Don't worry if you didn't get accepted early decision, an admissions expert says — you could still end up at your dream college

• I'm a college-admissions expert; students panic when they don't get accepted during early decision.
• Students should know that colleges are picky in the first round and focus on institutional needs.
• You can still get into your dream school if you strategize and look at other options.

As a college-admissions expert, I find my phone buzzing every year when the early-decision and early-action announcements come out. Teens and their parents ping me, thrilled to share how the students got accepted to their dream schools.