After the tedious wait to hear back, negotiating with your parents, and all those Venn diagrams, you’ve finally decided what university to attend. Congratulations! Don’t think HC will ditch you now—we’ve got advice on how to make the big announcement.
Don’t announce your choice until you’ve thought about it for several days. Know this is your final decision, so you don’t have to explain yourself to people if you change your mind. Lauren Hagins, Columbia College SC ’13, changed her mind after she had announced her college decision and recommends students wait for reasons other than the awkwardness of re-announcing. “Some people get excited about your decision and they can be let down ultimately when you change it, especially when one of your family members is an alum,” she says.
Do consider telling your family, close friends, and anyone who wrote you a recommendation letter first, before you send out that tweet, Facebook status, Tumblr post… you get the idea. They’re the people who have helped you along your journey. They’ve been down on the field with you, not on the sidelines, and deserve to hear it first from you directly.
Don’t start freaking out—about money, who-in-the-world you’re going to room with, and all the loose ends your mind is automatically programmed to fret over. Work out the details later and celebrate the now.
Do be aware of which friends applied to your university before you start telling everyone. Do you have BFFs who applied, but you’re not sure they got in? Take a safer-than-sorry route on this one. Consider telling them one-on-one to avoid jealousy or awkwardness.
Don’t be boastful. Sure, we’re all guilty of humble bragging, but if self-aggrandizing tweets make you cringe, chances are yours would do the same to others. Save your social media clan some eye-rolls and limit your posts. “I posted one status and said ‘Looks like I’m going to University of Arizona!’” says Hayden Wreath, University of Arizona ’15. “You should definitely not post more than two statuses.”
Do start wearing your university’s gear. There’s a 95% chance you zealously bought a cute sweatshirt when you visited campus. Wear it to class, and your outfit will announce your decision for you.
Don’t second-guess yourself! It’s finally become your “final decision” for a reason.
Do tell your world, your own way. Don’t want to make it a big deal? Nicole Echeverria, Wake Forest University ’15, joined her university’s network on Facebook instead of posting a status. “I added the ‘____class of 2015’ to my Facebook so my friends would see, and left it up to my very loud mother to tell the rest!”
No matter how you choose to drop the news, all those months of prepping and waiting will feel like they’ve paid off. Be happy, pre-collegiettes—you’ve finally made your decision!
So where are you going? Tell us by leaving a comment!