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Congratulations, you’ve been accepted to college! 🎉 This is a huge accomplishment, and you should be very proud. Celebrate for sure, but before you move on to other things, be sure to do these 10 things to set yourself up for success.
If you applied and were accepted Early Decision, you should definitely move forward on this list just for that school. You should also pull any other applications you may have submitted to other colleges.
For all others applying Early Action or Regular Decision, please consider the following steps for your top 1-3 contenders as those acceptances come in. If you’ve made a final decision, just focus on that school.
If you used the student portal for admissions, be sure you still have access to it. If you have not set up an account yet, do that immediately. Turn on notifications for the portal AND email and start checking both daily. Almost all school communication and processes will come through the student portal. Please note that parents do not have access, so this is an important time for the student to take the lead on timelines, processes, registrations – all of it!
The school should send you a financial aid package detailing any school-offered merit awards and financial assistance, as well as government assistance options. This information sometimes comes with the college acceptance, but for many schools, it will come later. If you decide to appeal financial/merit aid, do this BEFORE accepting enrollment!
Look into other school scholarships available, such as departmental or special situations – more info should come via email, and there should be a scholarship page on the school’s website.
Many non-school-related scholarships are also available. Your high school guidance office may already have provided you with local opportunities, but if not, please ask. The parents’ employers, local sports organizations, local charitable organizations, and many others may offer college scholarships. Be prepared for detailed applications and often an accompanying essay, but these can add up – any little bit counts when it comes to college expenses.
If you haven’t visited the campus yet, or you still need more input to make a college decision, Admitted Students Day would be a great time to visit. Even if you have those answers and have decided this is the school for you, Admitted Students Day offers opportunities to gather more information, learn about scholarships, tour dorm buildings and see more of the campus and facilities than you see on a general tour.
There may be dorms or halls for Honors, particular majors, or even out-of-state students, which may be of interest.
These communities can make it easier to meet like-minded students or those in the same line of study or who are far from home. Even if Living Learning Communities are not an option, spend some time understanding the different housing options, room layouts, campus location and costs per semeser before it is time to select housing.
Some schools require students to live on campus for all four years, while others do not have enough on-campus housing for the freshman class. Know the situation and what the process is for securing on-campus housing.
For the best chance at on-campus housing, especially in those situations where space is limited, consider paying the housing department as soon as you receive the acceptance. Oftentimes, the date the housing deposit is paid directly correlates with the date you choose your on-campus housing.
In many cases, you can pay the housing deposit without paying the enrollment deposit (especially if you haven’t made a final, final decision). This is likely a non-refundable fee that will be applied to your housing fee if you attend the school.
Note that even if your school has plenty of housing for freshmen and upperclassmen, having access to preferred dorms + room types may tie back to when you paid the housing deposit.
Every dorm is different, so for 80% of dorm essentials, you should wait for your dorm assignment before shopping. Also factor in roommate coordination for shared items.
See our list of what you can safely buy early for dorm life if you want to spread out the shopping.
Importantly, avoid dorm checklists – everyone’s list will be different, and dorm layouts, what’s provided, and what’s prohibited are different everywhere.
If you’ve narrowed your school choices down to one or two colleges, you can start researching the dorm options, layouts and rules.
The student should take the lead, but the parents need to know what’s happening and when! Housing selection, orientation scheduling, medical requirements and forms, placement tests, roommate selection – a lot happens between college acceptance and move-in day. Keeping these dates centralized for everyone is always helpful.
Many colleges do an ok job of providing information needed for families to plan everything that must happen between acceptance and move-in, but many….do not do such a great job, or lack the detail that many are hoping to find.
Facebook groups can be an excellent resource for more information for school-specific tips, timeline help, and real parent insight. However, be sure to avoid any groups run by company names or inauthentic-looking profiles. Keep in mind that while parents intend to be helpful, policies, procedures and information can change from year to year or vary by major, but at least you can get information on where to get definitive answers and generally for how things are handled at this school.
The official school Instagram account is helpful for general information. There may also be a school housing account, a school safety account and others.
The school Class of 2030 Instagram account helps students connect early, potentially find roommates and get info specific to new incoming freshmen.
Their college housing Instagram account will be one of the most helpful where you’ll find all things move-in, rules, fun events, holiday closures and more. Just search for their school and “housing” to find the account on Instagram.
Seek out text alerts, parent portals, and other means for sharing information from not only the school, but the local community. If you don’t live near the school, you may want to receive weather alerts (I have one son in an area prone to tornado activity), school safety alerts, and other important information. Some schools may offer school-specific informational texts or emails for parents.
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As you prepare for this exciting new chapter, remember that college and dorm life don’t have to be overwhelming. With a little planning and research, you can set yourself up for a successful, comfortable, and safe college experience. Keep these tips in mind as you move through the process, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help along the way.
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