Colleges Admissions: Finishing as Strongly as You Start

 

Applying for admission to a college or university in the United States can be a long and difficult process.

Each step requires hard work and careful consideration. Even after applicants² submit all the required materials to their schools of interest, there is still much to do.

Hebe Fuller says what comes next depends greatly on the first steps the applicants took. Fuller is the director of international admissions at Elon University, a private liberal arts university in Elon, North Carolina. She spoke³ to VOA about different ways to seek admission to U.S. schools.

Fuller said many American colleges and universities let applicants choose one of three admissions paths. The possible paths are early decision, early action and regular decision. Usually, all three require the same kinds of application materials, she said.

Most high school students in the U.S. apply to college in the first half or fall of their last year of high school. Fuller said most students should apply to several colleges and universities. But if an applicant¹ knows exactly which school they want to attend, he or she should consider requesting early decision.

Schools that offer early decision expect students to complete and submit their applications several months before the regular deadline. The schools also make their decisions about those candidates early.

But, Fuller noted⁴, early decision candidates must understand they have entered a binding⁵ agreement to attend the school if accepted.

Early action is a little different. Students also submit their applications earlier and schools answer earlier. But, the student is not bound to to attend the school if accepted.

So, why do early decision or early action? Fuller said boths path will improve the chance of acceptance.

“We like to offer admissions to students that will accept our offer,” she told VOA. “So those that apply early decision … have the highest level of acceptance. … Early action, we understand that students are applying to multiple schools, but they are also demonstrating more interest. … So, we don’t necessarily pay more attention, but we recognize that they are considering us.”

Fuller also said that some schools will still consider students for regular decision even if they were rejected from early decision or action.

Most American universities inform regular decision candidates of acceptance or rejection⁶ in the spring. Then, Fuller said, accepted students must pay a deposit to the school they most want to attend.

The deposit amounts to a small percentage of the cost of the first year of study at the university or college.

Fuller said even at this point some students still may not be sure about which school they want to attend. Most schools that offer admission give applicants several months to decide to accept or not. So, Fuller suggests applicants visit or re-visit the schools to help them decide.

Students and their families can also use this time to do more research on the schools, Fuller suggested. They can learn about the community in which the students would live and about the environment. They can also consider how much financial aid each school is offering.

However, Fuller said students should not take too long to make their decision. Students who provide deposits might be put on the list for housing at some schools. The earlier the deposit, the higher on the list and, possibly, the better the housing choices.

Fuller said the university’s housing department will ask students who plan to live on campus for information about their personalities⁷. This will help department officials decide which students live together.

Students who will not live on campus should use this time to research other housing in the area, Fuller advised.

Fuller said the next major step on the path to college is the process of “orientation⁸.”

Orientation is a series of informational events for new students. It starts about a week before classes open.

Fuller said orientation can be very helpful, especially for international students.

Sometimes a college or university will not accept or reject an applicant. Instead, closely competitive candidates will be placed a ‘wait list.’

This is a safety measure for schools. They know that some applicants to whom they offer admission will decline it. So, the school will offer that admission space to a student on the wait list.

Wait list applicants are usually close competitors to those offered admission.

“When we’re looking at … the wait list, we’re not necessarily looking at who’s number one, two or three,” Fuller explained. “It’s more of, ‘What kind of student will complement⁹ the class that we’re trying to form?’”

When it comes to facing total rejection by a given school, Fuller urges to students to remember that things do not always go as they expect. That is why they planned ahead and made sure to apply to several schools and keep their choices open.

“I always try to tell them to picture themselves four years from now,” she said. “Wherever they end up, it’s pretty much guaranteed that they will have had a great experience. They will look back and say this was the right choice.”

I’m -Caty Weaver¹⁰. And I’m Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

apply(ing) – v. to ask formally for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan, usually in writing

submit – v. to give a document, proposal, or piece of writing to someone so that it can be considered or approved

regular – adj. normal or usual

deadline – n. a date or time when something must be finished

binding – adj. forcing or requiring someone to do something because of a promise or agreement

multiple – adj. more than one

deposit – n. money that you give someone when you agree to buy something

financial – adj. relating to money

campus – n. the area and buildings around a university, college, or school

personalities – n. the sets of emotional qualities, or ways of behaving that make people different from one another

complement – v. to complete something else or make it better

1 applicant   

n.申请人，求职者，请求者

参考例句：

• He was the hundredth applicant for the job. 他是第100个申请这项工作的人。
• In my estimation, the applicant is well qualified for this job. 据我看, 这位应征者完全具备这项工作的条件。

2 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

6 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

7 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

8 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

9 complement   

n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足

参考例句：

• The two suggestions complement each other.这两条建议相互补充。
• They oppose each other also complement each other.它们相辅相成。

10 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。