Waiting for the acceptance or rejection letters – what should you do?

Checking your email 10 times a day, counting the days, the hours…If you are in the admissions process for a study abroad program, that might sound familiar to you. To keep your cool, read the following 3 scenarios that will help you prepare for the news, now that we are at that time of year where you will start hearing from universities.

Scenario 1: You are still waiting for an answer from the admissions committee

Depending on which schools and program you applied to, according to the admissions calendar of US  universities, you should start receiving you first answers during the month of April.

Check out your application status on the application portals of the different universities you applied to. If you see that you should have received an answer, do not hesitate to contact the Registrar’s Office directly by email or phone. Being proactive in this process, is crucial. Your application is not only sending your grades, essays and GMAT scores, it is also following up on it. Too many students realized that they received some important emails that went to their spam folder.

Scenario 2: You did not get accepted to your dream school

Do not panic! Read the letters you received, try to check if you are on a waiting list or not. Two situations are possible: First, you do not have a backup (“safety”) school, or you really cannot see yourself at the schools that did accept you. Be realistic and honest with yourself, ask yourself the following questions: Can you improve your grades? Is it because of your GMAT score? Are you motivated to work again even harder and re-apply next year? If yes, go for it and take this opportunity to use our Predictor and to get help from a coach. Second, you got accepted into other schools, and are not sure if you should go to them. You should know that most students do not get accepted to their top choice schools, and still end up very happy with the result once they move to study abroad in the school they ultimately choose.

Scenario 3: You got accepted to the school/s you wanted

Congratulations ! It is time to celebrate and to prepare the next steps for your transition to your future campus.

Read all the documents you received carefully and verify the process to confirm your enrollment. Deadlines are also important in the acceptance process, not only in the application. Do not miss them. You might also need to wait for answers regarding scholarships. Note that usually financial aid award notifications occur with the offer of admission, by early April-mid-May for future students. Once you have sent back all the documents to confirm your registration, it is time to prepare for your life on campus : dorms, apartment, living on or off campus...You will have to choose the best option for you. Prepare your budget and start getting familiar with the different organizations for foreign students.

Last important advice, get ready quickly for the immigration process and the student visa you might need. This process can take longer than expected.

If you want advice on student life in America and need a mentor to guide you through the process, please visit https://www.gradtrain.com