You made it, seniors! May 1 will be here soon, and your college application process has come to an end. I’m sure there were many days in the past year when you yearned to hear these words. All of those summer days you gave up to work on your college essays, the evenings you sacrificed for SAT prep, and your hard work in school over the last four years have paid off. Congratulations!

As you start preparing for AP exams next month and finalizing plans for prom, please keep a few priorities in mind:

  1. Submit Your Enrollment Deposit — Unless you were accepted to a college during an Early Decision admission round earlier this year, please make sure you send your college deposit to one school only by May 1.
  2. Contact Your Colleges — After submitting your enrollment deposit, please contact all of the other colleges that offered you acceptances, and let them know that you will not be attending. A simple e-mail to the college admission office will suffice.
  3. Moving Forward with College Waitlists — If you have been waitlisted at a college and you have a strong desire to attend, please contact the college in writing and share why you feel you would be a good fit for the school, including how you would contribute to the campus community.
  4. Finish the Year on a Good Note — Please finish this school year on a strong note, both personally and academically. Do your best to resist Senioritis because the college you are attending will get your final high school transcript. Remember, that your college acceptance and/or scholarship offer is contingent on your academic record remaining consistent with what it was at the time you submitted your college applications. Colleges do revoke acceptances each year when a student’s academic performance has significantly declined over the course of 12th grade. Please also remember to be thoughtful about the personal decisions you make in social settings, including graduation parties, etc. Any disciplinary situations, especially those reported on your school record, could be shared with colleges and may jeopardize your admission status. You have worked hard to get to this point. Don’t do anything that would compromise your college plans.
  5. Show Your College Love Contest — On April 21, Popp & Associates launched the 1st Show Your College Love Contest. High school seniors are invited to submit photos and/or videos along with a brief text explanation of why they chose the college they plan to attend. Contest submissions will be accepted until midnight EDT May 9, 2014. The winner will receive a college scholarship in the amount of $500, and a charitable donation in the amount of $250 will be given to the winner’s high school, college or charity of choice. I would love to see your submissions! Go for it!
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