Final Admissions Decisions Class of 2025
Final admissions decisions will be released this week for regular decision applicants.
High school seniors have been receiving their final admissions outcomes over the last few weeks of March. Admissions season now unofficially culminates today with Ivy Day, when colleges in the Ivy League release their decisions. Some of our students will feel like they won the lottery today; others will have their dreams shattered. Here’s my best advice for handling this fraught day: Ivy Day 2024 — CTK College Coach
As we head toward May 1, the enrollment deadline for US colleges, our students are asking these questions, and you may be too:
Is there any chance to get off of a college’s waitlist? If so, what can I do to maximize my chances?
I can’t afford my top choice school. When and how should I negotiate for more aid?
How do I know which college to choose when I have multiple good options?
What do I need to do after I accept my offer and enroll at my college?
Facing a deferral or waitlist: Exercise patience
Oh, the agony of the waitlist! I have walked countless students through deferrals from early action and early decision schools, but last year when my own child was deferred (and then waitlisted) from his first choice school, I gained newfound empathy for students who face the uncertainty of a deferral or waitlist and must wait months for a final resolution.
2024 Admissions Trends: Why Are So Many Students Getting Deferred?
That said, with so many colleges facing enrollment management challenges over the last few years (2025 Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) College Admissions Trends), we have seen many of our students ultimately get off wait lists and enroll at colleges they were thrilled to get into. I predict the same will be true this year.
What steps can I take if I am waitlisted?
First, read the admissions letter. It may provide answers to the following questions:
May I send additional letters of recommendation?
Will the school consider a letter of continued interest (LOCI)?
May I supplement my initial application with updated grades, scores, and other accolades?
CTK pro tip: Adding NEW information is more persuasive than just reiterating what is in your application.
Second, if the school will accept a letter of continued interest, here are some key notes to hit:
This school is my first choice (or “is at the top of my list”) for the following reasons:
It is a great fit for me because (enumerate the academic, extracurricular, and other reasons the school fits with your goals for your college experience). The goal here is to demonstrate that the school is of specific interest to you, not just one of several on your list.
Thank you for considering my application again. I would definitely accept an offer if given the chance (only say if this is true).
Finally, this is the time to use human influence. Consider whether any of these options is available to you for expressing the above points to a warm-blooded person who might help you:
Reach out to the regional admissions representative,
Contact professors in the department where you are applying,
Summon any family or personal contacts with the school, whether in administration, teaching, admissions, or elsewhere.
Tactfully let these contacts know you have been wait listed, express your great interest, and ask if there is anything more you can do.
Should I commit to another college while I wait for my results on a wait list?
Yes, you must commit by the enrollment deadline to one (and only one) college. The typical enrollment deadline– sometimes referred to as National College Decision Day– is May 1. You must accept a place at a college by the enrollment deadline, so even if you think you have a good shot on a wait list, make sure you take an official spot elsewhere. If you are ultimately admitted to your waitlist school, you will unenroll at the first school
I can’t afford my first-choice college. When and how should I negotiate for merit aid?
Did I say patience? Stay with me here. Colleges will be making their best merit offers and be most willing to negotiate as they approach their enrollment deadlines (typically May 1). If you are comparing offers, do not accept until you are ready, no matter how many emails you get. Remember that you are in your strongest negotiating position when you have a spot at a college but you have not yet committed. Play it out, even from the waitlist. Asking for More Money.
How to negotiate for more merit aid (non need-based aid)
I would approach a conversation with the admissions office like this:
My daughter loves this school and wants to attend for x, y, and z reasons (be specific about her fit with the school)
Her candidacy is very attractive (e.g. she is an A student, her scores are well above the median, etc.)
She has financial offers from A and B school that make it more affordable than your school is
Can you offer more merit aid for my student?
In addition, are there school scholarships for which she would be eligible that she can apply to now?
Many schools will be receptive to such a conversation. It’s always worth asking for what you want-- you won’t know what you get until you try!
I can’t afford my first-choice college. When and how should I negotiate for financial aid?
The approach for seeking financial aid is similar except for some key differences:
Parents will reach out to the financial aid not the admissions office for an appeal
The aid office will be most persuaded to change their offer by changed family financial circumstances and/or a difference between the student aid index on FAFSA (SAI) or the college’s own net price calculator and the price quoted in the financial aid letter.
Expert financial advisors at Forbes recently weighed in with their best advice on negotiating for more merit and financial aid.
How do I know how to choose the right college?
Last year I sat with one of my son’s best friends as he weighed an offer from an Ivy League school after he was admitted from the waitlist against the school he had already committed to. He had talked with multiple trusted friends and advisors by the time he came over to my office, and his head was swimming with advice. I asked him to do one thing: make a list of the “pros” of each school rather than weighing the typical “pros” and “cons.” He did that exercise and came back confident in his decision. I also love Mark Stucker’s advice in the Your College Bound Kid podcast: Six Questions to Ask to Help you Compare the Colleges that Admitted you.
What Should I Do After I Accept my Offer?
Once you have accepted an offer, you must let your other schools know you don’t plan to accept their offers. Once you have accepted your offer, please notify all the schools that have offered you a spot in their class. Typically this will be as simple as checking a box in the portal for each school. If not, you can send an email to the admissions office.
It is a courtesy to the school and to other students, as it allows the school to release your spot to others.
Finally, and importantly, don’t even think about putting down a deposit at more than one school. It’s unethical and unfair to everyone else involved in the process. You can even damage the reputation of your guidance counselor and high school if you do this.
A note for parents at this stage: Take your emotional cues from your student
Having guided my own kid and countless others through these decisions, I want to say something parent to parent. Someone once told me to mirror my own teens’ reactions and not impose my own, and I carried that advice with me through the admissions process. If my son was upset, I let him know I was too, and if he shrugged something off, then so did I. This was his journey after all, not mine, and I did my best to play a supporting role and let him take the lead on both actions and emotions.
