‘Tis the season…for early application decisions!

Over the next few weeks, many schools will release their early application decisions - especially those with binding early decision plans (some non-binding early action decisions will not come in until January or even February). If you aren’t sure when to expect decisions from the schools on your list, check out this website for expected dates and times.

Make sure to consider where you want to be when you receive your decisions. We recommend you log into your portal or open your email or letter in the privacy of your room or home, not in your high school cafeteria ​​or while with a group of friends. You need to be able to have an honest, emotional response. We have seen a trend developing in which students record themselves opening their admission decisions and then post the video on TikTok. We definitely do NOT recommend this approach!

You should also take some time to decide how you want to share this information, whether positive or negative. Tell your parents. Tell your counselor at school. And of course, tell us! Beyond that, remember that YOU get to decide if and when you choose to share your news with anyone else.

Read on for some helpful tips, broken down by decision!

• If Accepted:

• First of all, congratulations!

• Be gracious. Congratulate yourself. It is ok to celebrate—but be appropriate. Remember there are many of your peers and friends who have not heard anything, are still applying to schools, or have been deferred, waitlisted or denied ​​(sometimes by the same school that just accepted you!).

• Be grateful. Thank your parents. Thank your recommenders. A hand-written thank you note goes a long way for an educator who cares about your success and puts the effort in to meet your school’s deadlines. 

• Be engaged. Your acceptance is not the signal to check out or give in to “senior slide.”

• Be proactive. If you have been accepted early decision, be sure to withdraw your applications from the remainder of your schools. You agreed to do this when you signed the early decision form.

• IF Deferred:

• Continue to work hard in your classes. Many schools will ask you to submit midyear grades in the portal, on the SRAR, or from your counselor.

• Check with us or your school counselor before sending additional submissions. More is not necessarily better. Follow the school’s directions for submitting materials.

• Compose your letters of continued interest (LOCI). Write brief (seriously: brief!) letters that state why you want to attend the schools and why you would be a great fit. Check out our prior blog post: Writing an Effective Letter of Continued Interest: Instructions and Samples, and again, only do this if the schools at which you were deferred will accept them (most will!).

• If Waitlisted:

• Respond. Be sure to follow the school’s instructions to accept your place on the waitlist. 

• Redouble your efforts and study, study, study. These schools will see your 3rd and 4th quarter or winter and spring term grades, which, if strong, can help you.

• Refocus. Be sure to deposit at another school by May 1 to ensure you are going to college somewhere, even if you remain on other waitlists.

• If Denied:

• Process the news. It’s ok to allow yourself time to be disappointed (for a day or two). What you feel is real and needs to be expressed, but cannot take over your life. This sounds impossible, but don’t take it personally. Read our previous post:  5 Steps to Take After Being Deferred or Denied Early Admission.

• Maintain perspective. Remember you have a balanced list for a reason.

• Pull yourself together and submit your remaining applications. Do not allow a denial to paralyze you. You need to continue to work hard in your classes and make sure all of your remaining applications are submitted.

• Prioritize self-care. Got a shredder? Print out your letter and shred it! Have a fire pit? Invite friends over and make s’mores out of your denial letters! Be creative and find a way to move forward!

If you ARE A CURRENT CLIENT:

• If you need help adding new schools to your list or reviewing application materials over winter break, make an appointment with Colleen or Sally to review it and discuss whether or not you need to make any changes

• If you need more essay coaching meetings, book them as soon as possible (but don’t add new schools without running that by us first)!

If you need help now but didn’t work with us earlier in the process on an ongoing basis, it’s not too late.

• If you need help adding new schools to your list or reviewing application materials over winter break, you can book one of our Class of 2024 Strategy Sessions.

• If you already know where you want to apply and just need help finishing up all those essays, you can book pay-as-you-go essay coaching sessions here. 

NOTE: We may be able to add additional essay coaching availability depending on demand, so the earlier you let us know you need help, the better! Please send our admin team an email to discuss options if you can’t find a session that works for you using the links above.

REMEMBER: We are rooting for you just as much as you are (maybe even more!). Stay smart, stay positive, and enjoy the rest of senior year! 

