Admission Decisions

Even in a “normal” school year, the process of preparing for, taking, and responding to standardized test scores is a stressful and overwhelming one for students and families. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, test centers across the country have closed or canceled exams throughout the spring and summer, and even into the fall, sending the world of college admissions into a frenzy. One of the ways that colleges have responded to these obstacles is to implement test-optional admissions policies for the upcoming admissions cycle, to avoid disadvantaging students who have been unable to sit for an ACT or SAT.

Most admission decisions are in for the Class of 2019, and now that the anxiety of waiting to hear back from admissions offices has passed, it may set into motion a new phase of stress and uncertainty: deciding where to enroll. At this time, many students are weighing multiple offers of admission from great schools. If you created a balanced college list, the hope is that you have offers from a few great-fit colleges, any of which you’d be happy to attend.

It’s April and admissions decisions have finally arrived! After months of waiting, the envelopes, skinny, fat, and electronic are finally here. The expert counselors at IvyWise and I have cooked up some advice for a few of the possible admissions scenarios you may be facing.

As you're researching schools on your college list, you may come across unfamiliar terms, such as Early Decision, Early Action, and Single–Choice Early Action, among others. These are application options that differ based on the deadline, response date, and your commitment to attend the school, if accepted. Deciding which path to take involves research into school policies, not to mention preparation!

The regular admission deadline for many colleges has already passed, but there are a number of colleges in the US that are still accepting applications well after the usual Jan. 1 deadline. While many colleges have regular and early decision deadlines that extend into mid-January and February, other colleges offer rolling admission programs, where students can submit their application at any point before the school’s final deadline (usually in May or June) and receive an admission decision within a few weeks – sometimes well before the usual April 1 notification date.

Students and parents usually have a good idea of how to proceed if they receive an acceptance or rejection from a top-choice college. But what should families do if an applicant is put on the waitlist? As high school seniors across the globe weigh their admissions decisions, it can be difficult to navigate the process when the decision isn’t as clear-cut.