Early Round Admission Decisions are on the Horizon
Finally, with the holiday season upon us, college admission fever can run high at home for both students and parents as seniors prepare to receive early round admission decisions and submit their last few applications. We hope families can take a step back and enjoy their time together during the holidays, particularly since this could be the last holiday season your senior will live full-time at home. Here’s a great article on how to support seniors during the holidays and the college application season.
As seniors patiently wait for their early application decisions to be released, with some already received, there is no doubt that each student is flooded with a range of emotions, from excitement to nervousness to anxiety. With this in mind, we would like to provide some tips for handling the news and the different outcomes you may see over the next few weeks.
Tips for Processing Decisions and Getting Through December
- Be supportive of students and their peers, regardless of the outcome. It is a good reminder for students to practice empathy, mindfulness, and humility toward themselves and their friends.
- Be overwhelmingly positive. Try to refrain from sharing your personal opinions about schools, as it can have a lasting impact.
- Remember that the decision is not a reflection of their self-worth, but rather an example of the crazy, often unpredictable nature of this process. Students will have great options in the spring, and they will be looking for your reassurance here, too.
- Don’t let admissions deferrals or denials spoil the holiday season for your student or family.
Possible Outcomes
Acceptance
Your student has been admitted! CONGRATULATIONS! Celebrate their invitation to join the Class of 2030. If they have been admitted under the Early Decision plan, the agreement to enroll has already been signed by the student, their parent, and the college counselor. The next steps are to submit the enrollment deposit at the college and then withdraw their applications from all other colleges to which they applied. If they have been accepted early action or rolling admission at any other college, they need to decline their offer of admission in the manner designated by the college.
Your student has been admitted! CONGRATULATIONS! Celebrate their invitation to join the Class of 2030. If they have been admitted under the Early Decision plan, the agreement to enroll has already been signed by the student, their parent, and the college counselor. The next steps are to submit the enrollment deposit at the college and then withdraw their applications from all other colleges to which they applied. If they have been accepted early action or rolling admission at any other college, they need to decline their offer of admission in the manner designated by the college.
If they have been admitted under an Early Action plan, your student is not required to enroll, but may choose to enroll and withdraw all other applications. If they have an acceptance from an early action college and are sure they would prefer a possible acceptance from a regular decision college, we advise them not to submit additional applications to regular decision colleges.
Deferred
Deferred admission means the college will review the student’s application again in the regular decision round this spring. The college will consider first-semester grades (sent mid-to-late January), second-semester coursework, and the application within the full applicant pool. If the college allows additional materials, students can submit updates on notable achievements, awards, or activities not included in the original application. Students do not need to reapply. Note: Early Decision deferrals are no longer binding. Keep realistic expectations about admission chances.
Deferred admission means the college will review the student’s application again in the regular decision round this spring. The college will consider first-semester grades (sent mid-to-late January), second-semester coursework, and the application within the full applicant pool. If the college allows additional materials, students can submit updates on notable achievements, awards, or activities not included in the original application. Students do not need to reapply. Note: Early Decision deferrals are no longer binding. Keep realistic expectations about admission chances.
Deny
While this is never the ideal outcome, it will help students to refocus on other excellent college choices. The “no” from one college is not indicative of what will happen for the rest of the process. Each college makes independent decisions based on its own processes and institutional priorities. A denial is a final decision and does not allow a student the chance to reapply in the regular decision round.
While this is never the ideal outcome, it will help students to refocus on other excellent college choices. The “no” from one college is not indicative of what will happen for the rest of the process. Each college makes independent decisions based on its own processes and institutional priorities. A denial is a final decision and does not allow a student the chance to reapply in the regular decision round.
No matter the outcome, students must continue working on their remaining applications to regular decision schools while they wait for their decisions. The college counseling team is eager to assist students with application and essay reviews while we are still in session. As a reminder, LJCDS is closed over winter break from December 22 through January 2. Please plan ahead so everyone can enjoy a much-needed break this holiday season. We will ensure that all LJCDS documents are submitted to colleges before the break begins at the end of the school day on December 20.
As always, the College Counseling team is here to support students and families every step of the way. We can’t wait to celebrate all the wonderful news for the Class of 2026!
