The wait is not dead time. It is a window.

In Episode 10 of The Drop In, Lisa and Josh tackle the part of the college process nobody warns you about: the long stretch between hitting submit and hearing back in March. What can you actually do during the wait? Does demonstrated interest really matter? And how do you keep a great application from unraveling before decisions even arrive?

We dig into what demonstrated interest actually looks like, and why it works completely differently at a small school like Pitzer College than it does at a giant flagship like the University of Wisconsin, or a hidden-gem liberal arts school like Austin College in Sherman, Texas. We talk about why visiting a campus in the actual winter cold matters so much more than a glossy fall visit, because climate is a real fit factor and there might still be snow on the ground in March.

Then we get into everything else you can be doing right now: keeping your grades up, submitting your mid-year report, watching your portals and email, taking optional interviews, and finishing your financial aid paperwork so you can compare offers calmly when they come.

And Lisa shares her hot take on the one thing coming for every single senior. No one is immune.

Because the wait is not something to survive. It is something to use.

In this episode: What demonstrated interest is and why it matters. How demonstrated interest differs by school size and type. Pitzer, University of Wisconsin, and Austin College. Why you should visit campuses in the winter. Climate as a college fit factor. What to do while you wait for decisions. Mid-year reports and senior grades. Why senioritis can cost you an acceptance. Watching your application portals and email. FAFSA and CSS Profile follow-up. How to stay sane between now and March.

Want to dig deeper? Read our blog post here for a closer look at how to make the most of the waiting period.

Need help navigating the wait, understanding your decisions, and ultimately finding the right fit? Visit https://decisiondrop.com/contact to learn more about working with Lisa and Josh at Decision Drop.