Accepted, Rejected or Deferred: What to Do Next After Early Action or Early Decision Results

It's officially college acceptance (and rejection) season. You may have discovered you're headed to the college of your dreams next fall. Or you could spend a few more months camped by your mailbox for a final decision. No matter what your situation entails, we've demystified five Early Action or Early Decision scenarios you may encounter – how to deal with the good, the bad, and the "maybe."

Accepted

The sitch: You've been accepted Early Action– to both of your top choice schools. How will you choose?
When both acceptance letters came in the mail, you freaked. Your hard work proved its worth and it's time to choose your best fit, but it won't be easy. Linda Hipple, a guidance counselor at Dearborn High School in Dearborn, Michigan suggests students focus on two priorities: what they plan on pursuing as a major or what school feels best. "It comes down to the program they're interested in and what each school has to offer them," she said. But if a student is undecided on a major, Hipple recommends choosing the university where she feels most "at home." And if you can't visit the campus, we've got you covered on how to virtually visit a college. Bridget, a senior at Stevenson High School in Livonia, Michigan, has yet to ultimately choose where she's attending college, but is taking the 'comfort' route. "Where I end up going may not have the best program in the country for what I want to study," she says. "But for me it's about all those other things, like feeling comfortable on the campus and the students," she said.

The sitch: You've been accepted Early Action or Early Decision to your top choice school, but your friend has been rejected.
Bridget was also recently accepted to one of her top choice schools, but her close friend was rejected from the same one. Although breaking the news was awkward, she encourages girls in similar situations to keep their cool. "I just have been trying to not 'brag' about it or talk about it a lot," she said. "It doesn't mean I'm not going to go because that would not benefit myself in the end," she says. And she says it's also a test of friendship – real friends will be happy for each other no matter what college they choose.