The Acceptance Letter: Are You In Or Are You Out?
A letter arrives in the mail from the university of your choice. What if you didn’t get in? Have you been accepted? Is your admissions status final? Understanding the acceptance letter is important to completing the process of college admissions.
For most students entering college right out of high school, the initial correspondence from the institutions to which you apply will begin by answering the big question -- Have you been accepted? But, don’t stop reading the letter there. Your acceptance letter will usually contain other pertinent information that is crucial for the admissions and enrollment process.
It is common for your initial acceptance to a college or university to be listed as conditional. This means that there is something else you must do to complete the acceptance process. For instance, it may be conditional on your finishing your high school education in good standing.
The requirements to finally be accepted to a university might include:
Any of these requirements will come complete with deadlines, which will likely be detailed in your acceptance letter or in communication soon to follow. Do not ignore these deadlines! Schools with full programs may need a commitment by a certain date in order to fill open spaces in their programs. A conditional acceptance is not a guarantee that a place is being held for you. So, read your acceptance letter thoroughly, and follow the instructions in the letter as well as any further correspondence.
If you receive a letter saying you have been put on a waiting list, do not despair. This generally means that the college has simply filled its quota for a particular program. While you want to go ahead and make plans for college as if you might not get accepted to that particular school, be prepared should openings become available. As the college receives confirmations and cancellations from other students in the application process, they may very well find room for you.
In some cases, you will neither be accepted nor denied admission to a college, but the date of notification of your status will be moved back for some particular reason. If you receive a letter notifying you that acceptance has been deferred, consider what you can do in the meantime to add to your attractiveness. For instance, if you retake any standardized tests, make sure the college gets a copy of your improved scores.The college or university may even make a transcript request. So, keep your grades high, and your transcript will reflect continued growth and achievement.