“The Dean” examines this student’s dilemma: Attend his first-choice school starting next spring, or go to his second-choice college this fall: https://www.collegeconfidential.com/articles/my-first-choice-accepted-me-but-for-spring-semester/
The other question to ask is about course sequencing. At some smaller schools, not all courses are offered both fall and spring semesters. It could cause a student to be off sequence later for their major and add a semester/cost to graduation.
@momofsenior1–VERY good point! Thanks!
Some colleges that offer spring admission allow the student to take transferable course work at a community college during the fall, so that the student can get the first semester course work done inexpensively. Starting from entering the four year school in the spring, s/he may need only seven more semesters to graduate.
@ucbalumnus -You made another very good point, and the possibility of earning fall credits elsewhere is certainly worth asking about when weighing the pros and cons of mid-year matriculation.
However, I suspect that many prospective January freshmen are more concerned with the personal implications of a second-semester start, worrying that–even if they’re up to speed academically–they may feel as if they’re out of the loop socially.
One of mine was accepted to UMd-CP for the spring semester. He just turned it down immediately without another thought. I believe, he could have started in the fall if he lived off campus. He was not guaranteed s room until the second semester.
Without knowing the schools in question, I suggest turning down the offer of Spring admission.
If I knew more, my recommendation might be different.
Some schools have enough students in this cohort that they do a full orientation for them and the transition is seamless. Especially true of schools that have a frosh group start in one of their off campus locations. I would do that, I think.
One of my closest friends in college started in Jan. But she was an athlete who had deferred to compete at a national level event in the fall and who joined her college team as a star, so not a run of the mill Jan matriculation.
I might hesitate if the school had a big Greek culture and had a spring rush - almost a guarantee of being off cycle socially.
We have close friends who son accepted the option of studying abroad his first semester and starting at the school in the spring. He never did settle in well - it was too hard starting after everyone else had already been there for a semester. He transferred his sophomore year.