<p>Anyone have input for the following situation? My daughter just got put on wait list for fall term for a highly selective state honors college but accepted for the spring term. Problem is she wants to play her fall sport at this college. The coach would be happy to have her and suggests she come in spring and can play the following fall. Daughter and I agree she shouldn't waste a semester waiting to start college. I don't think it's a great idea to start college in the middle of the year when everyone else has already made friends and settled in. She can go to another state college and play her sport this fall but she really wanted the honors college. She is a good student and wants to be with peers. Thoughts?</p>
<p>If she really wants the honors college and the peer group is important to her, I say take the opportunity. Sports are important but not as important as academics.</p>
<p>She can play her sport the following fall.</p>
<p>Can she take community college courses while she’s “waiting”? Some gen ed requirements that will transfer?</p>
<p>Maybe there is wiggle room if she is on the wait-list for fall. Not everyone who has committed to this honors college will attend. Some will likely get accepted to an Ivy or a top 10, opening up a few slots for the wait-list. It is still early in the wait-list season. Does she have to commit to the other state U now? If she lets the coach know it is either fall or nothing for where she wants to go, might he call admissions and ask if the wait-list was a courtesy notification, or is there really a chance she could come off the wait-list? If he knows he will loose her, maybe he would let admissions know.</p>
<p>She won’t be the only one starting in the middle of the year. Others will also start in the spring as freshman. I agree that academics should rule here. As a bonus, the coach wants her the following fall.</p>
<p>I’d say accept the spot on the wait list for fall, and then weigh options in April, after all college results are in. At that time, things may change – your d. may have better offers and options, or – on the other hand – this could look like the best thing going. It’s not the end of the world to start in the spring … but this is the type of decision best made when all information is in hand.</p>
<p>There could be advantages to a spring start for a student who plays a fall sport. Sports are very time-consuming, and it can be tough to adjust to the more intensive academic workload of college while also playing a sport your first semester. Starting in the spring would give her a semester to get used to college before becoming involved in her sport (and she could still play it for four years).</p>
<p>But it might be a good idea for her to try to find out what the experience is like for people who start in the spring at that college. How are they treated? Can they get the courses they need, or are they “out of sync”? Is it easy for them to make friends, and does the college offer any help in establishing a social life (for example, by having social events for them), or are they lost in an environment where everybody else already knows each other? </p>
<p>It might not hurt for your daughter to ask the admissions office whether she could talk to a student or two who started in the spring, to see what the experience was like.</p>
<p>Has her guidance counselor contacted the school? Can any grade updates be sent? </p>
<p>Can the GC find out how many students are typically chosen from the WL?</p>
<p>If you decide to have her start in the spring, check to make sure that doing any CC classes in the fall won’t hurt her “incoming freshmen” status which could hurt scholarship or aid.</p>
<p>I read an article not long ago about more students starting in the spring, for various reasons. It seemed to conclude that they did as well as fall-starters, and did not take long to get integrated. People make friends year-round as they meet them in classes, and by sophomore year nobody remembers who came late to the party.</p>
<p>Thanks to all of you for your responses. I appreciate all the good suggestions. The coach wants her to come for a spring visit to help her to decide what to do. I think that’s a good idea. Hopefully, we can talk to her about any input she could have with admissions or maybe even talk to admissions in person to see if there is a real chance she could get off the wait list for the fall.</p>