College Acceptance
How should I decide between multiple colleges?
Certainly, for any of the schools you're seriously considering attending, if you haven't been to that school you need to visit it. I would write up a list of questions. I would schedule an appointment with somebody in the admission office and sit down with an admissions counselor and ask those questions. Considerations, of course, are always cost, always the programs you want, always the geographic location to where it is you live, where your family is, and the opportunities on the campus, and the general feeling when you're there. I mean, the feeling like when you walk to the center of campus, that you feel that you can really belong there. Do you want a real spirited school? Do you want schools that have the top ten athletic competition, or do you want schools that are particularly politically active? It really varies on the individual personality.
If I my application is rejected by a college, can I appeal the decision?
If your application is rejected by a college, you can generally appeal the decision, but it is difficult to get accepted from an appeal. It does happen in certain circumstances. There are variables that happen with college applications, whether they be extenuating family circumstances or things that you were not aware of during your original application - things that might have happened after your application that you didn't get to share with the university. Certainly, if somebody is really intent on attending a certain school and they've been rejected and they are qualified, it is worth appealing. I've been through appeal processes with students, and some have been worked out very well, some have not.
If I am denied admission, can I reapply to a college?
You can re-apply to a college. Generally, you will have to wait until the next admission season. Some schools take students in for the winter semester. Others, you'll have to wait until the following fall, and you'll have to really pay attention to their deadlines for their applications, and re-submit an application.
What is a "gap year"?
Gap year programs are something that have really sprouted up over the last few years and seem to be growing in popularity. Some very prominent admission officers in this country actually recommend it for some high school students, that to take a break from the typical academic progression and get into a program of some other sort of enrichment, whether it be travel, or ecological study, or studying in a different culture. For some of these programs they can earn college credit, in certain cases if a student has been accepted to a university, they can defer their admission, take a gap year, and then enter the university a year later. So it all depends, but there, there are a lot of pretty solid programs out there that are sprouting up, Dynamy is one program that is very good.
Can taking a gap year affect my chances of getting into college?
Your chances of getting into college depend on the gap year program. If you're doing something very productive that you feel very strongly about and that makes you feel like you're learning and receiving an education it will affect your chances of getting into college in a positive way. There are all kinds of different ways to learn and you can share that in an application to a university.
How can I increase my chances of acceptance if I reapply to a college?
What you want to do is you want to share things with the university that you haven't shared before. Generally if you're in their computer system the school will already be familiar with you, they'll know if you've been denied, wait listed or where you were in the previous admission season. You want to share new information that really speaks to the growth that you've achieved.
