Understanding Every Kind of Admissions Decision

It’s that time of year when Early Decision and Early Action applicants are receiving their decision letters in the mail.  But what exactly do those decisions from colleges mean, and what should you do with them? Let’s break it down by decision.

Accepted

First reaction: woo hoo!  This is, of course, the most exciting decision and what we’re hoping for when applying for schools.  However, there is more to think through before accepting the school’s offer.

First, did they offer any sort of scholarships?  If yes, was it enough? If no, can you afford to attend for four years?  It is important to determine affordability early on, especially if the school was only a contender if they offered a specific amount in aid.

Second, what if you got admitted to multiple schools?  Is one standing out more than the other? Once you’ve confirmed which colleges you’ve been accepted to are affordable, you’ll have to make the hard choice of choosing which school is YOUR school.  You have until May 1 to do so, but if you already know which schools you’ll be turning down offers to, be sure to do that sooner than later. This allows students on the waitlist to be potentially admitted, and lets the school have a better idea of yield.  Once you’ve made your decision, you’ll need to pay some sort of deposit or enrollment fee to show the school you’ve committed. Each school is a little different, so be sure to read your admissions letter!

Rejected

This is definitely not the decision we’re looking for, but it happens.  Most colleges can’t accept every qualified student who applies so many qualified students will receive rejection letters each year.  So what now?

Take some time to wallow in your sadness, and then move on.  Hopefully you applied to a handful of other wonderful schools that would be a great fit for you.  Focus on those schools and remember that you will end up exactly where you are supposed to be.

Deferred

Lots of students confused “deferred” with “waitlisted,” but they are very different!  There are two ways this could happen, with one being more likely. We’ll tackle that one first.

If you applied Early Decision or Early Action, you might receive a deferred decision which means they are deferring your application to the regular admissions pool.  This isn’t a bad thing! It means they haven’t accepted you yet but they haven’t rejected you yet, and they want a better idea of what their applicant pool looks like before making a decision on your application.  Basically, they’re just waiting to see where you fall compared with other applicants. Chances of being admitted after being deferred vary by school but many schools admit quite a few students who were deferred.

The second way this might happen is if you applied Regular Decision and then were deferred.  This most likely means that they liked your application but need more information on your before making a decision.

In both cases, if you are serious about the school you were deferred from, do not sit around waiting for an answer.  Work with your counselor or consultant to ensure the school knows why you are a good fit and what you can offer them as part of their student body without bombarding them with recommendation letters and having the adverse effect.

Waitlisted

Oh, the dreaded waitlist.  Sometimes called the ugly stepsister of a deferral decision, the waitlist is where qualified students go if they aren’t sure they have enough spots in their incoming class for you.  Rates of course vary by school, but historically, being pulled from the waitlist can be rare. Unlike being deferred, additional information does not usually change their decision.

The idea behind waitlists is that the college wants to ensure they aren’t admitting too many students or too few students.  By having a waitlist, they can use historical data to determine yield (how many students will commit to the school) and how many should actually be admitted at the beginning.  For example, if the school wants an incoming class of 3000 students, and 2900 end up committing to attend, they can pull 100 students off the waitlist.

Waitlisted students may also not find out until August if they have been moved from the waitlist, so it can be difficult to plan.  When you receive your decision in the mail and you find you’ve been waitlisted, there are often clear instructions so you can choose if you do, in fact, want to be placed on the waitlist.  If you’d like to move on and leave this school behind you, you can basically reject the waitlist and just cross the school off your list.

—

In short, being deferred and waitlisted are not the same thing, and there is more to think about than “yahoo!” when you receive an acceptance letter.  Think through your decisions carefully. Students should include their parents when making choices and parents should consider what the student wants before verbalizing their decision.  Lastly, if you have questions, do not hesitate to work with your counselor or consultant so you are making the most informed decision.