Accepted to Multiple Colleges? Here’s How to Confirm—and Reject—Your Admission
Choosing which college to attend is a huge decision—one that affects the kinds of unique opportunities and challenges you will face and, ultimately, the rest of your life. It’s wise to apply to more than one college, not only to give yourself a greater chance of acceptance, but also to allow you to weigh some options before choosing where to go! And if you’re one of the lucky applicants to receive multiple acceptance letters, you could have a fortunate yet difficult decision to make on college decision day. We put together some guidelines to help you make an informed, positive decision between multiple admissions offers as well as how to accept and reject them with grace.
The Decision
If you have received acceptance letters from multiple schools, there are a few things to consider before making a final decision. Look at the big picture and weigh the pros and cons of attending your potential choices.
First, you may want to compare costs—what will tuition, the cost of living, and your financial aid options look like for each school? Depending on your financial situation, this alone could make or break your decision for you!
Next, imagine what the actual experience at the school will be like. If you have visited each of your potential colleges, refer back to your photos and the notes you made from your trip—how did you like the academic programs, facilities, culture, etc.? Can you picture yourself there for the next four years? And, of course, revisit each option with trusted family members and/or mentors; talking it over with another person can provide you practical insight that you may not have considered on your own. You can also reach out to students at your potential schools to answer any specific questions about the day-to-day experience on campus.
Saying No
Once you’ve decided not to attend a school that has accepted you, you’ll have a few actions to take in order to decline your admission properly.
- Let the college know as soon as you choose not to attend.
- This is a common courtesy not only to the school, but also to other prospective students who may be on the waiting list. The sooner you formally decline acceptance, the sooner the admissions office can make room for another applicant who may be waiting anxiously for confirmation.
- Confirm each school’s guidelines for rejecting an offer.
- Some schools may have specific instructions for how to decline admission. These can include sending an email to an admissions representative or filling out a form online. Check your schools’ websites (or your acceptance letters themselves) to see whether they need anything in particular.
- If you can’t find any explicit instructions, be sure to respond anyway; it benefits both you and the school to be as clear as possible. Rather than communicating over the phone, it is best to decline an offer officially in writing. All you need to do is send a brief note via letter or email that is formatted like the one shown below:
Saying Yes
If you’ve made your final decision and are confident in the school that’s right for you, refer to your acceptance letter for the instructions to enroll. Most colleges will require that you provide a written commitment along with a deposit. Keep in mind that schools can revoke their admission decision if you fail to maintain their criteria.
Congratulations!
Receiving a college acceptance letter is an exciting experience, and getting admitted to multiple colleges is absolutely something to be proud of. To choose between multiple schools that want you is a weighty decision, but the option to choose at all is a true reward for your diligent work over the past four years! Take pride in this accomplishment, and once you’ve made your choice, take care to accept and decline your offers in the appropriate manner.
P.S. Happy College Decision Day!
