If you were not accepted under early decision or early action, you may find yourself scrambling to figure out what schools to turn to next.
First, was your early action or early decision application rejected or deferred? Check the letter you received to determine which status applies to your situation.
If your application was rejected, you will have to wait until the next year to apply again to that school. You should review your other top choices and look at which of these other schools you may want to submit an application to, if you haven’t already.
Many colleges’ regular admissions deadlines were January 1st, but some schools such as Bryn Mawr College, Drexel University, and Bucknell University have regular admissions deadlines of January 15, 2017, so you need to act quickly.
If your application was deferred, you’ll still be considered with the regular-admission applicants. This does not prevent you from still submitting applications to other schools.
What are some ways you can show your #1 school that you really want to attend there, if your application was deferred? First, you can call the admissions office and let them know that you are still interested. Email is another option, but a call or a written letter may get more attention.
When you call, you might consider if there are additional items or improved test scores you may want to submit to the school. Ask the admissions counselor if they will accept these things and add them to your application.
Consider other schools: It is important at this point to consider other schools beyond your top choice. If there were specific things you liked about your top school (size, majors or programs, campus life, etc), can you find these aspects at other schools?
Strengthen your application: Have someone take a look at your early admission or early action application to see if there were any weaknesses before you submit an application to the regular admission schools. If you have improved test scores or a better GPA, you should be sure to include that on your new applications.
Not being admitted to your first choice school can be a tough pill to swallow, but remember that you will find a school that fits you well and challenges you to learn and grow. With thousands of schools to choose from, you can rest assured that you will get the education you need.
Reference: US News College Admissions Playbook