Accepted

Congratulations! Your Work and Effort Has Paid Off

There is nothing quite like the feeling associated with receiving that first acceptance packet in the mail. You’ve waited for what seems an eternity for the notice to arrive and now, here it is, right in your hands. Go ahead and enjoy the moment. You’ve earned. And then it is time to put the strategy back to work.

Wait for All Your Application Responses Before Accepting
IMPORTANT: Even if you’ve been accepted to your dream school, don’t inform them you are going to accept until you’ve heard back from all the colleges to which you’ve applied. The minute you accept a college’s offer, you lose any leverage you might have to appeal your financial aid offer. There will be a deadline for informing the school you’ve accepted the invitation. You don’t need to accept prior to that deadline.

Appeal Your Financial Aid Offer
You will receive your official financial aid offer either with your acceptance packet or shortly thereafter. Make sure you understand what the college is offering you in financial aid and that you compare this with the other schools that accept you (see "Interpreting Offers" for details). This will give you the information you need to appeal your offer if you choose to do so (see "Negotiating Offers" for details).