You have been hurrying to get your applications finished and now you are just waiting and waiting and waiting. You are almost ready to make one of the biggest decisions of your life. But first you have to wait to see where you get in. A few reminders for you while you are waiting:
Keep working hard to maintain your grades. I had a student once who got into Cal Berkeley. Once he got in he decided to drop his physics class. When Cal got his transcript and Physics was not on his transcript, they withdrew his admissions. Don’t let that happen to you! Senioritis not allowed!
Make sure your file is complete at each school you applied to. If you were prompted to set up a portal then do so. Sometimes you can see if there are any missing documents-like SAT or ACT scores, transcripts or letters of recommendation. If you aren’t sure, call the school.
Check your email! I cannot emphasize this enough. This should be a daily habit. If the college sends you an email that you do not read, the results could be disastrous. I had a student once who did not check his email carefully and missed an early deadline for the CSS Profile since she applied Early Action. As a result, she was given NO financial aid and so was not able to attend her #1 choice.
Continue to show interest in the school. Call. Visit. See if you can interview. Just do your best to let the college know you are interested in their college.
Apply for scholarships if applicable. Remember that private scholarships could negatively impact any need based aid you might get. If you are unsure about this, call the college financial aid office and ask them how they treat private scholarships. If you do decide to apply for these scholarships, remember that they are usually for 1 year only. Apply for scholarships that require essays. There is less competition! And feel free to recycle essays you have already written. Just be sure they match the prompt!
Continue researching your career of interest. The more you know, the less likely you are to be shocked when you learn more later. Then you are more likely to finish college on time with a major you are genuinely interested in.
Soon you will start receiving acceptance letters. Do not make a decision until you get the award letter. Remember that you would not buy a car without knowing the price. So don’t commit to a college until you know your cost. Also, just a note: your acceptance letters often include notes about scholarships you will receive. This is NOT an official award letter, so don’t make your decision based on that, and remember that you have until May 1st to decide. During the meantime, just hurry up and wait!
