High school seniors are getting ready to make one of the biggest decisions of their lives. While you might feel anxious about choosing the college or university you will attend next year, it’s important that you consider your options carefully. That way, you can be sure that, wherever you finally decide to attend school, you’ll have a wonderful time and be on track to get a great education.
You may have a lot of time to make this choice, but National College Decision Day is coming up soon! National College Decision Day is the deadline By which students must choose the college they’ll be attending. This is an exciting day for some students, but not everyone feels ready to make their final decision. After all, there are pros and cons to each school you’ve gotten an acceptance letter from, and it can be hard to balance all the competing factors.
So, if you still don’t know what you want to do, we’re here to help. We’ve put together this post to give you more information about National College Decision Day. We’ll talk about the date for National College Decision Day 2023, discuss how you can prepare for the day, and finally choose a college or university that best suits you!
What and When Is National College Decision Day?
So, what exactly is National College Decision Day, and when will it be happening in 2023? The upcoming National College Decision Day will fall on May 1st, 2023. By this date, students have to choose what school they will be attending during the summer/fall semester. This day is a celebration of the next step in your higher education—a day you’ve probably anticipated since you received your first college acceptance letter. More importantly, National College Decision Day (sometimes also known as college signing day) marks the final day on which you can accept your spot at your chosen school.
Why Is National College Decision Day So Important?
You don’t want to take this day or this decision lightly. Which school you end up attending can affect your future in a big way. While you’re enrolled, your college will help you discover and prepare for your career path, and after you graduate, your school can be one of your best resources to help you find a job.
Your College Admissions Journey, Mapped Out!
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Each school has its own advantages, and most students find themselves choosing between multiple good options. But, depending on where you end up, you might have more access to internships, networking events, job experience, and other useful resources. In addition, you want to pick a school that matches your social and academic needs in order to provide a well-rounded college experience. In the next section of the post, we’ll talk about how you can make a final decision before National College Decision Day.
How Can You Prepare for National College Decision Day?
Picking a college to attend can be a daunting task. For most students, this is one of the first adult decisions they will be making in their life. You might not know what profession you want to pursue yet, or where you want to spend the next four years of your life. Luckily, while you might be having doubts about where you will go in the summer/fall, there are plenty of ways you can make this decision a little easier for yourself!
1. Look Over Your Options
The first thing you want to do is look over your college options. Make a list of all the schools that have offered you a spot at their institution. Then, think about the positive and negative points of each school.
We recommend writing down your thoughts about each college or university. Doing so can help you clearly see the pros and cons of each of your choices. Once you review what you’ve written, you should gain some perspective and have a better sense of which schools fit you best.
2. Think About What Matters Most to You
As you look over your list of schools and the pros and cons you wrote down for each, think about what matters most to you. Do you want to attend a school with a thriving sports culture? Are you interested in certain academic programs? What about campus life? How interested are you in extracurriculars and other student activities?
Asking these questions can help narrow your choices. And, if you still aren’t sure which school is right for you, don’t be afraid to do more research online. Looking at a school’s social media, online reviews, YouTube channel, college-specific subreddits, and official website can all help give you a feel for what college life might be like at each of the schools you’re interested in before you make your selection prior to National College Decision Day 2023.
3. Take a Virtual Tour
In-person tours are an ideal way to learn more about colleges, and we highly recommend visiting college campuses if you can. But, if you don’t have the time to go to a school or want to revisit a specific school, a virtual tour can be useful. You can look around campuses from the comfort of your home and, with the travel time you save, you’ll be able to do more online research about campus life and culture!
4. Look at Financial Aid and Scholarship Options
If you need financial aid for college, certain schools might be a better fit. As you make your choice, look into the financial aid and scholarship offers you’ve received from each school. Finances might not be your only priority when choosing a college, but money can be a big factor in deciding where you’re able to go. Especially if one school is more generous with their aid than others, it might be a better choice for you!
5. Talk to People You Trust
Finally, you should include other people in your decision. Ultimately, you should decide where you are spending the next four years, but it doesn’t hurt to get advice from people you trust. You can talk to friends, family, your guidance counselor, and even students who have attended the schools you’re interested in.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help with this important, life-changing choice. Your guidance counselor and other adults you know who have gone to college, can be especially helpful to you. They might have some good recommendations and advice for you about picking a school before National College Decision Day 2023!
Across the board, the college admissions landscape is changing. It’s important that your family create a strategic plan going into this admissions season based on your desired outcomes. Our advisors at HelloCollege are highly trained to identify student goals and create a path to getting in. Your family needs a smart plan! HelloCollege can help.
