December is an exciting time in the college admissions cycle! The first answers from the Early Decision round come out, typically in the second week of December. Early Action results also start to trickle out this month. This is a good time for families to take stock and decide how they will handle receiving decisions.
Where/When
The first thing to determine is when the student is going to access the decision when they receive a notification that the school has updated their portal. Should they do it if they are in school? Or wait until they get home? Alone or with others around? These are things to think about and consider where and when you want to get this news.
Admit or Deny?
I am a firm believer that families should have a plan in place for the news you want as well as the news that is disappointing. If a student is not admitted, do they want space and time alone? Talk it out? Vent about their disappointment? Print out the letter and throw darts at it? A meal with their favorite comfort food? A day off from school? Talk about this so there is a plan in place.
If the news is positive, discuss how you will celebrate. This one is easy and you probably do not need my help.
Communication
This is the most important thing that a family needs to plan and get on the same page: how will the information be shared, if at all. A denial stings and that should be shared when the student is ready, on their own time table. It can be tempting to blast good news from the rooftops but I would suggest people refrain from doing that-this is a tender time for peers that did not get the same results. Be sensitive and considerate as you share this news. There will be time for social media posts later in the cycle; for now, share and celebrate with family and friends who are not stakeholders in the current cycle.
*Colleges do not accept or reject students. They admit or deny applications and this language matters.