aligns with the application requirements of your most desired college. Getting good grades in community college helps to be accepted to colleges as a transfer.
  • If choosing the community college route, do some things to enhance your resume such as getting a job or doing leadership activities in club or volunteer.
• There are success stories in whatever path you choose for your college experience.

Remember, you only get one college experience, so make it your best!