by Krishaun Burns
May is not that far away. I would know this because 1) the first of the month is my birthday, and 2) everything for college is pretty much happening that day. And by “everything”, I mean decision time. May 1st is the deadline for accepting a college’s admission offer. You do not want to wait until the last minute to do that, though, if possible. I know that a lot of people (including myself) are waiting for Financial Aid packets to make a final decision, but there are somethings that you can do while waiting.
Select Your Top 2 Colleges and Accept
I know that this might sound weird, but give me a moment to explain. Accepting and paying for a college’s admission offer can be quite expensive, nevertheless doing it for two. But if you are still waiting for your financial aid packets, but have a general idea of the two colleges you will be deciding between, then I urge you to go ahead and accept both. This will allow you to select housing and meal plans now, instead of waiting until the last minute and getting the last-minute choices (i.e. not the cream of the crop). You may also be able to begin selecting your classes once those are available (unless you have to wait until your orientation), and once again, have the first choice.
Get a Fee Deference
As I stated above, paying the admission fee for one college can be quite hefty, but two is almost a bank-breaker for some. If you can, talk to the university to see if you are eligible for a fee deference. A fee deference is when you only have to pay so much (say, $50 out of $250) or sometimes nothing at all at the time you accept the offer. However, the remainder of the admission fee will be tacked onto your first bill from the college. This really helps! Plus, you most likely will be able to get a refund from whichever college you decided to not attend.
Select Your Housing + Meal Plan
Every college has dorms that people are always dying to stay in. And every college has dorms that are last choices. You want to be able to stay in a place that you will feel comfortable in for the year. That is why you do not want to wait until the last minute to accept your college’s admission offer. Typically, universities will allow you to fill out a housing contract and select a meal plan as soon as you accept their offer. Don’t worry—if you decide you do not want to attend that school, you can e-mail or call the university and tell them. Check on the procedure for that.
[Note: I have done all of the above, which is why I feel comfortable telling you all about it. My sister did the same last year. There are no penalties. I originally thought that I could not accept offers from 2 colleges at a time, but that’s why each college gives you the option to rescind your acceptance.]
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