December 15 was the day that many colleges and universities sent out their “Early Decision” and “Early Action” notifications to many high school seniors.
If you received that acceptance, congratulations! However, if you were possibly either denied or deferred, it can definitely be a difficult time as you are on winter vacation and seeing many relatives, and even hearing from some of your friends that they were admitted.
During this difficult time, there are a number of things you can do. According to Lee Bierer, an independent college adviser in Charlotte, North Carolina, she offers these helpful tips:
1. Remember that colleges are responding to institutional priorities and a rejection should not be viewed as a personal failure.
2. Make sure you re-prioritize your college needs and wants and review your list of colleges that may accept you.
3. Make it a priority to get organized for any other future application deadlines you may now have to meet, and make a list on what needs to be done immediately as a number of other colleges have deadlines of January 1, 2014.
4. If you can plan on taking a trip to other colleges on your list during the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, the Presidents’ weekend, or even during spring break. Some of the colleges on your list may need a second look.
5. If you have been accepted to other colleges, make sure you start researching any scholarship opportunities for those colleges.
6. Remember that a number of students do not get in for the “Early Decision” or “Early Action” option. If you were deferred, it means that your application is put into the regular decision pool, and you might still get in. You will get notification in March.
7. Finally, even though it is tough to realize at this time, your acceptance to another college is a huge positive. It’s understandable that you have put a lot of time, effort, heart, and soul into the application that was denied, but there is a fit for everyone. So stay positive!
If you have received a denial or been deferred on the “Early Decision” or “Early Action” process, please give us a call and we can help you out with any information you may need.