What to do While Waiting for ED Results
Earlier in November, many high school seniors submitted college applications in the hopes of being accepted to their first choice college in the Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA) round. If your student is one of these seniors, there is no doubt that they are anxiously awaiting their results. Colleges will release their decision around December 15. But what should students do until then? Simply put, this isn’t the time to sit around and wait! Students still have plenty to do before the acceptance, rejection, and deferral letters arrive.
Continue Working on Other Applications and Admissions Essays
Yes, your student is probably exhausted from the ED/EA applications. It IS exhausting work, and your student should be congratulated for getting their applications done. However, no matter how great your student is, their acceptance during this round is not guaranteed. Since Regular Decision (RD) applications are due at the beginning of January, and your student won’t be notified about the ED/EA round until approximately mid-December, we strongly advise students to continue working on their RD (and possibly ED2) applications and admissions essays. Waiting until ED results to begin working on other applications will only leave students with two weeks to write the many supplemental essays required by most elite colleges. This is a nightmare scenario for everyone involved. Please trust us on this. Students who wait or procrastinate will have to juggle not only their applications, but also their extracurricular commitments and school work, including final exams, projects, and papers. Every year, we witness a ruinous holiday season for many families with a procrastinating high school senior. Our advice is to continue to prepare your applications, particularly your supplemental essays, now to ensure that everything is ready to go well before the first of January. Don’t count on the holidays to cram for your essays. Your work product will not reflect your true potential, and your admissions chances will severely diminish as a result.
Stay up on Your Grades
One common misconception that students have is that once their applications are submitted, they can relax a bit on their grades. We cannot emphasize enough how bad of a decision this is. In just a few short months, your student will be matriculating into their dream school (fingers crossed), and they must continue to make an excellent academic impression. Some colleges, especially the elite ones, will continue to check transcripts mid-year to make sure that they have made the right choice in accepting your student. Don’t let all that hard work go to waste by relaxing now. Keep up momentum!
Continue to Excel in your Extracurriculars
For many of the same reasons listed above, it is important to keep up with extracurricular activities. Colleges want to see your student is excelling in all areas of commitment. Pursue your research projects, science fairs, history contests, publications, and leadership positions. Trust us – your hard work will continue to pay off.
Not Accepted to ED I, Apply for ED II
While not all colleges offer a second round of Early Decision, some top colleges do. Check with the individual college to see if they offer it. If they do, consider applying! The chances of admission are still higher in the ED II round than they are in the RD round. Keep in mind that ED II is still binding, so only apply if your student is serious about attending. If you’re not sure if you should apply ED II, speak to one of our advisors who can help you strategize and consider your options.
Interested in guidance through the remainder of college application season? Contact us below to get connected with one of our experts.
