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Check into Plan B options

Opportunities still await

It happens.  Students may have misjudged what colleges are looking for in successful applicants, or maybe aimed too high in a competitive admissions environment.  Perhaps there were admittances to some schools, but the financial aid package was insufficient for your needs so it felt like you came up empty handed.

Missing critical deadlines for submitting materials could also have been the underlying cause behind paltry admissions results. With so many different deadlines -- EA, ED, RD, REA -- the whole college application timeline can feel like an indecipherable alphabet soup.

The Path to Plan B

Fear not -  All is not lost! There are opportunities to pursue education for college credit at a local community college or via online colleges. Would-be college applicants can continue their education on an a la carte basis while potentially saving money by continuing to live at home, when possible. When the time comes to reapply for a four-year program, showing up with good grades achieved in community college courses demonstrates to potential colleges strong evidence of your focus, determination and potential.  Spend some time researching articulation agreements that community colleges have with in-state universities.

U Mass Amherst, for one, offers guaranteed admission via MassTransfer into a variety of linked programs for Massachusetts community college graduates achieving a minimum final community college GPA and completing designated prerequisite coursework.

Wait -- not all colleges are full?
Every year there are schools that do not reach their enrollment goals and will accept applications into the summer. After May 1, the National Candidate decision day, NACAC publishes a robust list of colleges that may still have openings for qualified freshmen and/or transfer students: College Openings Update.  As of this writing, schools such as Goucher, Hofstra, University of North Carolina at Asheville, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and others may still have available seats for both first year students as well as transfers.

Instead of strict application deadlines, some schools with current openings may review applicants on a rolling basis until they reach their enrollment capacity. Their final deadlines tend to be run later than the typical Early or Regular deadlines that most colleges operate by.

Need money to attend? There are potentially some schools on the list that have scholarship or grant funds available for admitted students.

Can I wait and apply again?

Why, yes! Taking time between high school and college to explore other interests in known as pursuing a gap or bridge year. Students take the time to work, pursue meaningful interests, develop academic chops as they prepare to apply to college for the following admission year. 

It is never too late to turn educational goals into reality.   On the bright side, taking extra time to self evaluate may end up yielding even better opportunities and a set of good-fit schools for a student better prepared than ever to hit the books.