It’s safe to assume that students applying to college look forward to starting on campus in the fall. But that isn’t always what ends up happening. There’s a relatively new possibility in which students may be admitted to a school, but not for the fall semester. This can be confusing, but it’s true. Students are told they’ve been accepted to the school, but can’t arrive on campus and start classes until the spring.
Why?
This has to do with the number of spots that colleges have available for students at any given time. Schools might not have room for an applicant in the fall semester, but know that they can expect a certain number of current students to withdraw from classes within the first few months. Students may do this for all sorts of reasons, like medical issues, transferring schools, or changing life circumstances, but the upshot is that it opens up space, hence the opportunity to admit some students to begin in the spring.
What happens if you receive this kind of acceptance?
First of all, you have been admitted, so there’s still a great reason to celebrate. It’s just that your classes and experience on campus won’t begin until the second semester.
Find out what your options are for the fall. Are you permitted to take classes at a community college and transfer those credits to the school? Do they have other suggestions for how you should spend your time before you begin in the spring?
Next, you need to weigh this acceptance along with any other admissions offers you received from other schools. You’re deciding between not just two different colleges, but different college experiences, at least initially.
Plan your fall semester
If you do end up choosing the college to which you were admitted for the spring semester, you will still need to make your enrollment deposit by the May 1st deadline. Then, with the information you’ve learned from the school, start planning how to best use your time during the fall semester. If you plan to work or volunteer, begin searching for those opportunities now. And make a plan to stay connected to your future school, whether it’s visiting campus for a sports game, play, or musical performance, following their events and news on social media, or connecting with other students who also plan to start classes on this delayed schedule. All efforts will help you feel integrated into your school once you step on campus in the spring.
