Accepted to College — Now What?

January 19, 2018March 14, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

Congratulations! Your student has been accepted — perhaps to one college, perhaps to several. Your student may be facing a difficult decision, or she may know exactly where she wants to go. Either way, you and your student may be wondering what you do next.

Once your student has been accepted, next steps will depend on whether she needs more information before making her decision or whether that decision is made.

Making the decision

If your student has received multiple acceptances and is in the process of deciding which college to choose, gather as much information as possible about the colleges, and review what your student is looking for in a college.

So You’re a New College Parent . . .

March 5, 2023February 25, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

Congratulations! You’ve survived the college admissions process and the acceptance letters have begun to arrive. You are excited for your student, but you may be beginning to be a bit nervous. Now that your son or daughter is almost a college student, you’re almost a college parent! You may have been involved in helping your student through the admissions process — but now you wonder what you should be doing and exactly what your new role will be.

If you’re a new college parent, and you’re here at College Parent Central, you’ve found the right place to get started. Parents of college students are often told to ”let go”, but we believe it’s all about knowing how your role changes and finding the ways that you can be productively involved to help your student throughout his college career.

What is College Block Scheduling?

March 18, 2017February 21, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

Each college creates a course schedule to serve its needs. Whatever the individual college’s schedule looks like, your student’s college schedule will certainly look very different from his high school schedule. Students spend much less time in class in college and are expected to spend much more time outside of class reading and preparing. The general rule of thumb is for students to spend two hours outside of class for each hour spent in class. Students often spend 2 – 4 hours per week, per course, in class.

Most colleges and universities have a mix of class meeting times. Some classes might meet for shorter periods of time three times per week, others might meet twice per week, and still others might meet for a longer period once per week. Students often mix and match a combination of classes.

There is, however, one radically different approach used by approximately a dozen or so colleges in the United States called ”Block Scheduling” or ”One Course At A Time (OCAAT) Scheduling.” It is a unique approach.

What Does College “Open Admission” Mean?

May 17, 2022February 18, 2013 by Vicki Nelson

College admission is a major concern for many high school students and their parents. The entire admission process may feel overwhelming, time consuming, and expensive. As part of the exploration process, you may come across schools that list their admission policy as ”Open Admission,” ”Open Enrollment,” or ”Inclusive Admission.” What exactly does this mean?

Open Admission generally means that the admission process is unselective and non-competitive; the only criteria for admission is that the student have a high school diploma or GED certificate. Most colleges with Open Admission are community colleges or colleges which grant Associate degrees. There are a few, but not many, four year colleges with this type of admission policy.

Open Enrollment or Open Admission policies were instituted during the 1960’s and 1970’s to reduce barriers to higher education for some groups of students, including those from lower income or underprivileged backgrounds. The policy of increasing accessibility was intended to provide a college education to all who desire it. It allows students with a wide range of potential to attend college.

It’s Not Too Late for Your Student to Apply to College

May 17, 2023May 3, 2012 by Vicki Nelson

May 1^st has come and gone. Admissions letters have been received — to cheers or disappointment, financial aid offers have been weighed, decisions have been faced, deposits have been made. For many students, the college admissions process is over. It’s time now to transition from being a college applicant to being a college freshman. It’s time to settle in for the ride.

But what if your student isn’t ready to settle in? What if they’ve just discovered a new college that they hadn’t considered before? What if last fall, when everyone else was applying to college, your student didn’t think they wanted to go, but now they’re finally ready for the college experience? Is it too late? Is it all over until next year?

The College Decision Dilemma

February 1, 2020April 11, 2012 by Vicki Nelson

The letters have arrived. Some of the news may not be what was hoped for. Hopefully, most of the news was good. Your student has been accepted — perhaps to multiple schools. As stressful as the wait may have been, those letters arrive with a new kind of stress. Your student now has options. The decision is now in your student’s hands. The ball is back in their court. They must now decide which offer to accept.

Recent research on both the relationship between students and their parents and on communication between students and their parents tells us that that in the vast majority of families, parents will help students make this important decision. Your student wants to hear your opinion and values your input. However, it is important to remember that as overwhelming as it may seem, this must be your student’s decision. They will need to feel good about this decision, live with this decision, and make the college experience work. It is your job to be a helpful passenger on this journey, but not a back-seat driver.

So what can you do to help your student as they face this decision dilemma? This may be an ideal time to begin to practice some of the good communication skills that you and your student will need throughout the college years. Here are a few suggestions:

Why Your Student Should Attend Accepted or Admitted Student Day

February 16, 2020March 16, 2012 by Vicki Nelson

Your student has been accepted to college! Congratulations! Perhaps they have been accepted to their first choice of school or to several schools. Once those highly anticipated letters have been received, the ball is once again in your student’s court. Now they must make that final decision of which school to attend. This is potentially a very stressful time for your student.

For many students, one good opportunity to evaluate colleges one last time is Accepted or Admitted Student Day. This day is often held in the spring between the time that students have been accepted and the May 1 deposit deadline. Colleges invite students who have been accepted to visit campus one more time. Most colleges who host an Accepted Student Day work hard to make it a productive and informative day. This is the group of students the college wants to attract and they want to be sure students see the college in the best light.

Colleges Working to Help Students Transition During the First Year

February 23, 2012 by Vicki Nelson

As a college parent, you worry about your student’s transition to college life. Perhaps you talk to your student about things he can do to help make the shift to being a college student and being away. You hope that all will go well and you hope that the college personnel who work with your student will help your him with the transition.

Most college personnel who work with first year and transfer students are very aware of the impact and importance of the transition to a new environment and way of life. As a parent, you should be reassured that there are designated people at most colleges charged with the responsibility of helping your student succeed during her first year.

Is Your Student Heading to College for the Right Reasons?

June 22, 2022January 23, 2012 by Vicki Nelson

High school seniors have been doing their research on potential colleges, taking the appropriate high school classes, participating in plenty of extracurricular activities, making college visits, writing college essays, completing college applications, and finally awaiting the college verdict via acceptance or rejection letters. Whew!

The college admissions process becomes a way of life for many high school juniors and seniors. But amid the rush to get into just the right college, has your student taken time think about why they want to go to college?

A college education is expensive. No one would argue otherwise. Depending on the college, the expense may feel manageable or overwhelming. A college education for the right reasons is an investment in the future. Heading to college for the wrong reasons may potentially be a monumental waste of money.

What to Do If Your Student Receives a Deferral Admission Letter

June 22, 2022December 19, 2011 by Vicki Nelson

Students who apply to college for Early Action or Early Decision often find the early part of December an understandably stressful time. They hope to learn about their admission status before the holidays and be able to relax for the second half of their senior year. Students who applied for Early Decision know that their decision will be a binding one. Early Action students will have until May to make a final choice.

Although your Early Action or Early Decision applicant obviously hopes for a positive response from their chosen college, if they receive a denial they will know that they need to move on to other choices for the spring regular admissions pool. However, if your student receives a letter of deferred admission, they enter a state of limbo — their answer is not clear cut and is neither an acceptance nor a rejection. It is an uncomfortable place to be.