Submitting your college applications is a monumental milestone—congratulations! For Top Tier Admissions students, the hard work has already paid off, with remarkable results in the early application round. Whether you’ve applied early or are awaiting regular decisions, there are essential steps you can take now to maximize your chances and maintain momentum. From organizing application portals and monitoring emails to reassessing your list and applying for scholarships, this is the time to stay proactive and prepared. Let’s dive into the key actions to take after hitting “submit.”
NEXT STEPS AFTER SUBMITTING YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATION
Document the accomplishment.
Completing a college application is an accomplishment to be celebrated even before you learn the outcome. You did a lot of work to put all the pieces together to tell your story. To commemorate all of that hard work, save a PDF of each one of your applications by downloading them from the Common App dashboard. It can be fun to look back at in the future and reflect on what you have learned since that fateful moment in time.
Check your email.
After you hit submit, you can expect a series of emails with a few business days. Colleges will be letting you know if you application is received and complete or if you are missing any materials. Additionally, you might be offered opportunities to participate in an interview or to compete for additional scholarships. These opportunities might have short windows to reply or submit so make checking your email a daily habit if it isn’t already.
Log in to your portals.
One of those emails you receive from each college will most likely include instructions and credentials for establishing a portal to communicate with you. As your admission decision may be one of the things you obtain through your portal, you should set up your portal access right away, so you don’t run into any technical difficulty trying to set it up later when your admission decision is ready. Thoroughly explore each portal as it could contain additional options to add updates, portfolios, recommendation letters, updated grades and other credentials. Create a system for organizing the login information for your application portals and check them regularly (at least weekly) for updates.
Re-assess your list.
It’s not over until it’s over. Now is a good time to take stock of how you feel about where you have applied. Has anything changed about your preferences or priorities? Are there any early trends in admission decisions that are making you rethink your list? There are colleges with later deadlines or rolling admission plans that might still be open for application. If one more safe application will help you feel more secure while you wait, check into the possibilities.
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Apply for scholarships.
Colleges may email you about additional scholarship opportunities or notify you on your portal (Remember to check your email and portals!!) Beyond what colleges offer there are many outside scholarships to pursue. Your high school may communicate local opportunities so make sure you know how that information is disseminated or ask your school counselor to let you know of any local scholarships that you would be a good fit for you. Online search engines also offer a multitude of scholarships to consider.
Confirm mid-year grades will be sent.
Mid-year grades are a standard request from colleges in regular decision or when you have been deferred from early action. Even if you were admitted in early decision, colleges may still want to see how you are doing in senior year. Your high school counselor should automatically send your mid-year grades but check in to make sure there is nothing that you need to do to activate that process.
Update admissions officers on any important developments.
Until you receive a final admission decision, you should send any important new information to colleges where you applied. This might include things like awards, leadership roles, test scores, or scholarships that enhance your credentials. Generally, an email to the main admissions address or portal upload will do the trick, but you can copy your regional admissions officer if you have that specific info. Remember to thank them for their time and try to keep your updates to a minimum.
Continue your college research.
If you are deferred or waitlisted, you will most likely need to write a letter of continued interest and our Essay Guidance Program is a perfect option if you’re seeking expert guidance. Being able to expand on your original reasons for wanting to attend can improve your chances of admission. Additionally, if you have multiple offers to consider, you want to be prepared to make a final decision in the end. Continuing to follow the college social media or student newspaper to stay up to date on recent developments can help you be prepared in these situations.
Withdraw or decline any offers you won’t consider.
As you receive admissions offers and your options crystalize you might be able to narrow your choices to a few contenders. It is courteous to let the colleges that you definitely will not attend know by declining their offer in writing from the email address on your application. This will help them save time and effort, but also save you from additional phone calls, texts and emails so you can focus on the options you are still considering.
Practice gratitude.
The college admissions process requires support, and you have a few people to thank. Don’t forget about the recommenders and school counselors who helped you along the way. A note or email of gratitude shows that you appreciate your team. It is also a time to be thankful for all of the experiences you will have in the remainder of your senior year, savor your final games, dances and classes as you prepare for your next adventure. You won’t be able to re-do
Finish strong.
And, while you are enjoying the high school countdown…don’t have too much fun! Senioritis must be avoided at all costs. Any significant drop in grades can jeopardize your admissions as you will submit a final transcript to the college of your choice. Furthermore, if you decide to drop your course rigor, you need to inform any colleges where you are admitted that your schedule is changing, and this could also negatively impact the outcomes. Finish high school with no regrets and strong study habits and you will be set up for college success!
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