Think you’ve missed your chance to apply for college this fall? Think again.
More than 400 colleges and universities are still accepting applications for fall 2017, according to the College Openings Update put together by the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
The annual list shows which of the organization’s member schools have open spots for freshman and transfer students, even though National College Decision Day — May 1 — has come and gone.
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“Some colleges and universities may have faced challenges predicting the number of students who would accept admission offers,” said Joyce Smith, CEO of NACAC, in a statement, “and they may have found openings in their incoming freshman class for deserving students if their predictions were slightly off.”
The list will be online through June 30 and will change between now and then as schools update their listing based on their needs and as additional schools join.
Both public and private institutions are included. These institutions range in size, though most of the schools have 5,000 or fewer students.
One of the larger schools on the list is Oregon State University, which in fall 2015 enrolled 29,576 students, according to U.S. News data. Noah Buckley, the university’s director of admissions, says students should not feel ashamed if they are still working on their college applications.
“Definitely speak up if you need someone to help you through the process,” he says. If students have questions, Buckley says a good first step is to contact the admissions office.
Oregon State has about 150 open spots for its incoming freshman class, says Buckley. There’s still room for transfer students there as well, per the NACAC list.
Some universities in almost every state are still accepting applications. Additionally, about two dozen schools located outside the U.S. — in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom — still have open spots.
[Consider when applying late to college makes sense.]
Students and parents can explore the list to see which schools still have housing and financial aid resources available. As of early May 4, only 24 schools indicated they are out of housing space, while around a dozen indicated that they are no longer offering financial aid.
Another higher education option late applicants can consider is community college, says Buckley. After earning some credits at a community college, students can then transfer to a four-year school.
Prospective college students who want to enroll in the fall should get started on their applications sooner rather than later. This will give them time to have transcripts and test scores sent to the admissions office, Buckley says, and will decrease their chances of missing a school’s application window.
“The longer you wait,” he says, “the less options you’ll have, for sure.”
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Prospective College Students Still Have Options for Fall 2017 originally appeared on usnews.com
