College Decision Day Is Fast Approaching

April 1st has passed. That’s the deadline for most colleges to let students know whether or not they’ve been accepted. Even the few colleges who postponed their response date, due to their overwhelming increase in applications, have now let students know the good or bad news.  The Ivy League schools gave themselves until April 6th to notify applicants, and Stanford pushed back their date to April 9th.Now the ball is in the student’s court!  Many students find themselves with a pile of acceptance letters (or emails).  How should students make this pivotal decision?

First of all, remember the purpose of college.  It’s certainly intended to make students more educated, in general, and more aware of the world and the issues surrounding them.  But, more pragmatically, most students attend college with the goal of preparing for a career that will support them for the rest of their lives.  So the best choice college is often the one with the strongest program in a student’s intended field of study.  A little research will reveal both the early and mid-career salary of alumni from all of the colleges under consideration, as well as the acceptance rate at medical and dental schools, law schools and graduate programs.

Finances also come into play in the decision of most students. But students should realize that the financial aid “package” offered by any particular college can often be negotiated.  If a student’s dream college offers less money than another to which the student has been accepted, there’s no harm in contacting the admissions office at the preferred college and requesting that the grant money (the “scholarship” portion that does not get paid back) be reconsidered.  Let the #1 college know of the other, better offers. 

In the past, many colleges offered accepted students the opportunity to attend Accepted Students Day. It was the perfect time for students to get another feel for each college, ask any questions that are still on their minds, and consider all aspects of each school, including the food, dorms, activities, campus, and surrounding community. Unfortunately, many schools are not offering that option this year due to the continued presence of the coronavirus.

May 1st – College Decision Day – is fast approaching. Students need to make their final decision in the next three weeks, and then be sure to let the college of their choice know that they will be coming by getting their deposit money in by the deadline date. 

Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362