Those final (and often harder) admission decisions are rolling in now. 

Remember, no matter what the decision of any particular school, you are the same amazing person you were before that decision. It is not a reflection of your worth. Accepted, denied or waitlisted, do not take it personally.

How to accept an offer
Congrats! Now, it is time to choose. Visit your top two schools for admitted students days if possible.

You will almost certainly walk away with a stronger preference for one. You may also meet a future roommate, professor or friend. Maybe even your future spouse, College is not only about academics, after all.

After you decide, follow the instructions to submit your paperwork and deposit. Look for housing information immediately, as that may be an entirely separate process, and you do want to live on campus for at least the first year.

At some schools, you can do housing before you even know you are in, but you may also lose your deposit if not accepted, so be careful. 

Accepting an offer and depositing by the reply date (often May 1) is critical. Even if you are waitlisted, you must deposit at a school that accepts you to guarantee you have a place to go next fall. 

What about the schools I was admitted to but won’t attend?
Let them know. Someone is on waitlist and the school might make them an offer sooner. You can usually decline in the portal or via email to the admission office. After May 1, they will assume you are not coming. 

The facts about a waitlist spot
The good news is the school wanted to admit you. They just had too many applications and could not say yes to everyone. So, based on geography, money, or some other factor you couldn’t control, you got waitlisted.

What to do when wait-listed
Follow the instructions exactly. Either decline the offer if you have better options or follow the directions exactly to stay on the waitlist for future consideration. This is a test of your ability to follow directions.

Please don’t send extra materials, letters of recommendation, etc., unless it was offered or encouraged. If you need to submit a statement about why you want to stay on the list, focus on anything new that adds value to your application.

How a wait list works
As schools receive data about who accepts their offers, they may lose more students than anticipated and go to the waitlist. Waitlist candidates are not ranked.

The school will query their waitlist on specific criteria (region, financial need, gender, etc.), and then review the candidates who meet that criteria. Then they make offers.

Just so you know, offers can come as late as August, depending on the school. And there is a domino effect. If elite schools go to their waitlists, expect lots of activity from all schools over the summer.

Once Stanford “steals” somebody from Berkeley, then Berkeley steals someone from another school, and the whole process continues. If elite schools release their waitlists early, expect less movement. 

What if I am offered a waitlist spot? 
You are under no obligation to accept it at all. Especially if you already have everything set up at another school (housing, roommate, classes, friends …) It’s entirely up to you, but you may only get a few days to decide, so be prepared. 

Appealing deny decisions
Rejection happens, and it can be disappointing. You can appeal, but it is rarely successful unless there has been a major development not captured in your original application.

Check individual school websites for details if you pursue this route. Generally, it is not advised. Accept it and move on. Love the schools that value you for who you are. For everyone else, their loss.