Admit, deny, deferral, waitlist. These are all possible outcomes from your early admission applications. November through mid-December is the typical window for students to hear back from colleges if they have applied through Early Action or Early Decision application plans, though some EA decisions may not be released until January.
Be prepared for the fact that you may not have a full financial picture with your early application admission offers, as colleges rarely set new pricing until the early spring. Additionally, you are likely not to get a need-based aid offer before December.
Whitney and Katelyn talk about managing early admit offers, including how to share your news, your possible options for housing deposits, and how to remove your other applications from consideration if you have been admitted to your top choice college through Early Decision.
If you have been admitted Early Decision you know where you will be attending college next fall, so now is the time to start getting engaged with that campus and to learn as much as you can so that you are ready to hit the ground running as a first year student.
If your application has been deferred to the regular admission pool we have tips for you on how to provide more information IF you are prompted to do so. We also discuss the possibility of applying to a second college Early Decision (in January) if a student has been denied in a first round of Early Decision or wasn't ready for this commitment earlier.
All students, however, need to be cautious about the “senior slide”. It’s important to keep your grades up and not to drop out of any classes in your second semester because the colleges that have admitted you have done so with the expectation that you will maintain your academic trajectory.
Time Stamps:
00:55 What Are We Learning This Week? Whitney has been looking more closely at some unique college models, like the American College of Building Arts, that build hands-on learning in a trades-related field into an associates or bachelors degree program.
3:37 Big Picture: In November and December, students are beginning to hear back from the schools that they applied to with an early action or early decisions program. We review the outcomes you can expect and how to talk with friends and family about your admission answers.
15:12 “Stump the IEC (Independent Educational Consultant)” Inspired by election day, Whitney quizzes Katelyn on the colleges attended by U.S. Presidents.
19:01 Tips and Strategies for managing your early admissions decisions. We have thoughts on being considerate of others, how to provide more information if you have been deferred to the regular admissions pool, considerations for a second Early Decision application, and how to make the most of an early admission.
More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow.
Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions.
Thanks for listening!
