FAQ #3: What can I do if I don’t get accepted to any college?

ANSWER: It is rare for students not to get into any of the schools to which they have applied. However, it does occur: sometimes because a student has applied to schools that are all reaches, or has put together sloppy applications, or has applied to too few schools, or simply because of dumb luck.

There are a number of things you can do if you should find yourself in this situation. To begin with, talk with your high school counselor to see what he/she suggests. Among the options you’ll probably hear are:

a) You can always go to a community college and then transfer to a private college after as little time as a semester, but usually after a year.
b) After a couple of years and meeting their transfer requirements, you can transfer to one of a number of public universities.
c) There are number of colleges and universities that offer Rolling Admissions to which you can apply, even in April, May or later.
d) Every May, in a section called the “Space Availabilitiy Survey Results,” the National Association for College Admission Counseling website offers a list colleges throughout the US who are still open to accepting applications.

Remember, there is always something you can do, some college where you can go.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT! At some colleges, it is easier to get in as a transfer student than it is as a freshman. On the other hand, some schools such as Princeton almost never take transfer students.

Endnote to Part A
Most students receive acceptances to a number of schools, in addition to waitlists and denials. If you have followed the suggestions of adMISSION POSSIBLE, you have not set your sights on just one college, but have applied to a number of colleges, any one of which you would be happy to attend. As mentioned before, resist the temptation of dwelling on where you have NOT been accepted.

It is both useful and healthy to focus on choosing the best possible college from among your acceptance options. Having done that, then look forward to your new college life, and enthusiastically throw yourself into all that the college has to offer. Most students end up having wonderful college experiences, whether or not they have gotten into their first choice school.