Spring Admit Freshman

[Anonymous]

Just wondering about people's experience with Spring Admit Freshman. DD took a Spring Admit -- it was a much better school than the others that she got into, but now worried that she will be left out of the freshman experience when she starts in January.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I think she will be fine! DD took a gap year and did start this fall. She is going to VT and has a challenging major so studying nonstop and in the library/class most of the time. The whole finding friends thing hasn't started (granted she's only 1 week in) but I think kids will still be sorting friends out in January. Is she going to be in a dorm? That would be the best living situation as she will be able to meet kids faster than if she lives off campus. Also if she joins study groups that will help.

[Anonymous]

I was a January freshman at Bates many years ago and while I wouldn't want to change my choice to attend Bates, I really wish I had gotten a chance to be a fall freshman. I hated coming in the winter - especially because it was cold and snowy and that made people less likely to socialize. It was also that everyone worked SO hard during first semester to make friends that they were not really interested in expending effort to make new ones when the Jan's showed up.

We also had an unfortunate housing placement away from the main freshman dorm, but in a dorm that housed multiple years. I think that if we were placed in the freshman dorm it might have helped somewhat. Who knows. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't ideal at all.

I have discussed this with my children and they both agree they won't be willing to accept a midyear offer. The one exception might be Middlebury because they make a big deal of the Feb's.

It sounds like your daughter has already accepted her spot so at this point there may not be a lot you can do - is she allowed to attend orientation with everyone else? That would help. Bates didn't do that for us and it was a mistake IMO. These days with social media and easy communication, if someone could attend the week of orientation and then keep in touch with people online it might work out just fine. Back in the day, this just wasn't possible.

Best of luck to your daughter this fall - it's definitely hard to be the person not leaving for school while everyone else does. Is she doing the traditional London term? If so, she may not care. Otherwise, try to keep her distracted and not on social media seeing her friends move into college and have fun.

[Anonymous]

Cornell J-Frosh here. Agreed with PP that I missed out on the fall social sorting and it was a lot harder to find people/make friends. Not impossible, just harder. Also made the mistake of living off-campus, when I should have lived in the dorms. Otherwise, I still think it was a good decision (Cornell was a better opportunity than any of my fall-admit options).

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

January admits have an orientation, but she is seeing all the excitement with everyone starting now and making new friends. Definitely picked the right college academically, it is superior to her fall admit choices. Too late to go to a fall admit now as that decision had to be made in May. I am trying to reassure her that she will integrate fine in January.

[Anonymous]

I think it takes a specific personality type to start in January. Outgoing kids who assimilate quickly do great, but I would never consider it for a more reserved kid who has a hard one jumping into an established friend group.

[Anonymous]

She'll be fine. Especially in the long run (e.g. decades) when the better college choice pays off for her career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She'll be fine. Especially in the long run (e.g. decades) when the better college choice pays off for her career.

Agree. You are looking at one week. All new classes start in January and friend groups tend to change based on classes too.

Is it the best scenario? No. But it is the best school and it will all work out.


Curious, how many schools do Spring admits? I thought only Maryland did.

[Anonymous]

I transferred schools Sophomore year and it was really tough to make friends. The freshman dorm bonding experience was really key and even though I joined a sorority and did other activities I didn't really make a core group of friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I transferred schools Sophomore year and it was really tough to make friends. The freshman dorm bonding experience was really key and even though I joined a sorority and did other activities I didn't really make a core group of friends.

Same here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I transferred schools Sophomore year and it was really tough to make friends. The freshman dorm bonding experience was really key and even though I joined a sorority and did other activities I didn't really make a core group of friends.

Same here.

I transferred mid-sophomore year and it was very hard socially. Academically it was fine. I would not encourage my child to do it. I'd have her take online or in person classes to keep up her credits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She'll be fine. Especially in the long run (e.g. decades) when the better college choice pays off for her career.

Agree. You are looking at one week. All new classes start in January and friend groups tend to change based on classes too.

Is it the best scenario? No. But it is the best school and it will all work out.


Curious, how many schools do Spring admits? I thought only Maryland did.

Many do. They don’t talk about it much though. It allows them to admit kids (usually full-pay) whose stats they don’t want to publish with the rest of the incoming class’ average in the CDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a January freshman at Bates many years ago and while I wouldn't want to change my choice to attend Bates, I really wish I had gotten a chance to be a fall freshman. I hated coming in the winter - especially because it was cold and snowy and that made people less likely to socialize. It was also that everyone worked SO hard during first semester to make friends that they were not really interested in expending effort to make new ones when the Jan's showed up.

We also had an unfortunate housing placement away from the main freshman dorm, but in a dorm that housed multiple years. I think that if we were placed in the freshman dorm it might have helped somewhat. Who knows. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't ideal at all.

I have discussed this with my children and they both agree they won't be willing to accept a midyear offer. The one exception might be Middlebury because they make a big deal of the Feb's.

It sounds like your daughter has already accepted her spot so at this point there may not be a lot you can do - is she allowed to attend orientation with everyone else? That would help. Bates didn't do that for us and it was a mistake IMO. These days with social media and easy communication, if someone could attend the week of orientation and then keep in touch with people online it might work out just fine. Back in the day, this just wasn't possible.

Best of luck to your daughter this fall - it's definitely hard to be the person not leaving for school while everyone else does. Is she doing the traditional London term? If so, she may not care. Otherwise, try to keep her distracted and not on social media seeing her friends move into college and have fun.

I did the same at Hamilton too. I am glad I went because it was a better known school than my fall admissions, but that spring semester was really difficult. At the time, I did not feel as I got any support. I had friends who were depressed and dropped out. I am not sure if would do it again.

[Anonymous]

The Spring admit freshman thing is becoming more common. It may be too late for OP, but generally speaking the schools I am aware do this offer fall programs for spring admits, which mitigates the social issue. Plan on taking advantage of one of the fall options and you should be fine. I know a Brandeis spring admit who did a fall program - with other Brandeis students- in europe. Berkeley has a "fall program for freshmen" specifically for spring admits.