Top To-Dos After Receiving a College Acceptance

The day has finally come. You’ve been accepted to college! Congratulations! While this is certainly cause for celebration, there is still plenty to do…

Here are some things to keep in mind now that you have received your acceptance:

1. Review all your options. Unless you applied Early Decision, wait until you hear from all the schools to which you applied—then you’ll know the full range of options. When you have multiple offers of admission, sometimes the financial aid packages can tip the balance between two schools you love. May 1 is the national deadline for college admissions responses, which gives you a little bit of time to pick which school to attend.
2. Do some research. Then do more research. Take the virtual tour again. Follow the admissions department on Tik Tok or Instagram. Find student testimonials on YouTube or through online forums. Trying to absorb the campus atmosphere through your computer screen can be tricky, but colleges have established many online resources to help students decide if a particular school is right for them. If you hear anything that worries you, you still have time to get clarification on whether those issues are deal breakers or not. You can ask to meet virtually with a college’s admissions counselor and get any remaining questions answered and/or arrange to talk to former or current students, as possible. Most importantly, create a list of your school goals and make sure the college you attend can satisfy your wants and meet your needs.
3. Access your student portal. Many schools have a portal for their accepted students. Here you can find the information you need to know to move forward in the enrollment process, including financial aid offers and student housing contracts. Instructions for gaining access to the accepted student portal are usually found in the acceptance packet or email.
4. Track all deadlines. Read through your acceptance letter completely and thoroughly and take note of important dates. Dates to keep in mind may include:

• Deadline to sign up for orientation or accepted student event
• Deadline to apply for housing
• Deadline to submit final high school transcript
• Deadline to take placement exams for math or language
• Deadline to submit immunization records
• Deadline to file your financial aid documents
• Deadline to accept your offer of admission and pay the enrollment fee

5. Keep up with your schoolwork. For many colleges, an offer of admission is contingent upon successful completion of senior year. This means that if your grades drop, a college can rescind their offer. Colleges can also withdraw scholarships and financial aid awards for dropped grades.
6. Don’t post anything embarrassing or stupid on social media. In 2017, Harvard rescinded admissions offers to at least 10 students after they traded inappropriate messages. And every year this happens to at least a few students, at many more schools than Harvard.

For help with any or all parts of the college admissions process, visit http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com or call 1-954-414-9986.