Last Friday was the deadline for committing to a college for regular admissions. According to Elana Shaulova, “it is a nerve racking experience.” Many are fearful that the college they committed to is not for them which is understandable because it could be the school they attend for the next four years.

There are many steps to committing, such as understanding and accepting financial aid, taking out loans, visiting the school, and letting other colleges that you’ve applied to know you will not be attending. It is important to let colleges know in a respectful manner if a student will or will not be attending.

College Counselor, Ms. Gibbons, sent out an email letting seniors know to “notify the colleges that you’ve been accepted but are definitely NOT attending.”

According to U.S. News, over 77% of students apply to more than three colleges. Respectfully declining to attend a college a student has gotten into may help the student in the long run if he or she chooses to transfer to that college later on down their college careers.

Financial aid is one of the biggest factors that play into choosing a college. Making sure to apply for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) is important. Understanding financial aid packages from different schools is important, as well, because a student may or may not need or want to take out loans to pay for college expenses.

There are different types of financial aid explained on Financial Aid night April 23rd with Michael St. John Turner of HESC (Higher Education Services Corporation). During the event, students and parents were able to request and receive information about financial aid and loans that they may or may not have understood before.

If you didn’t get into or were not able to go to a college because of expenses don’t lose hope because according to National Association for College Admission Counseling one in three college students transfer.