College Admissions: College Rejection 911
Monday, April 04, 2011
“College 911, what is your emergency?"
"My daughter only got into her backup colleges, and now she says she doesn’t want to go to any of those schools. Help me!”
Maybe not quite, but a similar drama plays out in counselors' offices across the country each spring. The reasons vary, but the situation is always stressful. Often students set their sights unrealistically high, started
too late and rushed through the process, didn’t apply to enough schools, or didn’t choose backups that they were willing to attend. Then in the 11th hour, families are left wondering how to proceed. College is a huge investment, and the freshman attrition rate nationally hovers around 30 percent. So, sending a child off to a college they don’t want to attend doesn’t make a lot of sense. If you are a parent or student in this predicament, here are a few options you can consider:GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
Plan A: Revisit Colleges
Make a second visit (preferably an overnight) to the colleges where you were accepted, and do it with an open mind. Smaller college admissions offices will help you arrange to stay with a student in the dorms. For larger schools, you may need to network with family, friends and Facebook groups to find someone to host you. If you can legitimately say after your visit that you don’t want to attend any of the colleges where you were accepted, then it’s time to move to Plan B.
Plan B: File Late Applications
Hundreds of colleges have space available in their freshman class into August. Some are colleges that have rolling admission policies, but others may have had an unusually low yield. In essence, that means that a
college has gone through their entire waiting list but still has open seats for the fall. A knowledgeable school-based counselor or private college advisor will be able to tell you which colleges have openings. In past years, I have had students accepted during the summer to well recognized colleges like Ohio Wesleyan, the University of Maine and DePaul. Keep in mind that there may not be a lot of college-based aid left at this point, but your federal aid will still apply.
Plan B2: Study Abroad
Many study abroad programs and foreign universities will still be accepting applications for several months. So, you could attend college for a semester or the year in Spain, France, England or another country--and get college credits. There are also travel programs aboard sailing vessels and outdoor adventure programs that offer college credits. If you want to go away for just a semester, many colleges accept freshmen for second semester. Remember that If you decide to stay for the year, you will most likely be applying to colleges as a transfer student for next fall. At many schools though, the acceptance rate can be higher for transfers.
Plan B3: Intern Somewhere Fabulous
Think about taking a gap semester or year to explore your career or personal interests. From Architecture to Zoology, there are an array of organizations and companies that will welcome you as an unpaid intern. Search internship databases to find opportunities or call the Human Resources department at your target institutions. You can work a few hours a week at a paid job for spending money, and then intern at the place of your dreams. Taking this time to truly learn about a career can give you valuable direction for college and make you a much more attractive candidate when you apply again!
Plan B4: Do a PG Year
Many private boarding schools offer a post-graduate year. This is essentially a second senior year where students can take courses, play sports in the prep school leagues (which have high college scouting visibility), and refocus their college search for better results. It’s an expensive alternative ($40,000+), but many schools offer financial aid. This is a great option for students who need a year to mature socially or for recruiting hopefuls who need time to get bigger and hone their skills.
Cristiana Quinn, M.Ed. is the founder of College Admission Advisors, LLC which provides strategic, college counseling and athletic recruiting services for students. www.collegeadvisorsonline.com.
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