Application Decisions are rolling in! Some of you may have already heard some positive results. Others may be waiting for the news. Either way, we want to take a quick minute to share some tips with you as Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) decisions start to be released in the coming weeks and months. 

 

AS YOU RECEIVE YOUR DECISIONS...
First things first: try and be at home to open any admissions decisions. If it is bad news you will be happy to have some privacy. If it is good news, it is best to be mindful that some of your classmates might not have received the same good news. Remember, we're all on this planet together - be gracious and kind to your fellow humans. Reserve judgement and keep in mind that admission decisions are made for a reason AND individually. This is the time to practice empathy.

 

You may receive a decision that you're not happy with…..a deferral or a denial. If that happens, we urge you not to overanalyze the situation to try to figure out why you (or your peers) weren't admitted (i.e. if only I didn't get that B in Algebra II sophomore year; if only I took harder classes; if only I had more/better/different extracurricular activities). You are AMAZING exactly as you are. Take a minute...ok a day or two...to mourn what was not and then turn your attention forward.

THESE DECISIONS DON'T DEFINE YOU...
A wise person once said that where you go is not who you'll be (or who you ARE). Going to a certain school doesn’t make you better or brighter. Each of you is important. You are special. You have enormous, limitless potential. Comparison really is the thief of joy. You are enough.

IF PEOPLE ASK...
As we are heading into the holidays, remember it is ok to tell family and friends you do not want to discuss college right now. You might need a break and you are entitled to that.

 

Please feel free to run interference for your children. They have a lot to contend with right now. Not everyone will be getting into their ED and EA colleges. Your child could have done everything right and still been deferred or rejected. It does not mean they did anything wrong. It just means that this particular college is not in their future, somewhere else is. It is the college's loss, not yours. Colleges and universities have countless variables and institutional priorities to consider when choosing a class of admitted students. Often, they have more qualified applicants than they have space. We can assure you that your child has "left it all on the field" and that alone, is (hopefully) a satisfying feeling.