The College Decision Day
Making the Decision the Right Way
As you know, the National Decision Day for the selection of a college or university is May 1st. Due to the current COVID-19, many colleges have extended their “Decision Day” deadline to May 15th or June 1st, which then, theoretically, gives you more time to make the decision to attend THAT COLLEGE.
However, so often the case is that you will have other colleges which have accepted you that still retain the traditional May 1st Decision Day. Here is the point about that: If one school changes their due date to later than May 1st, it does not mean that that other schools in which a student is interested must change their due date. For this reason, one college changing their date to later is probably irrelevant – especially if the “extended deadline” college is not an affordable college or university or even if you have not visited that college or university.
Next, it’s very important to understand that students MUST BE ON TIME with the full Admissions Acceptance Deposit to the College or University. This deposit is not covered by Institutional or Federal Financial Aid, but many California State Universities (CSUs) will waive or lower it for low-income applicants. If the student does not make the deposit on time, many schools will withdraw their admission offer immediately or shortly after. If a student cannot make the deposit and he or she wants to attend a given college or university, he or she must contact that institution prior to May 1st in order to negotiate a reduced payment or a later deposit deadline.
Finally, while it is unethical and unwise to deposit to attend more than one college or university, many parents will still do so, hoping that the one of the additional colleges will provide additional money or their youth just cannot decide on a college. My question is, “How far will you go with the deposits that fall due right after or shortly after May 1st?” Typically, these deposits are the housing deposit, parent and youth orientations, and/or the class registration deposit. In other words, will you make these deposits also to each one of the additional colleges or universities? If you cannot or will not make these additional deposits for each college, what’s the point of multiple admissions deposits?
Please consider the above when your youth and you are making the decision of where your youth will attend college.
— Director, John Wilson
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