How to Combat Senioritis

Flu season may be on its way out, but senioritis is about to kick in. This highly contagious illness affects thousands of twelfth-graders each year, infecting most during early spring. The majority of cases are mild, with occasional bouts of slacking and disinterest. However, if not treated properly, senioritis can lead to more severe side effects: long-haul parental nagging;  plummeting grades; even rescinded college admissions offers. 

Luckily, there are easy ways to prevent full-fledged senioritis. Read on to learn about early symptoms and how to treat them.

EARLY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF SENIORITIS

You’re exhausted

No one ever told you that the fall semester of senior year would be so tough! Looking back, you have no idea how you managed to juggle your classes and extracurriculars along with college visits and endless applications. Now you’re feeling exhausted and burned out, and you’re coming down off of the cortisol of a stressful semester. No matter how much rest you seem to get at this point, you’re generally tired and have low energy.

You’re procrastinating…a lot

Okay, so maybe you’ve always had a tendency to procrastinate, but this bad habit is suddenly getting worse. You’re not keeping track of assignments and thinking ahead like you used to. Every task feels tedious and annoying. Even though you know you need to get that essay done and study for that big test, you just can’t seem to check these tasks off of your to-do list. You’ll do it later…

You’re sliding by

Your college applications are submitted, and your GPA just doesn't seem as important as it did a few months ago. A few missed homework assignments won’t hurt, you rationalize. And who cares if you get a B on that one project? You start sliding by because you don’t think your grades will suffer that much. And besides, spring semester senior grades don’t count! 

You’re bored

You should be excited. After all, you’ve submitted your college applications; you’re starting to receive acceptance letters; and you’re just a few short months away from a major milestone-graduation! But you’re not as enthusiastic as you thought you’d be; you’re actually bored. You’ve accomplished a lot of your high school goals, and now you’re just waiting around for your new college life to begin. 

TREATING EMERGING SENIORITIS

Create spring semester goals

If you’re feeling unmotivated after submitting college applications and keep asking yourself “now what?” we’ve got the answer for you. Create a few school goals for the spring semester, either related to your academic classes or your extracurricular activities. Now that doesn’t mean you have to set your sights on a perfect 4.0 GPA or suddenly start a brand new service club. Instead, think of goals that are realistic, manageable, and most importantly a fun challenge for you over the next few months. If you’re loving your AP Psychology class, ask your teacher for a list of recommended books and make it your goal to finish one title by the end of spring break. Or if you’re in the Environmental Club, push yourself to lead a fundraiser or community event. Focus on the things that interest you most, so you’ll feel motivated to achieve the goals you set for yourself this spring. 

Make a bucket list

After three and a half years at the same school with the same people, you might have a “been there, done that” attitude. And this attitude can make you feel even more bored and apathetic in the last months of your senior year. So now’s the time to shake things up! Make a bucket list of things you’ve always wanted to do, whether it’s at school or in your local area, and ask your friends and family to help you accomplish the list. Consider checking out your high school’s spring musical or attending a track meet for the first time. Lend your design skills to the prom-planning committee or organize a night at a major league baseball game for you and your friends. We guarantee that checking things off your bucket list will make you feel much more excited about life. Plus it’s a great way to create memories with friends and family before you start your next chapter.

Rally your friends

Trust us, you are not the only senior suffering from senioritis. Chances are your friends are feeling some combination of boredom and demotivation, too. Help push each other to the high school finish line by creating a support system. That might mean organizing a spring semester study group or finding an accountability buddy who will text you homework reminders. Or maybe you can ask your best friend to keep you focused during study hall, and you do the same for them. Remember, you are not alone in fighting off senioritis!

Give yourself a reality check

Okay, this is where you need to stop making excuses that you’re burned out, that a few bad grades won’t matter, that you deserve to slack. The reality is that your spring semester senior year DOES matter. It’s your last chance to make an impression on your school and your community. Finish strong with effort, pride, and positivity. 

And on a more practical note, your spring semester grades matter, too. All colleges and universities will request end-of-year reports, and they want to see consistency! It’s okay if your B+ drops to a B, but if there are major changes in your academic performance, that can be a red flag for schools. In extreme cases, a college or university may rescind your acceptance.  It’s rare, but it does happen. So don’t become a cautionary tale!