Now that decisions are in, and your students are making their college decisions there are a few tasks yet to be done.
1. Continue reminding your students to check their admitted student portals. Colleges will communicate with them through these portals about Financial Aid Award Letters, Orientation Dates, and any other requirements or documents that the college requires.
2. If you have sent in your student's enrollment deposit, your student should withdraw all apps from every other college that has admitted them.
3. A student can accept a spot off as many WLs as they'd like, but they should not wait to hear results from those colleges, instead they should move forward and enroll in a college where they have been offered a confirmed spot. They can always change their mind later if they are admitted from a WL.
Some little-known facts:
1. If a student has to withdraw from a class or gets less than a C, they should contact their college(s) and explain the situation in writing. Offers of admission are made on the promise that a student will uphold their grades and remain in classes that were written on their application. If things change a college can rescind an admission offer.
2. Colleges will not include parents in any written information, not even bills or class info. If you would like to see a bill, financial info. or what classes your student is enrolling in, you will have to ask your student and have them show you, or have your student provide written permission for you to see and be included. Parents have the right to pay the tuition bill and ask the student to share information, but they do not have the right to said information without the consent of the student per FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), a federal law. Consent is in written form and is sometimes a checkbox in the student portal or a college form that the student needs to complete. Ask them:). Also, keep in mind you will not have access to their medical records once they turn 18.
If you’d like to learn more about FERPA visit the federal government’s Protecting Student Privacy site.
One last reminder: Due to the FAFSA debacle, colleges continue to delay enrollment deadlines. If you are waiting on your final financial aid award, please call the colleges that have admitted your student and chat with the financial aid officers. Some will extend deadlines. You can also check this site: https://www.nacacnet.org/enrollment-deadlines-directory-2024/
One final note: It's never too early to start younger siblings on their college search process, the earlier we start the better!