More than 25% of new college students begin their higher education careers outside of the traditional fall start date (National Student Clearinghouse, 2012). This study examines the social, personal, and academic experiences of spring admits at a large, private research institution in the western United States. In this study, a spring admit is defined as a first-year student who applied to a four-year institution, and was admitted for and enrolled in the spring semester. Using a phenomenological framework and mixed methodology, the study was based on the stories of 18 spring admits at Western University (pseudonym). Additional data were collected using an online survey of 312 respondents, an observation, document analysis, report from the registrar, and member checking. The findings of this study indicate the greatest struggles for spring admits were in making friends, getting involved in the campus community, and in their housing assignment. Additionally, according to a report from the registrar, spring admits attained lower GPAs and retention rates compared to their fall counterparts. Implications from this study include offering increased social support for spring admits, creating more involvement opportunities, implementing improved housing arrangements, providing a streamlined academic experience, and a conducting a thorough assessment of how spring admits fit within the university's mission, infrastructure, and communications. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]