April is for Admissions not just April Fools Day

March was nerve wracking enough – late nights scanning forums waiting for decisions to come through, early mornings discussing results with your parents. Plus you had exams and everything else. Butnow it’s April and all your admissions decisions have finally arrived! After months of waiting, they are here! So what is next. Well, there are a few different scenarios to think through:

You’ve Been Accepted to your Top Choice!

Congratulations! We couldn’t be happier for you! Admissions is rigorous and difficult. It’s a long haul and you worked hard for it. I know you can’t wait to sign the dotted line (figuratively) but pause, breathe, plan. Remember to send thank you notes to everyone who helped you in the process. But also remember to sit down with your parents and talk about anything they might be concerned about whether concerns about paying for college, or the safety concerns your parents may have about the country of your destination. Scholarships can be negotiated, loans must be understood, and just saying “God mom / dad” won’t alleviate their concerns in a heartbeat. Make sure you’ve thought it through and talked to people.

Multiple Acceptances
The number of applications each student submits is increasing each year (we’ve seen it!). Not to mention students are diversifying applications across multiple countries! If you applied to a balanced list of schools, chances are good that you have been accepted to more than one school. Whether or not you have your top choice, we highly recommend sitting down with your parents or with a counselor to write out a list of pros and cons for each school once you’ve got all the admissions. Wait till you have all your acceptances before you begin the exercise and write down your thoughts. Its overwhelming so you need to take your time. This list should consider how strong your university is for your major, geographical location and weather, size of the university and financial aid or total cost of attendance may. If you can try to visit the colleges and see them in person though realize that you have a short timeline since schools need a decision by May 1st and you can only put a deposit to one school.

You’ve Been Waitlisted
There is a special feeling of overwhelming frustration that descends upon the students that are stuck in admissions purgatory (waitlisted). After months of waiting, you’re being asked to wait longer. First, figure out if you want to pursue the waitlist. Waitlists are difficult and we see fewer and fewer conversions off the waitlist each year. Colleges use waitlists to make sure they have a full class and use it to fill in spots. But with admissions getting more competitive, this isn’t easy. If you do decide to continue pursuing the waitlist, refer to our earlier article titled a Different Kind of Love Letter on pursuing the waitlist for Early Admissions. The rules are still the same. However warning, pun approaching. ACCEPT your situation and ACCEPT one school that you want to go to! Wait for the waitlist to move but realize, you got into college and that is pretty great.

You Were Not Admitted To Most or All of your Colleges
This is a difficult situation to be in, we sympathize. But, even though it feels like it, it’s not the end of the world. Wait for all the results before you fall down a crazy spiral of depression. If for whatever reason you didn’t hear great news from any of your colleges, there are colleges in other countries you aren’t late for, maybe even a gap year is the right thing with a more balanced list this time? You can still pursue waitlists and you can contact the admissions office and ask them about their appeal policy. However, you should not solely rely on these options. Instead, you should focus on learning more about the school or schools you were accepted to. Think about reaching out to a counselor to understand your options and engage a professional who has more knowledge in this journey. Everything will be ok in the end, and if it’s not ok, it’s not the end.

When Your Friends Get In…Or Don’t
You might be incredibly excited or incredibly upset, but remember to be sensitive to others when sharing your results with your friends or on social media. Admissions are getting more competitive and not everyone gets into their top choices. Avoid writing about every school on Facebook or even on SnapChat. Not only does this rub it in, it may also annoy admissions officials who in extreme cases my rescind applications. Think about how it might feel if your dream school denied your application. At the same time try not to compare yourself with friends and classmates who have gotten into a school, where you were denied. From an outside perspective it’s nearly impossible to understand exactly why an admissions committee chooses one qualified candidate over another.Remember, whatever the decision, you worked hard, celebrate it. And things always work out even if sometimes they don’t feel like they do in the short term.