Unfortunately, not everyone is going to receive that college acceptance letter he or she was expecting. What are your options if you don’t receive any acceptance letters? It can definitely be a shock receiving a so called ‘rejection’ letter, but that doesn’t mean the college dream is over. Here are some tips on what you can do if you find yourself in that situation.
1. Find out why you weren’t admitted.
It is a good idea to contact the admissions offices to get a better understanding as to why you weren’t accepted and find out if the school accepts appeals. Even though only a very limited percentage of students may see their decision change, it is worth the time and effort. Possibly your records weren’t complete and you can provide new information. Or, maybe your high school sent the wrong transcript or information.
2. Check out schools with late and Rolling Admissions.
Some schools offer late or rolling admission decision deadlines. These schools continue to accept and review applications and send out those college admission letters until they have filled all of their available spots. Some schools have policies that start in the fall and continue through the summer. If this applies to a school that you may be interested in, make sure to call the admissions office and find out if they are still taking applications.
3. Improve your credentials and try again.
If you really have your heart set on a particular school, you might want to consider re-applying for the following semester. Take some time off and learn new skills or improve test scores to show the admissions officers that you are serious about attending that school.
4. Pursue another college acceptance.
If you react in time, the situation of being denied admission to the colleges you applied to can possibly be avoided if you start filling out those ‘second-choice’ applications. This may include a few stressful weeks, but it may be worth it. You may still get an offer from a school you will be happy with even if it’s not on your first choices of colleges. Even if the application deadline has passed, don’t panic. Make calls to admissions offices to see what your options still are.
5. Consider a two-year college.
You may consider starting your education at a two-year college and even if that is not what you planned, you can still transfer to the college you were trying to get into as a junior. Just make sure you keep in contact with the four-year school you want to attend. Talk to the admissions office and know what exact classes you need to take at the two-year school that will definitely transfer to the four-year school.
If you didn’t receive that acceptance letter you were hoping for and have any questions about your options, please contact us and we can help you.