RAMBO

Being accepted at many colleges can be a good problem to have. Aside from making the big decision from many attractive offers, the problem I see that vexes students  the most after students are accepted is that colleges persist in emailing them with VERY IMPORTANT emails that they often do not read.

The reason students say they tend to neglect reading college emails in the late fall and early spring of senior year is that they have received so much email of a recruiting nature that they tend to look at all college email as junk mail.

I caution them to read college email because it is packed with critical information about required tasks, admission status, special user ID's and passwords to access their student portal (that expire), scholarship program application notices, honors program offers, notices about course registration and invitations to visit campus as an accepted student or sign up for orientation.

We are just one week away from the national college decision deadline of May 1. Has your teen made the big decision yet? Most have but there are some who are waiting on new information about scholarships or wait lists or who are just plain torn between their top two colleges.

One thing to keep in mind is that it matters less where the student goes and more what he or she does where they go. While it is true that colleges differ in programs, a student able to get their desired program at a college within their financial means has as good a chance as any other student if they use the resources within their college as well as their assertiveness.

There are scholarships within colleges as well as internships and fellowships and paid experiences that can help students save money on their total college bill. Add to that taking full advantage of college career placement programs EARLY can lead to amazing employment at graduation.

It is important to remember the reason students go to college. They go to grow, learn new skills, develop themselves and explore their options for a satisfying career. To the extent they can do that and keep debt low, they are all winners.

I spend the spring and summer celebrating admission acceptances and helping students complete tasks required for college enrollment including: registering for orientation, setting up email, taking online placement tests, designing fall class schedules, officially accepting financial awards, completing student loan requirements and understanding the responsibilities of borrowing.

The thing that scares me is that students, who have worked so hard to get into college seem to go into a fog after getting accepted. Many assume email from their college is junk mail which, at this point, is just not true. They also assume the college will continue to send email to their civilian email inbox. Also, not true. Colleges begin to communicate through the college email address soon after acceptance.

Parents and students do best in the post college acceptance process when they read college email daily and quickly follow instructions. Some offers they receive have expiration dates. For this year's high school seniors entering college in the fall of 2018, it is best to do just as much planning for college success as they did to get into college. Planning will pay off in academic success, scholarships, timely graduation and (best of all) a J-O-B.