Around the nation, high school seniors are eagerly approaching their home mailboxes each day, hoping to find the long-awaited response and acceptance to the college of their choice.

But whether the envelope received by the student is a thick acceptance packet or a thin envelope containing a rejection letter, the college admission process is far from over, said Carlene Klaas, director of undergraduate admission at DePaul University, the nation’s largest Catholic university.

According to Klaas, there are still a number of tasks to complete for prospective students, regardless of the response received.

An Acceptance Letter is the First Step

When a student receives an acceptance letter from a college, the response is often to celebrate. And that happiness is well-earned. However, students should keep in mind that there are still plenty of things to take care of before they can consider themselves truly college-bound.

"An acceptance letter is just a first step to the beginning of your college career," Klaas said.

For a student who is still deciding among multiple acceptances, the next few months are crucial. All students have until May 1 to notify colleges that accepted them of their decision to enroll or not. The National Candidates’ Reply Deadline is on that date, and most every college in the nation honors it. Hence, students who still have not made a final decision should try to make a few campus visits to assist their decision making.

If they have not already done so, students should immediately begin filling out relevant financial aid forms for any schools they are still considering. Given the current economic uncertainty, any recent changes in parental employment status, such as a pay cuts or layoffs, should be communicated to the college’s financial aid office as soon as possible. Students should also inquire about housing deadlines and complete any required forms. Many colleges and universities have a limited supply of housing available for students, and students who reply the quickest often have the best chance of receiving the housing option they desire, Klaas advised.

Finally, students should make sure they have sent notice of their enrollment to the college of their choice, along with the required tuition deposit, by May 1. After the tuition deposit has been received, colleges will inform students of orientation dates, advising sessions, placement testing and registration procedures and move-in dates for the fall semester, Klaas said.

Klaas warned students who were accepted to a college against suffering from "senior-itis," where students in their final semester slack off on their class work and occasionally take other risks that could jeopardize their college admittance.

"Students need to realize that an acceptance letter does not mean they are home free," Klaas said. "Most every college reserves the right to rescind an admission offer if a student does not maintain the same level of academic achievement in their final semester that they had when they applied. So if a student has a dramatic drop-off in grades, or fails a required course, or does something to get expelled, the college admissions office will find out about it and take action when necessary."

A Rejection Letter is Not Necessarily a Closed Door

When a student opens a college rejection letter, it can cause an emotional reaction. While it is natural to be disappointed and upset, Klaas noted some positive ways to deal with the situation.

"Here, we tell students that a denial doesn’t mean that they are never able to attend DePaul," she noted. "It means we need for them to do more preparation before we feel they have the tools necessary to be successful at this university."

And no matter what school they work for, every admission officer has the same goal: to make sure prospective students have the ability to graduate from that institution.

"We don’t just want students to get in to a school. We also want them to be able to get out with a degree in hand," Klaas said. "Admission officers don’t want to set people up for failure if they aren’t academically prepared for the coursework at an institution."

While there are some elite schools that don’t accept transfers, Klaas said, most universities will have guidelines for transfer options, be it from a community college, two-year institution, or another four-year university. With hard work and adherence to the guidelines, a student can sometimes transfer in to their first choice school after as little as one academic year at another institution.

However, the competitiveness of college admissions today means that qualified students will be rejected from certain institutions, and therefore it’s a good idea for prospective students to have a Plan B or Plan C, Klaas noted.

The Waiting (List) Game

Occasionally, a student will have the qualifications to attend a university, but will be placed on a waiting list, in case not enough admitted students decide to enroll. "Wait lists" vary greatly on the institution, and students accepted from a wait list rarely will be notified before the May 1 enrollment deadline. Therefore, Klaas said it is a good idea for students to either enroll at their second choice or at least confirm that a spot in the freshman class will be available after the deadline at another school.

"This will ensure that the student is able to attend college in the fall at one of their top choices, even if they are not accepted from the wait list at their first choice," she said.

When a student receives notification that he or she is being placed on a wait list, they should contact that school’s admission office. While few universities can provide specific information on where an individual stands on the list, many can provide statistics on how many students are on the list this year, and what percentage of students on the list are traditionally accepted.

Regardless of the institution, every college should adhere to a set of wait list standards established by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, Klaas said. The standards state that every university should establish a wait list that is of reasonable length, is maintained for the shortest possible period of time and will release students to attend other schools no later than August 1. The standards also mandate that no student on any wait list should be asked for a deposit in order to remain on the list, nor should they be asked for a commitment to enroll prior to receiving a written offer of admission.

DePaul is the largest private university in Chicago and the eighth-largest private university in the nation. A richly diverse population of 23,227 students attends classes on two city and six suburban campuses. More information can be received by calling the DePaul admission office at 312/362-8300 or by visiting www.depaul.edu.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: This is the third in a series of news releases on the college admissions process. To interview Klaas, contact Shawn Malayter at 312-362-6978).