Dear All:

As we near the end of the college application process for your class, we wanted to take a moment to comment on how very much we have enjoyed working with you. We have been delighted by your thoughtfulness, your organization, your determination, and your good natures and spirit as you have navigated this complex, roller-coaster-y year and a half.

Although many of you could hardly foresee the moments of opening inboxes (and some mailboxes) to virtual (and some actual) "thick" and "thin" "envelopes" from the universities and colleges to which you have applied, the time of dealing with acceptance, wait list, and denial letters is almost upon you. Decisions will start to trickle in early-to-mid March and will come in droves in late March and early April. If you have found yourself wondering what happens next, read on.

Remember that for US universities, you must make your choice before May 1, the National Candidate’s Reply Date (watch this date, as many colleges are starting to adjust this deadline due to the delays in the FAFSA and financial aid reporting process --when you receive your acceptance letters, make a point of checking the date by which you must reply). Deposits (some colleges require a financial deposit to secure your place in the class) or intentions to enroll (some colleges do not require a deposit) are due in to admissions offices on the date prescribed, and you should allow plenty of time for your check, or your form with your intention to enroll, to reach the admissions office. Some colleges still actually require you to mail in a deposit and an enrollment form, while most will allow you to send in this information electronically. Since every college does this a bit differently, it is important that you know the requirements of your particular school. It has happened in the past that deposit checks that have arrived at colleges after the deadline have been returned because the freshman class was already full; be timely about sending that check or that form! It is unethical to send deposit checks or intentions to enroll to more than one university; this is called "double depositing," and under no circumstances should you do this. A college has the right to withdraw its acceptance if it is discovered that you have double deposited. You must make your decision before May 1 or the date prescribed! Also you must, by that date, send an email to or click on the withdraw button on your portal for each college which has accepted you but which you will not attend: tell them you will not be coming, where you are going, and thank them for their offer.

If you have several acceptance letters and no idea which university to choose: Before you get tired of hearing how lucky you are from friends and family, find some paper and start making lists. Think back to your original college research and remember why you first chose the institutions that are now clamoring for you. What are the positives and negatives of each of your colleges? Think about academics, location, cost, social life, unique aspects of the curriculum (study abroad, internship opportunities, etc.) and write everything down. Now is the time to really study those college catalogs: will you be able to take all of the classes you want to take at each of your collegiate options? Look at the viewbooks and remember how you felt when you visited (pull out that notebook of notes on college visits), or when you first became excited about applying. Most admissions offices have committees of students who help recruit: ask for an email address of a current student with similar interests and ask that student lots of questions about the reality of student life. You can also ask us for names of St. Albans graduates who are currently attending the colleges you are researching. You can also email individual professors in your department of choice who can answer specific academic questions for you.

If you receive a wait-list letter: First, you should think long and hard about the college in question. Is it at or near the top of your list? If you were eventually accepted to this college, would you seriously consider attending? Now is the time to really examine these questions. If the answer to both of these questions is “yes," immediately  follow the online instructions or return the card enclosed with your letter. If you do not respond to the college, you are essentially removing yourself from the waiting list. Within a few days, write a letter to the college telling of any new developments in your life since you submitted your application (better grades, higher standardized test scores, new extracurricular achievements…) If you would definitely attend this college if accepted, state this in writing. If you aren’t sure if you would attend if accepted, state that you are extremely interested in the college. If you have interviewed, met, or previously spoken with an admissions officer from that college, or even if not, call or email them and let them know of your interest. In most cases, students on admissions waiting lists are not ranked in order of academic excellence; interest is often the main factor here. At wait-list time, colleges are protective of their acceptance percentages and are often hesitant to offer acceptances to students who may not enroll. Therefore, you must be sure of your interest before you play the waiting list “game." It is possible that a college may look to its waiting list in mid-April; however, it is more likely that wait-list decisions will happen in May, or even in June. It is very important that you work closely with your college advisor on this—Mr. Hudson and Ms. Mills can help you pass on new information and notify your colleges of your interest.

Since you are not likely to hear from a wait-list school before late April, at the earliest, it will be necessary for you to send an intention to enroll/ deposit at another college. Remember: these deposits are non-refundable. SENDING A DEPOSIT TO ONE COLLEGE WHILE WAITING FOR AN UPDATE ON WAITING-LIST STATUS FROM ANOTHER IS PERFECTLY FINE; THIS IS NOT CONSIDERED A DOUBLE DEPOSIT BECAUSE YOU ARE ONLY SENDING A CHECK/INTENTION TO ENROLL FORM TO ONE COLLEGE. If you are ultimately admitted to the college where you were wait-listed, you will likely have to forfeit your initial deposit at the other college. You may want to ask the admissions office how many students have been invited to take a place on this year’s waiting list and what percentage of students is typically taken off of the waiting list in order to get an idea of how realistic your pursuit is.

If you have been denied from a college you very much wanted to attend: Admissions decisions are final. However, if you attend another college for a year, you may apply again as a transfer applicant if you find that you still want to. We in the college counseling office are firm believers that everything happens for a reason; don’t despair or dwell on the denial. Look at your offers and focus on those!

Be confident in your decision-making, remember your research, consider all of those major college characteristics that you first examined so long ago and, most importantly, go with your gut. Seniors: this is a big decision; this will be your new home for the next four years. Consider carefully. Good luck!

Ms. Mills, Mr. Hudson, Ms. Stratton