One of the biggest thrills a high school senior can experience is receiving that acceptance letter from that ‘dream’ college or, in fact, any college at all.
But once you open that big envelope of your acceptance, college admissions experts agree that your high school work doesn’t end there!
Yale admissions dean Jeffrey Brenzel says that even after you have received your acceptance and know what each school that accepted you is willing to offer financially, you need to start from scratch and, “wipe out every assumption” and “let there be no reaches, good fits or safeties” because students’ notions of what they’re looking for can change substantially in the month between getting accepted and actullay choosing which college to attend. And, according to Brenzel, failing to look ‘afresh’ at colleges can lead to regrettable choices later. The only way to reassess with the college you’ve been accepted to is through another round of research!
Vice President of publishing for Princeton Review, Robert Franek, advises admitted students to read the college newspaper, talk to additonal students and faculty, and look for blogs that can reveal the ‘culture’ of the college. Franek adds that evalutating the college you were accepted to should go beyond the classroom. See what it’s like in the college classroom, find out about the professors, and make sure the college ‘environment’ fits your politcal, religious, and geography needs if that’s important.
Kiersten Murphy suggests that “you need to really be a great investigator”and also recommends reviewing student publications. If you haven’t actually visited the campus or just visited it briefly, go back there and really check it out. Ask yourself how you felt when you were on campus, which of your accepted colleges best match your list of ‘must-haves,’ and which college can you imagine yourself most successful and happy.
Gettting more information on the college you have been accepted to is extremely important. Create a list of questions you still have about the colleges you’ve been accepted to. Ask how many students return after his or her freshman year and how many graduate. Also check into what a college student does for fun. In addition, look at the college’s official website.
Rememeber, once you have received an acceptance letter, you don’t have to make your choice overnight. Do your research on each of the colleges that have accepted you, but just make sure you make your decision by the college’s acceptance deadline.
If you have any questions about an acceptance letter and need some advice, please call us to set up an appointment. And congratulations on your acceptance!