I sometimes hear parents say that their child must gain admission to a specific college. While it is good to have target colleges, no one can guarantee that any student wil be accepted at any specific college. When you add to this equation that the student may not have the general admission requirements for a specific school, the next suggestion from the parent is often that since they have given money to that college, the student will have an edge in admission decisions.

Some college applications are due in three days to meet early application deadlines. Others are due in a little over two weeks.Students who have not 

started college applications need to decide whether they will file all applications early or file a few early and others as regular decision applications.

Students can apply as an early decision applicant to only one college- which means they are promising to attend that college if the college accepts them.

They can apply as an early action applicant to multiple colleges (non-binding) just as they can apply as a regular decision applicant to multiple colleges.

Sometimes I speak with students who have accepted the admission offer from a college but are not looking forward to attending. There are many reasons this could be true. Maybe it wasn't their first choice college. Or maybe it was and they are having second thoughts about going to college far from home. In any event, it is important to let them know they don't have to go.

In most cases, the only thing that happens if they don't go is the loss of the admission deposit. And, if there is a good reason to decide not to attend at this point because of changing circumstances or health an exception might be made.

Students expect an acceptance or rejection letter from their application for college admission. But colleges now offer more variations on their response to student requests for admission such as: