Deferred or Denied in the Early Round? Here's More Advice

If you were deferred or denied in the early round of admissions, you may find that it is a blessing in disguise. That's part of the excellent advice in a great article that recently appeared in an Albany, New York newspaper. As the author points out, sometimes the students who end up happiest are those who don't get accepted to their early decision/early action choice, because the result forces them to dig a little deeper in choosing where else to apply, which can mean the student ends up at a better fitting school.

I agree. While early admissions programs can work for students who have started their college research early, too many students rush to apply early decision or early action simply because they fear missing out on the supposed admissions boost. In some cases, rushing to choose results in choosing the wrong school. Additionally, many students find that what they think they want changes between October and April of their senior year. So, if you've been deferred or denied, don't think of it as a failure. Think of it as a chance to find an even better option for yourself.

ED News Not What You Hoped? Here's Some Advice

You applied Early Action or Early Decision back in November with high hopes of being done with college applications by now. Instead of being admitted, however, you've been deferred into the Regular Decision pool or denied outright. What should you do now?

First, be kind to yourself. Your worth and value as a person hasn't changed one iota. While it stings to be turned down or deferred, you are still the same wonderful and unique person you were when you sent off your application. Don't beat yourself up for something that is truly out of your control.

If you were denied, don't dwell too long on the disappointment. Yes, your dream didn't pan out, but that doesn't mean you can't find a new dream, maybe even a better dream. As quickly as possible, turn your attention to rounding out your college list, bearing in mind that for every student there are actually MANY colleges where they can be happy and successful. Before sending out your application again, ask a trusted adult to review it with fresh eyes, and make changes or additions as necessary.

If you've been deferred into the regular pool, your first instinct may be to focus on figuring out ways to improve your chances when your application is read a second time. I'd suggest a different approach. Focus first on taking a second look at your list and fine-tuning your applications to other colleges. Then, get those applications out. After you've done so, ask your school counselor to call the college which deferred you to ask if there was anything in particular that was missing from your application. Make sure your mid-year report will be sent as soon as possible, send in any supplemental materials that you think might strengthen your case, and send a letter to the deferral school reiterating why it is still your first choice, and, more importantly, what you will contribute to the campus community. But, don't obsess too much. Give yourself permission to fall in love with the other colleges on your list.

Even if you did get good news in the Early round, you may find yourself having second thoughts now that you're committed to attending. You may wonder if you could have gotten into an even better school, or worry that perhaps the college isn't the right school after all. This is normal. It's called buyer's remorse, the tendency to second-guess a choice once it can not be reversed. If you find yourself falling into buyer's remorse, remind yourself that you had very good reasons for applying Early Decision to this particular college, and remember that the grass always has a tendency to look greener on the other side after the fence gate is closed.

If you've been admitted thorugh Early Decision or Early Action, and you are thrilled beyond belief, congratulations! May I suggest, however, that you be sensitive to those around you who may not have received the news they'd hoped for? Offer your support and friendship to them. They still have a long road before April.

Finally, while it may seem that the Early news - whether it be good, bad, or somewhere in between - is the most important event in the world, it truly isn't. No matter what the news is, life will go on. Try to find time to relax and enjoy it.

More Room In Top Colleges? Maybe

Stanford and a few other top colleges are considering increasing their sizes to admit more students, according to an article in today's San Francisco Gate. While nothing is definite yet, some of the nation's most selective schools are trying to decide whether it makes sense to take advantage of bumper crop of high school graduates expected over the next few years. Of course, colleges and universities have to weigh any expansion carefully, factoring in financial aid, housing, and class sizes. But, if some of these schools do decide to grow their undergraduate size, even slightly, it may help alleviate the arms war that has developed in college admissions. Stay tuned.

New Financial Aid Policies Announced at Duke, Harvard

Duke and Harvard announced new financial aid initiatives this week that will make both schools more affordable for many families.

Duke announced that it is eliminating parental contributions for families who make less than $60,000 a year. At the same time, students from families earning less than $40,000 a year will no longer find student loans in their financial aid package. The new policies will go into effect for next year's freshman class entering in fall, 2008, and will not be retroactive for current Duke students.

Harvard upstaged Duke's announcement today by making a announcement about changes in its financial aid policies. Under Harvard's new financial aid policy, families with incomes under $180,000 will be asked to pay less. Families with incomes about $120,000 and up to $180,000 will be asked to pay 10percent of their incomes. That means a family with an income of $180,000 will be asked to pay only $18,000 a year, compared with more than $30,000 they are expected to pay under Harvard's current financial aid policies. Those with family incomes below $120,000 will be asked to pay approximately $12,000 to attend Harvard, compared to the more than $19,000 a year they currently are asked to pay under Harvard's existing policy. Additionally, Harvard plans to replace student loans for all students with increased institutional grants. Harvard also announced that they will no longer consider Home Equity in determining a family ability to pay.

It will be interesting to see if other institutions will follow Duke and Harvard's new initiatives, but I won't be holding my breath. Only the wealthiest universities are even able to consider such sweeping changes. Colleges and universities with smaller endowments will likely continue to rely on less favorable financial aid packaging. With that said, however, I applaud both Duke and Harvard for stepping up to the plate and using their massive endowments to help make their institutions more affordable for families and students.

Don't Fall Prey To The Most Common Admission Mistakes

As a counselor, I can almost predict the crises that students will encounter as they apply to college. They actually don't vary much from year to year. There's the "I forgot to ask for recommendations" quandry, the "I sent the Common Application and then discovered I'd made a huge mistake on it" problem, the "my essays are a mess" anxiety, and, my personal favorite, the "I'm afraid I'll be rejected so I'm afraid to send my application" panic attack. Parents have their own crises as their children apply to college, and those are also fairly predictible.

Is it possible to avoid making the mistakes to lead to these sorts of crises? To a certain extent, yes. The most important weapon against application panic is knowledge. The more you know upfront about where students fall prey to problems, the less likely you are to fall into the same traps yourself. Dr. Frank Burtnett, former Executive Director of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, and founder of Education Now, an education consulting firm, has put together a great list of The Most Common Mistakes Students Make In College Admissions." Whether you're a senior (or senior parent) looking for some last minute advice, or a junior or sophomore just getting started, this is an excellent overview of things to avoid and think about as you move through the process of applying to college.