May 1 is College Decision Day... Now what? [Checklist]

May 27

If you are a high school senior or the parent of one, you know that May 1 is Decision Day - the deadline when seniors must communicate their acceptance, or college decision, to their selected school. Anyone who has recently been through the college application process realizes how stressful it is, but it will be OK. There will be a school that is the right selection for each student, regardless as to whether it is their first choice. There is no one single path to education and achievement, and students should not be influenced by prestige and rankings. Students need to remember that, “success is about the opportunities that are presented to them”, so that they can grow, learn, and achieve positive outcomes. Every experience they have can create opportunity.

At this time, students and their parents do have some additional items to consider:

DEPOSITS: By Decision Day, deposits for both tuition and housing should be submitted to only one college or university. Note that some colleges and universities have extended this deadline to May 15 or even June 1 due to FAFSA delays. Check with each college on your finalist list should you want additional time to make your decision.
LETTERS OF CONTINUING INTEREST - should be sent as soon as possible to colleges where students have been placed a waitlist, and still want to be considered for enrollment. If a waitlist position ultimately opens and the student accepts, any deposits previously made to other colleges would most likely not be refunded.
NOTIFYING SCHOOLS: Students should communicate their intention to all of the other schools to which they were accepted – even to those they will not be attending, especially when any scholarships and merit aid awards were received.
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS: If your student’s selected college or university offers ‘admitted students’ day or freshman orientation programs, students and parents (if invited) should plan to attend. This is a great opportunity for students to meet their peers and make connections for potential roommates. Depending upon programs offered, parents or students may also obtain potential valuable information about programming including semester abroad study opportunities.
HIGH SCHOOL NOTIFICATIONS: High school seniors should communicate their final college choice to their local high school counselor and submit any required paperwork for documents that their college will require. These documents may include final transcripts and any test score results for International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement exams taken during their senior year. Check college websites to determine exactly which documents are required.
IMMUNIZATION RECORDS: One item that is often overlooked is immunization records. To attend college classes or live on college campuses, all colleges have a list of required immunizations which can include Meningitis, Chicken Pox, and now – Covid vaccinations. Religious or personal exemptions are difficult to obtain. Many colleges will not even allow students to register for their freshman classes until paperwork has been submitted which has been signed by a physician and includes confirmation of a recent physical and an updated vaccination list.
AUTOMOBILES: Families will need to decide if their student should have a car in college. Some colleges may not allow freshmen to have cars on campus and will not issue parking permits to them. Be sure to check with your child’s selected college or university.
MOVE-IN: Consider booking travel and lodging accommodations now to obtain cheaper rates and secure availability of lodging if it is limited.
HOLIDAY TRAVEL: Parents may also want to consider booking plane tickets for holiday travel in advance while ticket prices are cheaper. Do not book any flights until the last possible date of finals or exams to avoid the possibility of rebooking and costly penalties or fees. To allow for greater flexibility in making travel modifications, parents may want to consider utilizing points or accumulated mileage credits.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS: Parents should also plan to attend “Parent or Family” weekends which are typically held in the fall months. Book accommodations early – especially if hotel facilities are limited.
JOIN SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS: Most colleges have specific social media platforms for admitted students via Instagram or Twitter that students should be joining. Inquire if a parent social media platform exists.
ESTABLISH ‘GOOD’ CREDIT: If a student is 18 years of age or older, now may be a great time to begin establishing “GOOD” credit. The key to begin establishing a GOOD rating is to take out a low limit and ONLY purchase things when the money is available to pay for them. Keep the balance as LOW as possible paying off the balance EACH month - even being directly drawn from the student’s bank account. AVOID the credit trap - if a student cannot handle a credit card responsibly, it's best to avoid getting one at all when it could negatively impact their credit rating for years to come.
FINANCIAL AID and SCHOLARSHIPS: Unfortunately, by May 1, most institutional financial aid awards have already been distributed and rarely are any additional funds available. Some independent or local scholarships may still be available. Check your student’s High School Counseling Tab for more information. To fund college costs and avoid future student loan debt, students may want to consider having a part-time job while in college.
SWAG: Parents and students will want to purchase t-shirts and sweatshirts from the chosen college or university to honor their Senior’s decision. Order items soon to insure delivery before Senior Night. Students have worked hard, and so have their parents. Be proud of these accomplishments!