Welcome

March 10th is here, and with it, the excitement and sometimes anxiety as families hear about private school admission decisions.

Before March 10th:

• Contact each school so you know your admission file is complete and that you will receive a decision on March 10th.
• Learn how the school will inform you of the admission decision.

The most common ways to hear are by:

• email
• a posting online to a secure admission portal
• in a letter

Check each website so you know what to look for and when. Some schools will let you know exactly what time decisions are posted, and some give a range of times. In most cases, if you’ve applied for Tuition Assistance, you or your parents will receive a Tuition Assistance Notification. In some cases, your parents will receive the notification separately. Some schools may send the Tuition Assistance award a day or two after the admission decision is sent.

What does your admissions decision mean, and what should you do next? Here are the five different admission decisions you could receive, and how to respond to each.

Decision Time!

If your decision is: ACCEPTED

Congratulations! We hope you are accepted to one of your three top-choice schools. If you receive an acceptance or even more than one, carefully read through the materials the school(s) sent you. Make sure you understand items such as Five-day vs. Seven-day boarding and when deposits are due.

Check the admission packet for Revisit dates. Be sure to attend the Revisit days for any schools where you are accepted. If you were accepted to more than one school, revisiting the campus will give you a better understanding of what each school offers and which might be the best fit for you.

What should you do? Attend Revisit day and sign your enrollment contract and pay your deposit by the due date.

If your decision is: ACCEPTED, TUITION ASSISTANCE WAITLISTED (OR NO TUITION ASSISTANCE)

You may find that you are accepted to your first-choice school, but you are waitlisted for Tuition Assistance. Schools receive more requests for assistance than they can accommodate. Where to allocate Tuition Assistance resources is determined by an in-depth process. Your family may have applied for Tuition Assistance, but learned they are not eligible, and therefore no award is given. Another possibility is your family is eligible for assistance, but the family has been placed on the Tuition Assistance waitlist. Being placed on the Tuition Assistance waitlist means you need to wait to see if other accepted students decline their offer and the offer is made to you. The last possibility is you are accepted, and your family is eligible for tuition assistance, but the school does not have the resources to grant you the assistance you need and grants none.

If you are granted Tuition Assistance, you will need to reapply each and every year you are at school.

What should you do? If this is the school you want to attend, reach out to the school and ask them to keep you on the Tuition Assistance waitlist. If you feel your family may need more assistance than you were granted, you may ask to appeal the decision.

If your decision is: WAITLISTED

A small group of highly qualified applicants are waitlisted. Being placed on the waitlist means the school thinks you are qualified for admittance, although you are not granted a spot at this time. As schools see how many accepted students accept their offer of admission, you may be removed from the waitlist and be offered a spot in the school.

What should you do? If you know this is the school you want to attend, reply to the waitlist decision by telling the school you are interested and want to stay on the waitlist. We do not suggest passing up an offer of acceptance from another school in order to stay on the waitlist.

If your decision is: DENIED

Remember, it’s all about ‘fit’. While you were looking to apply to schools with the right fit for you, schools were also looking for students meeting their mission and academic standards. Receiving a denial can be frustrating. You need to be proud that you completed the process, a process that not everyone begins, let alone completes!

What should you do? Find interests to explore and develop. Work at improving your GPA and interviewing skills. Consider working with an educational consultant to help you define which schools are a good fit for you. Look at schools offering Rolling Admissions after April 10th.

If Your Decision Is: NO DECISION

What happens if March 10th comes and goes without receiving an admissions decision? You should immediately contact the school to be sure a.) your application was complete and b.) your mailing and email addresses are correct.

What should you do? If your application was not complete, including your Tuition Assistance file, ask if the school will accept late applications. If not, look for a school with a Rolling Admissions policy.