Kinds of Decisions

There are three kinds of letters that you can receive from colleges. The first of course, is the one you want. It usually starts with the word, "congratulations" and at some later date, you will read the rest of the letter. This is your letter of admission.

The second letter is the one that no one wants to receive. It usually starts with "I/we regret" and after some agonizing, you will finish the letter. You will be disappointed or perhaps even angry but work hard to get back into a more positive frame of mind. Sure, you will have to tell those who ask, that you didn't get in and that's not pleasant for anyone, but the sooner you begin to deal with the disappointment, the sooner you will be able to enjoy the admission letters.

Now, let's talk about the what if situations. What if you were put on the wait list or didn't get enough financial aid? The wait list says that while you had the credentials needed to be successful at the college there were other stronger candidates for admission. The list as it is often called, may or may not be used by a college. Some of the students offered admission might decide to attend a different college. Colleges know this will happen and over-admit to compensate for this. However, in some years, more students than they thought would do so, decide to attend a different college. That's when colleges use the wait list. If you are put on a wait list and want to be considered for a space if it becomes available, you must notify the college of that desire. If something has changed that could make you a more desirable applicant, tell the college. Are your 3rd quarter grades better than they have ever been? Did you retake the SAT or ACT and your scores went up? Did you just win an award or been given an honor? Did you write a paper that your teacher thinks is sensational? These things could make a difference. Don't be afraid to write to the college telling why you would be a great addition to their student body, and don't be afraid to ask for a new letter of support from a teacher you now have but didn't have first semester. Of course, do this only if your performance has improved or you have something that could help you get to the top of the wait list.

The other what if is "what if I only got into my safe schools? Since you did read and follow through on the recommendation to apply to more than one safe school, you will have more than one college choice so it's time to get started thinking about which one is right for you. It is also possible that one of your safe schools is a better fit for you. Keep in mind that there is no one right college for any student. Rather, there are many right colleges and you have planned for that. Good work in the planning phase has earned you the right to make a good final choice.