As college acceptance season continues, CATS Boston has seen an extremely successful Instant Decision Week. Ten students have received fourteen conditional acceptances at regional colleges (Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
What is Instant Decision Week?
Instant Decision Week is an opportunity for seniors to interview with a college admissions representative and receive an application decision on the spot. Other schools may have relationships with colleges and offer Instant Decision interviews, but CATS Boston uniquely offers the opportunity to meet a number of colleges and receive non-binding decisions.
Participating in an Instant Decision interview provides students the chance to explain their academic journey and elaborate on their accomplishments. These decisions are non-binding, allowing students to apply to multiple colleges. Admission decisions are immediate, eliminating the need for weeks (or months) of waiting for a status update. This streamlined process avoids long waits that can begin to feel very tense and pressured for students.
Another benefit of this unique college application method is that application fees are often waived for Instant Decision participants due to the reduced time and administration required.
Given the somewhat unconventional nature of this process, the Instant Decision Week application differs slightly from a standard application. While specifics vary by institution, it typically includes the reviewing of a student’s college essay, official High School transcripts, senior midyear grades, and sometimes a recommendation letter.
Instant Decision is not a new concept in U.S. college admissions, having been introduced around 20 years ago and expanding significantly in the past decade. Courtney Whalen, our Director of College Counseling, was the staff member who launched Instant Decision Week at CATS Boston.
Courtney said “Prior to joining CATS Boston, Instant Decisions Days were a necessity for the diverse student body I counselled. I thought that modifying “Instant Decision Day” to an “Instant Decision Week” would be a resourceful addition for the CATS Boston community.
“This year’s Instant Decision Week at CATS Boston was a true success! Students submitted their applications, were interviewed one-on-one and were offered an admissions decision immediately afterwards! I am so proud of the students who chose to participate – they were brave, poised, and grateful for an opportunity to share their interests and desired pathways to college Admissions Representatives.”
Instant Decision Week 2024 results
A total of ten students took part in Instant Decision Week receiving fourteen conditional acceptances.
The colleges invited to take part in Instant Decision Week were hand-picked by the College Counseling team in order to match each student with their best possible college.
Below are the colleges which took part in our Instant Decision Week this year:
- Lesley University – Located in Cambridge, Boston MA
- Fisher College – Located in Boston, MA
- Framingham State University – Located in Framingham, MA
- UMass Dartmouth – Located in North Dartmouth, MA
- Southern New Hampshire University – Located in Manchester, NH.
Congratulations to those students who received offers!
