Scenario #1: You get into your dream school and receive a decent financial aid package.
Here’s what you should do:
As exciting as it is to get accepted into your first-choice school, you should definitely wait and see what your other choices offer you. What if your second choice offers you a better scholarship? Or what if your third choice offers you full tuition?
You might feel let down to agree to go to a school you had lower on your list, but you shouldn’t feel that way. The best rule of thumb is to choose the best college that offers you the best financial aid package. I’m sure you will not be concerned with whether the school was your number 1 or your number 3 when you are paying off the loans. And you definitely won’t be concerned about it if you don’t have any loans to pay off at all.
So, if you are lucky enough to be accepted into your first-choice college with some decent money, take a moment to celebrate. But don’t send in your commitment quite yet. Wait for the letters from the rest of the schools you applied to. And then — when you have received notice from all of the schools — compare all of the bottom lines. Pick the school with the best academic reputation that offers you the all-around best financial aid.
As tempting as it might be, don’t pick your first-choice school just because you are happy you got in. It might sting a bit at first to wait, but who knows, after you see all of the acceptance letters, your first-choice school might still be the best available option.
NextStepU knows that you will be on the look out for your acceptance letters during the next month or two. We’ll advise you on how to make the best possible decision. Keep an eye out for more acceptance scenarios over the next few weeks!
Written by Rachel Montpelier. Rachel is a senior at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y. and is the editorial assistant at NextStepU.
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