This past November and December, numerous Edison High School seniors participated in Instant Decision Day. The students met directly with an admissions officer from a prospective university. Some popular choices at EHS were NJIT, Kean University, and Montclair State University. At the end of the interview, they received an admissions decision from the school. Instant decisions are non-binding, permitting an applicant to apply to as many universities as they choose to.

Some universities that offered Instant Decision Day at EHS had compulsory minimum GPA requirements. Most schools went test-optional, but some schools provided minimum scores that students had to meet if they decided to send them in. Counselors were obligated to send in student transcripts and recommendation letters if needed. Application fees were also waived for a handful of universities. Students did not receive immediate decisions if they applied to specific programs within the school.

Here is a link for Edison High School’s application requirements for each university.

To apply, students were instructed to submit their application and then confirm their choice to participate through a Google form. Counselors then reached out to them to schedule their interviews.

“The process was very straightforward and easy to follow,” said Srinidhi Venkatesh ‘22. 

On the day of the interview, seniors were expected to dress semi-formally for their interview. At their appointed time, they had to report to the counselor’s office to complete the interview.

“She asked me what academic or general accomplishment I am most proud of,” said Srinija Devaraju ‘22. “It was a short conversation…we briefly talked about what I plan to major in and what classes I took [at EHS]…it lasted around five minutes.” 

The admissions officer already has the student’s application and transcript at hand, so the interview stage of the process occurs rapidly. A few students received their decision online before the interview, indicating that it was complimentary to get to know the student. 

“The interviewer students talk to, at least during instant decision day already has the decision ready, they just want to get to know you. My portal accidentally updated with my decision before I went, and the interviewer acknowledged that as well,” says Dhruv Shidhaye ‘22. Devaraju ‘22 also shared the same experience. She said, “I don’t think this always happens, but my decision was already on the NJIT portal.”

Although many universities offered Instant Decision Day, other select schools such as Ivy Leagues did not. Students needed to submit their applications and get their decision months later, after a far more extensive process. Many individuals had different opinions regarding the difference between both procedures. 

“Instant decisions provide you the chance to talk to your admissions counselor or an admissions representative one-on-one, allowing you to gain valuable insight, advice, and answers to questions,” said Ali Ahmed ‘22. 

According to Shidhaye, “Frankly, the difference is not that drastic. Students are still required to submit applications by a deadline. You could say the process is expedited because they take a look at your application first and are more inclined to accept you since you took the initiative. Otherwise, I thought it was more or less the same.”

Overall, this program supplies a faster alternative to the lengthy application process, allowing EHS seniors to get into various universities. Because the interview stage is integral when applying for a position, it proves to be beneficial when students apply for schools, internships, and jobs in the future.