As many of you know, early decisions will be released in the coming weeks. Whether you applied early decision and/or early action to any schools, you will likely be hearing back in mid-December, with many schools releasing decisions on the 15th. Nervous?
That makes sense! You’ve put a lot of work into your applications and here comes the big moment when you find out if it all paid off. Here are some things to keep in mind as we approach the early decision release date.
Various Possible Outcomes
There are many different possible outcomes that may occur when decisions are released. It’s important to be familiar with the possibilities and have a plan ready before you hear back. If you wait until you get your decision and it isn’t one you were hoping for, you may be in a negative emotional state that will not allow you to make a clear decision.
Do yourself a favor and start thinking now about what you will do in each scenario, so that you can simply follow the steps you laid out when the time comes.
First, you may be accepted. In this case, congratulations! If you are accepted under an early decision plan, you need to put down your deposit and withdraw all other applications. Under the early decision agreement, you are obligated to attend if admitted, so there is nothing left to decide!
Second, you may be denied. If you are denied, take a breath. The disappointment you may feel is totally understandable. It’s important to remind yourself that college admissions are incredibly competitive, and this isn’t reflective of your value as a person. You may have been academically qualified to attend, but the school simply didn’t have enough spots. Unfortunately, you cannot appeal a denial from a college. Once you’ve been denied, that’s it. The best thing you can do is put it behind you and move forward. In this case, it can be very helpful to have narrowed down your second and third choice options, so you already know where to focus your energy now.
Third, you may be deferred. This is a tricky one. Schools may not let you in during the early round, but also not deny you outright. Instead, they may push you to the regular decision pool, where they will reconsider your application. This means more waiting, but you also still have a chance. If you applied to a school early decision and are deferred, you are now released from your early decision contract. That means that if you end up being admitted in the regular decision pool, you do not need to attend if admitted.
What To Do If You Get Deferred
First, provide an update to the school where you were deferred. Usually universities will give you a space where you can update them on what has been going on since you first applied. You can use this space to include any new activities you’ve participated in, awards you’ve won, or anything else that may be significant for college admissions. It’s critical that you take advantage of using this space to provide updates that will strengthen your application. This is what will increase your chances of admission after being deferred.
Second, consider applying Early Decision 2 elsewhere. Early Decision 2 may be a great option for you if you have a clear second choice school that offers it. But there are a few things that you need to keep in mind before making the decision.
Early Decision 2
Early Decision 2 (ED2) works exactly the same as ED1, except that it has a later deadline, allowing students who were not admitted ED1 to still apply ED somewhere. You cannot apply ED2 to a school where you were not admitted ED1. You will have to apply to a different school ED2.
Let’s say that you were rejected by your ED1 school on December 15th. Usually, ED2 applications are not due until early January. That means you can wait until you hear back from your ED1 school before deciding if you will apply to another school ED2. If you have a second choice option that you are sure about, it makes sense to apply ED2 there.
The situation becomes more complex if you are deferred from your ED1 school. When you are deferred ED1, you are pushed to the regular decision round, but are no longer bound to attend if admitted. Let’s say you apply to College A in Early Decision 1 and you are deferred to regular decision. Then you apply to College B in Early Decision 2. A few months later, you are admitted to both. Since you were admitted to College B under Early Decision 2, you must attend, even though you were also admitted to College A under regular decision. It doesn’t matter that it was originally your first choice.
This makes the decision of whether or not to apply ED2 more complex for students who were deferred by their ED1 school. If your heart is still set on your ED1 school, then you might consider not applying ED2 anywhere, so that you don’t get blocked from attending your first-choice option if you are admitted in the regular pool.
Refine Your Regular Applications
If your first choice option didn’t work out, focus on what you can control now. You can’t change the decision the college made, but you can continue to refine your regular applications. Take a good look at your essays, resume, and application. Make sure that you are presenting yourself in the best way possible. You may consider getting outside help to review your application and improve it.
This doesn’t mean re-doing your entire application and throwing everything out the window. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, things just don’t work out. That doesn’t mean that you submitted a poor application.
So give everything an honest audit and make improvements/changes wherever necessary. You might not have to change much.
Take a Breath
You’ve worked hard – really hard – on this process. Be kind to yourself and relax. Things will work out in the end. Develop your action plan now so you can be prepared for whatever may come. Consider getting more support if you need it. Your efforts will pay off soon!
At American College Counselors, we guide students through every step of the college admissions process. Reach out to us at info@AmericanCollegeCounselors.com if you need any support.
Wishing you the best,
American College Counselors
P.S. We offer last minute application and essay reviewing if you’re looking for professional help before final submission. Send us an email letting us know what you need.