As the summer gets into full swing with sunny weather and hot temperatures, it often causes a
college admission melting process for many recently graduated high school seniors who have
worked diligently to be accepted into a desired college. Many people are unfamiliar with the
concept of the college admissions melting process but it has been a real problem for a long
time in college admissions departments. It may be hard to imagine a college bound high
school senior who has completed college applications, wrote thoughtful essays, managed
deadlines, visited a campus, reviewed financial aid letters, and decided upon a best-fit college
to completely lose interest in attending when approaching the home-stretch.

“College admissions melting” has been a term long used by college admissions officials to
describe the summer loss of incoming freshman students who were accepted and in some
instances, even paid a deposit but decided to attend another school. Sadly, the college
admissions melting process has evolved into a situation where college accepted high school
seniors are not matriculating to any college at all in the fall because the process becomes too
overwhelming. The percentage of college bound students who do not make it onto a college
campus range from 10% to 40% each year according to the Center for Education Policy
Research at Harvard University.

So what causes the summer college admissions melting process? It could be due to the fact
that college bound high school seniors and their families have less support from their high
school and peer networks while having a large list of to-do items before transitioning to a
college campus. The to-do list may include financial aid loan forms, housing information,
health care documents, placement tests, and orientation information. Because these tasks are
not often discussed in the college process, they can be overwhelming and unexpected. In
addition, these details have to be completed in a compressed, structured time frame usually
before August deadlines. Other factors that can often contribute to the college matriculation
derailment are personal family matters, changes in health, and peer pressure.

The college admissions melting process can be avoided in many cases with proper planning
and support. As an independent educational college consultant with extensive post-secondary
admissions experience, I find it vital that students and their families, after reaching important
milestones such as college acceptance letters and high school graduation ceremonies, do not
lose sight of the next steps in the college process. Also, students and families who ask for
help and do not procrastinate deadlines, can successfully manage all the important details to
transition to campus life. If you know a college bound high school senior who has worked
hard during their high school years to be accepted to their dream college but may be
struggling with the critical summer to-do items, please have them contact Campus to Career Crossroads.