Decisions

This is the week. By Friday, you should have responses from all your schools. It has been a long wait, and now is the time to take control again and make some decisions. Bear in mind, that in the end, you are the one who will have to live with your decision, at least for the next year.

I have some things I want you to take into consideration:

• Wait list is not a rejection. It means you made the cut, and if they had room, they would have taken you. If one of your favorite schools has you on wait list, consider visiting and pleading your case directly to an admissions officer. Send in an extra recommendation. Write a personal (passionate) letter talking about all the reasons you love that school.
• Go back and visit again. Visiting now is much more important than schoolwork at this point. Colleges look different with an acceptance in your pocket. Your "first choice" may not be as attractive. If at all possible, go without your parents and experience the travel and the college by yourself. You are going to have to get yourself back and forth next year.
• Talk to your Parents about finances. Now is the time to make sure that you take the financial realities into account. Figure out that the unmet gap is, and what will need to be paid back, so you understand the financial liabilities.
• Narrow your list. If you got into several schools, narrow your list down to 2-3. It is impossible to compare more than 3 schools because you will get overwhelmed. 
• Emphasize the positive. This year has been brutal. But in the end, everyone will end up somewhere, and almost 70% of students end up happy at their colleges. If we did our job right, you liked most of the schools on your list enough to attend any of them. So don't dwell on the negative. Those colleges just didn't appreciate you, and it is their loss.

Best wishes for happy visits, and good choices!