Sunday, May 1st is the National Candidate Reply Date, the deadline for most students to enroll for school, make a deposit, or formally accept scholarship offers from the schools they will be attending in the fall. In the wake of the tragic tornado outbreaks in several states throughout the southeastern United States, the National Association for College Admissions Counseling is asking for flexibility from college admissions offices with regard to the May 1st deadline for student deposits and commitments. NACAC is hoping schools will understand that there may be delays in receiving replies from students in the affected areas. Already, the University of Alabama has suspended normal operations, postponed commencement exercises, and extended the scholarship acceptance date. Any students affected by the recent tornadoes are encouraged to contact the admissions offices at their schools if possible to request an extension of the acceptance deadline.

Tags: Admissions, NACAC, National Candidate Reply Date
Posted in College Applications | Leave a Comment »

For those of us who have grown accustomed to having our most trivial inquiries answered in seconds by our favorite search engine, not knowing the answer to a question instantly can be frustrating. I hit my personal rock bottom of information impatience the day I actually pulled out my smartphone to search for the answer to Final Jeopardy while the contestants were still writing their answers on the television screen. The college application process can seem like an archaic and slow motion process for the need-to-know-now generation of students who are just graduating from high school. Even though most colleges and universities now offer fast and easy online applications, the acceptance procedure at some schools can still take several weeks or even months, and is often painfully slow. After all the anticipation and uncertainty, when the school’s letter arrives in the mail, it should come with a sense of some finality: acceptance or denial, and at least the agony of waiting and wondering is done. But what if you receive a letter that neither confirms your acceptance nor denies your entry to the school? What if the letter informs you that you have been placed on the college’s “wait list”? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: college admission, college admissions, waitlist, WiseChoice
Posted in College Admissions | 1 Comment »

The worst has happened. You have received rejection letters from every single college you applied to—even your so-called “safety schools.” Take a minute to grieve. Now, follow these steps to take back control of your future.

Step 1: Take heart. You may have miscalculated your odds of acceptance at your safety schools. You may be the victim of bad luck. Either way, don’t take the rejection as a judgment of your self-worth, and know that you are not alone. There are plenty of college options out there for all kinds of students, and with some additional effort, you’re sure to find schools that fit you. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: apply to college, college research, college selection
Posted in College Admissions | 3 Comments »