8.12 How would you feel?

Hurray! You were accepted at a whole list of colleges! Did you know instantly which college was your first choice? Or have you narrowed it down to the two or three you are now visiting? In the excitement over making your final choice--your final "yes"--you may be overlooking one thing.

Someone is waiting for you to say "no."

Athena Advises

In the month of April, we get many questions about waitlists. The usual question is, "What are my chances of getting chosen from the waitlist?"

Today I'd like to ask you to think of this from the other side. What can you do to make someone on a waitlist very, very happy?

The answer: If you are sure you will not accept the offers of admission to certain colleges to which you have been accepted, please write to them today and decline the offer. The sooner you do this, the sooner that school can make an offer to someone on their waitlist: someone who would be just as thrilled to get chosen at that college as you might be to be chosen somewhere else.

This year, Northeastern University is giving students a nudge in this direction. They've asked accepted students to decline all other offers before accepting Northeastern.

Don't wait to be asked. Do the right thing! If you have chosen your college, decline the other offers today. Make someone else very, very happy.

Wishing the best for each one of you,Dr. Marlena CorcoranFounder and CEOAuthor of Year by Year to College, on amazon.com, amazon.de and many national amazon sites