27 Apr Road Map for April: Seniors

Decision day is almost here and I’m so excited for all of you who know where you’ll be this fall, as well as those of you who are choosing among great options. Colleges have spent the last year creating new virtual visit offerings, and some are opening up for in-person tours again. I hope you can take advantage of everything that’s available to get a sense of each school and feel confident about making your decision by May 1.

At the same time, this was an even tougher year than usual in admission for highly selective colleges, and I’m also hearing from students who are coping with disappointment. My heart goes out to you. You’ll have incredible opportunities to learn and grow wherever you land, but I know if you’re not headed where you pictured yourself, it can feel pretty bad. It can also be hard to take the time you need to process the bad news and evaluate your choices in just a few weeks. Please be in touch if I can support you in any way.

If you’re on a waitlist for a college you’d prefer over those you’ve been admitted to, let the school know it’s your first choice. You should also share any updates that would strengthen your candidacy, like recent grades or new activities that were not included in your original application.

Once you’ve had a chance to regroup, I hope you’ll be excited about one or more of the schools that did admit you. However, if you’re not sure you’ve got the options you need for your next step, check out NACAC’s annual list of schools accepting new applications for fall enrollment. There are nearly 300 schools listed so far, and more are likely to be added after May 1.  You can also consider a gap year, during which you can apply for Fall 2022 admission. Let me know if I can help with new applications or gap year planning.