You may have been able to stop thinking about those school applications for the last month (although I hope that you have!). The time has come for schools to release their admission decisions leading to some anxiety for you and your child.
There is nothing you can do in this moment except wait for the decisions to arrive by email or on Ravenna. Because there is such a large amount of stress around the notifications, I advise my clients to formulate a plan in regard to reading and sharing notification decisions.
Decide ahead of time who, when and how you will read decision notifications.
Do you want to read them together as a family or will just one person check (who will that person be)?
Do you want to wait until all decisions have been posted or read them as they come in (Ravenna’s decision page declares the time by which announcements will be posted and other schools will either email or have you log in to their website)?
You may also want to discuss how your share the news with other family members, extended family, friends, and classmates who will also be anticipating your child’s news.
Admission decisions will come in one of three forms: Admit, Waitlist, or Deny.
Admit letters are what everyone hopes to receive. These letters will often offer you the chance to schedule a “student visit day” (whether it be in-person or virtual) and some possibly a parent session for admitted families.
Waitlist letters do not bring the same excitement as Admit letters, but they do mean a school is interested and thinks your child would be a good addition to the school community, but they do not have the space to offer your child at this moment. The hardest part about Waitlist letters is that you have to wait. How you manage the waiting can have a big impact on whether your child is ultimately admitted.
No one likes to receive Deny letter, but these decisions are final and will not be reconsidered. Remember that your child will take their cues from you, so try to focus on the positive. A school that may not have been the favorite to start, may end up raising to the top of the list.
Before taking any action, I urge you to take a day or two to process and think through it all. DO NOT contact the school right away if you are unhappy with a decision as it will not increase your child’s chances of acceptance.
DO let the school know as soon as possible if you would like your child to remain on the Wait List. It is also appropriate to let a school know as soon as possible if you will not be accepting a spot offered so that they can offer that place to another student.
This process brings out a variety of emotions in both you and your child. Your child will take cues from your reaction so do your best to remain positive and hopeful, even if the admission results were disappointing. DO celebrate any positive outcomes, which may be something you learned throughout the process. Know that your child’s educational journey will continue and while it may be difficult at the moment, it might also be for the best in their larger educational experience.