Instant Decision Day

By Maydene Yamisha

College Hill Writer

Feeling stressed about transferring? Instant Decision Day Would Like a Word With You!

Instant Decision Day at Sussex County Community College in Newton offers students a straight pathway to their desired school with an on-the-spot decision with a college representative. 

Students inquiring about transferring out after completing their associate’s degree can participate in Instant Decision Day if they meet the criteria of completing 45 credits or more. The event occurs during the spring semester from mid-February through mid-April. 

The program has been active for at least a decade at SCCC. Sareena Sciabica, Student Success advisor, has been working with the school for about five years and oversees the behind-the-scenes work in making this experience happen for students. This includes reaching out to students who meet the criteria, contacting schools that SCCC is partnered with, sending reminders, and coordinating the event.

“It's an opportunity to meet with a college representative from popular transfer schools and learn your acceptance status on the spot,” says Sciabica.

Some major schools that SCCC is partnered with are Montclair State University in Montclair, Ramapo in Mahwah, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden, William Paterson University in Wayne, and Seton Hall University in South Orange.

If a student is eligible for Instant Decision Day, Sciabica will send an email with a registration link. The link will show a calendar with dates and times when schools will be available at SCCC.

Once a student has scheduled his or her interview, the student is expected to come on time, prepared, and dressed professionally. An unofficial transcript will be provided for the student.

Some schools will have different requirements before the interview. Sciabica will be sure to remind the student of any information.

The interview is about 30 minutes or less, and students should expect to be prepared with any questions that the college representative may ask; this varies by the school.

It’s common for students to be accepted, and there have been “many positive outcomes from students and the college representatives,” says Sciabica.

The status of the acceptance will be known after the interview.  Once the interview is over, it’s up to the student to keep fulfilling his or her graduation requirements and stay on track to graduate.

Sciabica offers her best advice: “Presenting yourself professionally is the major key and showing up on time. It’s a reflection on everyone involved.”

Sciabica says she feels that some students are hesitant to participate in Instant Decision Day. They feel overwhelmed with the process, but she assured them that Instant Decision Day is meant to make the transferring process easier and gives students a straight pathway to their desired school.

“It can be daunting, tricky, and the students who don’t use Instant Decision Day can be stressed and confused,” says Sciabica. “It’s nice to make a straight pathway for students to take that isn’t complicated or stressful.”

Some important information to note is that the interviews are non-binding, meaning that a student can have multiple interviews for the maximum number of options.

Most schools will also waive the application fee for students who decide to participate in Instant Decision Day. Students need to reach out to his or her college representative and ask for a code to waive the fee. This information can be found by contacting Sciabica.