On December 5, 2025, Lakeland Regional High School (LRHS) hosted an Instant Decision Day for senior students to meet colleges and get accepted on the spot after meeting various requirements for each prospective college prior to their interviews. Hosted in the LRHS media center with the help of the guidance department, the event was a success for all who attended.
“This year’s event brought together 72 students, 21 colleges, and 156 acceptances,” according to the LRHS live feed.
Some colleges in attendance were Montclair State University, Bergen Community College, William Patterson University, Felician University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, University of New Haven, Passaic County Community College, Ramapo College and others.
The event gave seniors the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with college representatives to see if each school and candidate were a good match. Prior to the interview session, students who met the criteria for each respective college in terms of grades and standardized testing scores submitted an application on the spot and received admission soon after the conclusion of the interview. One of the many benefits of the Instant Decision Day is eliminating the weeks of waiting for college decisions after submitting applications, so many seniors were quick to take advantage of this opportunity.
When speaking with college admissions officers, there was an obvious difference between an online application and an interview in-person. College representatives focused on learning about the students and their character rather than spending time talking about grades and test scores. In an interview, an admissions representative from the University of New Haven, Taylor Geaglone, explained that when talking one-on-one, admissions officers tend to ask questions that give insight about a student’s personality and goals. A sample question that Geaglone said she often asks is, “tell me a little about yourself–things that aren’t on your application that I’ll already be seeing.” She shone a light on the notion that admissions representatives look forward to understanding what students are trying to accomplish and achieve so that they can help students reach their goals.
“The students I met today all got a scholarship,” said Geaglone. “A lot of them are taking AP and duel enrollment classes. Something else I noticed, because I observe everything around me, was their individual qualities like being able to hold eye contact, manners, and the way they presented themselves.”
Geaglone added that when observing the LRHS seniors, she noticed that the students demonstrated their self-advocacy by having done the research on their own before applying to each school. She also noticed that the students were very supportive of each other as they wished one another good luck and connected with one another and the admissions counselors during each session.
Some advice for prospective students from the admissions counselors included trying out new opportunities like internships to see what students like and what they don’t like before committing to a major or career path. Taking a risk and trying something can lead to new opportunities, but Geaglone emphasized the idea that not everyone who commits to a major has to stick with it as many students change their mind once they begin taking college classes. Above all, the counselors agreed that acceptances are not relegated to grades and test scores as other factors are needed to differentiate students with similar GPAs.
“Being involved is huge; don’t wait- get involved even in freshman year,” said Geaglone. “Try something new because time goes fast. Don’t wait until the end of high school to get involved because by then, it will be too late.”
Overall, the LRHS Instant Decision Day was a success for all of the applicants. Giving them the opportunity to speak on their personality, achievements, and overall character allowed the students to showcase their full potential as they took an important first step in their post-high school education.
Ms. Cawley • Dec 17, 2025 at 11:54 am
Congratulations to all our seniors who were accepted into so many wonderful schools! Thank you to the School Counseling department for hosting this wonderful event each year!