It’s that time of the year again: colleges and universities across the country are releasing regular decision notifications (or will be soon). For high school seniors, this marks the finish line in their college admissions journey–or so you might think! However, there are still decisions to make and important steps to take, whether you’ve been admitted, waitlisted or denied. 

We know that navigating decision notifications can be confusing, even downright stressful for some families. That’s why we’re kicking off a three-part series today! We’ll break down the different types of decision notifications (there are more than you might think!) and share our expert tips on what to do after you receive the news.

TYPES OF DECISION NOTIFICATIONS

Acceptance:

Congratulations, you’ve been admitted! Unlike early decision, a regular decision acceptance does NOT bind you to that particular school or college. You can choose whether or not you’d like to accept the offer. This is a big decision, so take your time*! Weigh your options and carefully consider the factors that are most important to you. Some students especially benefit from attending accepted student days, visiting (or revisiting) campuses, and talking with current students.

*Most schools require that students accept their offers of admission by May 1 in order to enroll. However, it’s typically possible to get an extension on this if you need one for a legitimate reason. On the other hand, some schools have begun to offer special perks to students who deposit earlier - first-come-first-serve housing, parking spots, course registration, and so forth. So don’t rush the decision, but once you know, go ahead and send in the deposit.

Conditional Acceptance Programs:

Some schools may admit applicants - but with a catch! This typically occurs when the school would like to accept students whose qualifications are not quite as high as the rest of the incoming class - or when the university feels an obligation to keep third parties happy (i.e. donors, alumni, coaches) by offering a particular applicant a spot.

Conditional acceptance programs come in many forms, as you can see below, and they can be very complex. We encourage families to read conditional acceptance letters carefully, do their research, and ask for help if they need it. 

Here are three major categories of conditional acceptance programs: 

REIMAGINED CALENDAR YEAR

Summer session contingency: A school offers admission to students who are willing to begin their college experience earlier than usual. Summer session admission can be less competitive, especially at larger universities. For example, if you want to increase your chances of admission at Penn State’s main campus, indicate that a summer start date is an option for you. You begin in the summer, take a few classes, and then join the rest of the freshman class in the fall.

I love programs like this and see great advantages in them - students have the opportunity to make friends and familiarize themselves with college-level work before the chaos of the fall semester begins. In some ways, this can be even better than traditional fall admission!

Second semester admission: You’re admitted, but not until the spring semester of your freshman year. Therefore, you can use your gap semester in the fall to work, travel, and/or volunteer. Programs like Middlebury’s Febmester are well-known for their mid-year enrollment approaches that ensure students can easily integrate into the community when they arrive on campus. 

Personally, I’m not as big of a fan of these. It can be socially isolating and sort of depressing to be stuck at home during first semester, which often-times is what ends up happening. Students see all of their high school friends having fun on social media at their new colleges, and it can be easy to make comparisons and feel down about their own circumstances.

Second semester admission WITH required fall program: While some schools give you the freedom and flexibility of a gap semester, others require you to complete a structured fall program before moving onto campus in the spring. Northeastern’s N.U.in Program, for instance, admits a small group that spends their fall semester studying abroad at partner locations around the world. Students earn credits, just as they would if on campus, while getting the added benefit of a cultural experience. 

Even though there’s less flexibility, I like this option because it still offers an exciting experience for students. They are making friends with others who will be in their class year, and have the opportunity to start their college years off on an exciting note!

Gap year: Much less common than second semester start dates, gap year admission defers your start date by a full academic year. That means you have twelve months to pursue your interests and gain experience in whatever path you choose. Harvard is one of the few schools to offer this type of admission with their Z-List (which has faced some criticism in recent years).

This shares some of the same disadvantages of second-semester admission - unless the student has a concrete plan for the year that they happen to be very excited about. It is also worth noting that a typical condition of a gap year is that students are not permitted to take for-credit classes at a different college or university. On the positive side, at least the student is starting at the beginning of freshman year, so the transition is not as difficult socially as starting in the winter might be. But they will be a solid year older than their peers, which is something else to consider.

MAJOR CHANGES

General education program: A school offers you admission, but with a slight twist. Instead of immediately jumping into your major course of study, you’ll enter a general education program where you’ll complete prerequisites first. NYU’s Liberal Studies Core, for example, provides a successful program where students can take advantage of small class sizes and study abroad opportunities before transferring into their specific major program.

I like this! It may not be the path students had initially envisioned, but they typically have to take all of these general education requirements anyway - so if taking them all at once can get them into the school of their dreams, why not?!

A different major: A school may not admit you to your first choice major for a variety of reasons. But don’t worry if you’re not sure about the alternate major to which you’ve been granted admission. Schools like UC Santa Barbara will allow you to submit a change of major request. 

This is usually a great option, because so many students switch their major anyway! Just make sure to check eligibility requirements and admissions statistics for internal transfers. For example, if you are trying to ultimately graduate with a specialized finance or engineering degree, your chance to transfer into one of these programs may not be a given.

TRANSFER OPTIONS

Community college bridge program: Bridge programs provide admitted students with greater support and preparation as they transition between high school and college. Admission is typically contingent upon a student successfully completing one to two years of coursework at a community college. Of course colleges and universities don’t want students to miss out on the typical college experience, so some even offer a community living component. Participants in the Bridge to Clemson Program live right on campus and benefit from the structure and support of the resident advisors.

I love programs like this! Remember, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. And this doesn’t have the social disadvantages of starting at a local community college for two years and living at home.

Conditional transfer: Unlike a structured bridge program, a conditional transfer includes a set of ‘conditions’ that students will need to meet for transfer admissions. This might include initially earning a certain number of undergraduate credits and maintaining a particular GPA at a different institution. Some schools consider other conditions as well. For example,  Georgia Tech’s Conditional Transfer Pathway Program allows applicants who were not admitted as first year students AND have a family member associated with the school to benefit from guaranteed transfer admission as long as they meet some basic GPA and course requirements. Notre Dame’s Gateway Program allows students to enroll after spending a year at nearby Holy Cross (remember Holy Cross from Rudy??).

Some of these programs have a few social drawbacks, but they aren’t a bad deal when you consider how selective these schools have become! The more structured ones, like ND’s program, minimize the social impact.

Waitlist:

A waitlist notification means that you’re on hold. You haven’t been rejected, but you haven’t been accepted either. Instead, the particular college or university will offer you a spot on the waitlist, and if you accept the invitation, you might be considered for admission. Of course, there are no guarantees, and a variety of factors must be considered. More on this in a future post!

Deny:

A denial notification indicates that a student was not accepted into the institution.  If you think you have a legitimate reason to appeal the decision, you might be able to do so (we’ll talk about this in an upcoming post, too). But beware! Not all institutions allow for appeals, and the chances of a college or university changing their minds is pretty slim.

Check back next week!

Check back next week for the second part of our series. We’ll share our expert advice on what to do when you’ve been admitted!