The application process is tiring. But, equally bothering is your wait for the colleges’ decisions. Do not worry when you get a lot of thoughts some of which may tempt to derail you from your general target of attending a college. Your wait for the admissions decisions is obvious to get over. Depending upon the colleges’ preferences and circumstances, you may or may not be able to secure a seat. March is the month for admissions decisions on regular decision applications.
Your college admissions decision will either be an acceptance, a rejection, or a waitlist. If you got rejected, do not worry and get ready to make a second attempt. Or probably you will be accepted by other colleges where you have applied. If you have been waitlisted, do not give up hope. Many waitlisted candidates have eventually made it to the college. If you have been accepted, congratulations, your hard work has paid.
However, getting accepted for admissions is not the ultimate thing in the college application process. There are a number of steps yet to be accomplished by you if you have been accepted by a college. You need to be conscious about what you should do after getting a college. Here we have prepared a guide for you to take important steps as soon as you get accepted by a college.
Ask yourself some tough questions
Your journey of college admissions is almost over if you have been accepted by a college or more. But, it is not the end. Even if you have been accepted by a college, it is always better for you to look back and review what has happened so far in the admissions process. You should ask yourself some questions in order to decide whether you should accept the admissions offer or not. If you have been accepted by more than one college, you need to be able to decide which to attend.
Here we have prepared a list of questions that you can ask yourself before moving forward in the admissions process:
Finances: Can you and your family afford the college where you have been accepted? If you cannot afford the college, are there any sort of financial aids available? Do the available financial aids cover your costs?
Location: How favorably do you find the location of your college? Can you spend the upcoming four years of your life in that place?
Campus: Does the campus attract you? Can you imagine yourself progressing in that setting?
Friendships: Are you going to know anyone or have anyone to help you get settled if you go to this college, or are you going to have to start your social life over again?
Career Prospects: Is the college worth your four years? Does the college prepare you for the career you want to pursue after your studies?
If You Feel That This Is The College For You, Accept The Offer
What are your answers to those tough questions that you recently asked yourself? Are the answers positive? If your answers are positive, you need to talk with your family and friends, and research about the college again in order to make your final decision. If your stance is positive after all the research and consulting, go ahead and accepted the offer. Take your time to congratulate yourself. You have succeeded in the college application process.
The steps of accepting the offer of admissions are not the same for all the colleges. The steps of accepting the offer are mentioned in the offer letter itself.
A major thing you should not forget about accepting the offers is that there is a deadline! Make sure that you accept the offer by the decision deadline. For most universities, decision day is May 1st. Accepting sooner rather than later is usually preferred, but if you have to wait until closer to the deadline because you’re waiting to hear from another college, it won’t negatively impact your admissions decision at all.
Usually, the college will require you to submit a financial deposit along with your acceptance confirmation response. This won’t always be due at the same time as your acceptance confirmation, but you should do it as soon as possible to secure your spot at the university and ensure that you are officially enrolled.
It is important to note that your financial deposit is not the same as your tuition. Tuition is a separate, often much larger, fee that will be required a little bit closer to when you start college.
Also, if the university in question has offered you some sort of financial aid, you will likely have to send in a separate acceptance confirmation for your financial aid package. Be sure to check with the college’s financial aid office to make sure you’re completing all the necessary steps to receive your financial aid in the fall.
Also Read: Your Grades and Standardized Test Scores for College Application
A Guide To IELTS Preparation
Decline All Other Offers
Being offered admission by a number of colleges is a good sign for you. It is the indicator of strength in comparison to other applicants. However, you need to choose one among the colleges that have offered you the seat in their intake. It is better for you to ask the tough questions that have been mentioned above, consult teachers, family, and friends and use your judgment in order to choose one among the colleges.
After you have sorted out which one you will attend, you can decline offers of admissions from all other colleges. Accepting offers from more than one college can put you in a dilemma and sometimes even in trouble. So it is always safe for you to decline the offers of the colleges that interest you less and accept the offer from the one you have chosen.
Start Preparing For Your First Semester of College
After accepting an offer from a college, you are certain to attend college. You need to make the necessary preparation for your presence in the college. You can apply for a student visa if you are international students.
Also, you can prepare yourself in various ways to attend the college some of which are mentioned below:
- Attending your first college orientation
- Submitting all vaccinations and other necessary forms required by the university
- Signing up for your fall-semester classes
- Creating a four-year degree plan
- Finding Housing/Roommates
- Buying everything you need to furnish your housing