…and now we wait.

This is the hardest part of the college admissions process….the waiting.

Some students still have a few more applications to submit – and my advice for those with mid-January/February deadlines is to get them done during winter break – why wait until the very last moment, when everyone else is already starting to get their admissions decisions?  Submit sooner – and in many cases, the response will come sooner!!

Many state universities have already started notifying applicants of their admissions decisions; as of the first week in January, I have clients who have already been accepted to the Universities of Oregon, New Mexico, Arizona, Alabama, Indiana, Ole Miss, Ohio State and Oregon State for fall, 2014.  Most private colleges and the UC decisions, though, won’t come until the end of March.  Berkeley usually releases their decisions around March 28th, with UCLA sending theirs about a day earlier.  All decisions should be released by April 1, so that students have the entire month of April to visit, review financial aid offers and make their decision by May 1, the national deposit deadline day.

The waiting is hard, not just for those students waiting to hear if Harvard or Yale has accepted them, but for all students.  Remember – we are working with the egos of 17 year olds; they are much more fragile than we sometimes think.  While a rejection letter isn’t intended to be personal, it sure feels that way when you get one.  Below is a short article with recommendations from a college counselor at an east coast boarding school on how to deal with rejection.

NYT – On Not Getting In

My strategy is always to help students get more acceptance letters than rejections.  The earlier we start, the more likely we are to have a solid list of colleges that your student feels would be a great home for four years, socially and academically.  The waiting is hard, but a big stack of acceptance letters at the end – and a nice selection of scholarships too – makes it all worthwhile.

I just met up with two former clients who have just finished their first quarter at UC Santa Barbara and semester at Clark University, respectively – you can see short videos of both of them on Magellan’s YouTube page here.  I’m always thrilled to hear from former clients who know they made the right choice for college!

As always, feel free to get in touch if you are interested in a consultation.  You can also sign up for my monthly newsletter at this link as well, and for more frequent news and information, please “like” Magellan’s Facebook page!