Accepted, rejected, deferred, or waitlisted

Parents likely remember a time when college application results came in the mail. You could almost guess the answer based on the size of the envelope.

Everything is different now. Students often know the date a school is releasing decisions. They'll get the news first via email and a school portal. Later, the snail mail arrives.

So today, there's a moment of anticipation. In that split second before opening an email, time slows down.

The best approach is to pause, take a deep breath, and click. Here are the different options students might see:

Accepted: This one speaks for itself. If you applied Early Decision, an acceptance is a binding offer and you are committed to attend. If you applied Early Action, or Regular Decision, it's non-binding.

Deferred: A deferral means that a university has decided to defer a decision on your Early Decision or Early Action application until the Regular Decision date. Be sure to read the school's response very closely for instructions on next steps. You can send updates and a "letter of continued interest" which we'll cover in an upcoming blog.

Waitlisted: Wait-listing usually happens during the Regular Decision round. If you're waitlisted, you're neither accepted nor rejected. The school may contact you at a later date to offer you a spot. You usually need to tell the admissions committee that you want to keep a spot on the waitlist. Here too, follow the school's instructions closely. Send updates and a letter of continued interest.

Rejected: Be prepared for rejections. It happens. Even students who were excellent candidates are often rejected. It may not feel good. But there will be other places for you. And as my grandmother would have said, "It's their loss."