Once Again I Thank You for Continuing to Consider My Application College Confidential

You lot've sent out your applications and tin can't terminate envisioning yourself at your height-option schoolhouse. But and and so the unthinkable happens: you get a higher rejection letter. Yous start to wonder: what went wrong? What practice I practice now? Is information technology still possible to nourish my elevation-pick schoolhouse?

The truth is that I've been in this exact same situation. In 2008, I got rejected from my top-option schoolhouse, Stanford. Though the rejection letter hurt, on the plus side, information technology taught me a lot virtually what I did incorrect, both in my application and my overall high schoolhouse career.

In this commodity, I utilize my own rejection experience as a guide to explicate how likely a higher rejection is for you, how to avoid getting rejected from college, and the steps to have in case your top-pick school just isn't that into yous.

How Likely Is It That You'll Get a College Rejection Letter of the alphabet of the alphabet?

Offset things showtime, how likely is information technology that y'all lot'll actually get rejected from higher—more importantly, from your tiptop-choice school?

The reply to this question varies depending on two master factors:

• How competitive your tiptop-option college is
• How potent your college awarding is

How Competitive Is Your Peak-Selection School?

Every bit y'all might've guessed, your chances of getting rejected from college depend a lot on how difficult your height-choice schoolhouse is to become into.

Many students' peak choices are Ivy League institutions, such every bit Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia, or other prestigious superlative-25 schools, such every bit Stanford, Rice, and the University of Chicago.

Now, what practise many of these schools have in common? That's right: extremely low acceptance rates. These rates dramatically touch on your likelihood of getting accepted (or getting rejected).

Beneath are the credence rates for the tiptop 25 universities, every bit determined by the nearly recent United states News rankings for 2022. All schools are listed in club of ranking. (Pro tip: click the schoolhouse proper name to learn more than near its admission requirements!)

School	U.s. News Ranking	Credence Accuse per unit of measurement
Princeton	i	four%
Harvard	ii (tie)	iv%
Columbia	2 (tie)	4%
MIT	two (necktie)	four%
Yale	v	5%
Stanford	one-half dozen (necktie)	4%
Academy of Chicago	6 (tie)	six%
Academy of Pennsylvania	viii	half dozen%
Caltech	9 (necktie)	7%
Johns Hopkins	nine (necktie)	vii%
Northwestern	ix (tie)	7%
Duke	9 (tie)	half-dozen%
Dartmouth	thirteen	6%
Dark-brown	14 (tie)	5%
Vanderbilt	14 (tie)	7%
Washington Academy in St. Louis	14 (necktie)	xiii%
Rice	17 (tie)	ix%
Cornell	17 (necktie)	nine%
Academy of Notre Matriarch	19	fifteen%
UCLA	20	fourteen%
Emory	21	thirteen%
UC Berkeley	22	17%
Georgetown	23 (necktie)	12%
Academy of Michigan	23 (tie)	twenty%
Carnegie Mellon University	25 (tie)	15%
University of Virginia	25 (tie)	21%

Equally you tin can see, your chance of acceptance to summit-tier colleges ranges from but 4% to as much equally 21%. Your run a risk of higher rejection is highest for schools ranked in the top 10. At these colleges, the typical bidder has a whopping 90-95% chance of getting rejected.

These are very, very full general estimates, though. How loftier or low your chances of rejection are will ultimately depend on the overall strength of your application (nosotros hash out this more than than beneath). To get a slightly more accurate idea of your access chances to a item school, apply our higher admissions calculator.

Still, the point is articulate: most applicants to highly selective schools get rejected. Your run a risk of getting a college rejection letter will be less likely if your pinnacle-option school is ranked lower and has a higher admission charge per unit.

Y'all have a lower run a risk of getting rejected from NYU than you do from Columbia. (jpellgen (@1179_jp)/Flickr)

How Potent Is Your Higher Awarding?

The other major cistron that affects your chances of getting rejected from college is the force of your application.

A strong college application ordinarily has the post-obit features:

• A loftier GPA and rigorous, challenging grade load
• High exam scores on the Sat/ACT, AP exams, IB tests, etc.
• A compelling personal argument
• Cogent messages of recommendation
• An impressive resume/CV—particularly one that showcases your ongoing delivery to a particular field
• A high class rank (if your high schoolhouse calculates rank)

For the Ivy League and other highly competitive schools, you lot'll definitely demand to stand out from other applicants. And the best style to exercise this is to create a big spike in your application. A fasten is substantially something yous lot're passionate almost and take continuously striven to master. It could exist anything from a beloved of writing curt stories to a passion for chemistry.

Virtually chiefly, your spike should exist a field you lot're truly committed to and for which y'all take sufficient comport witness to show your delivery.

If yous accept a fasten as well equally loftier test scores, a loftier GPA, etc., you lot'll have a much ameliorate adventure of existence a top-option candidate for your school.

All of this also means that yous should avert aiming for a well-rounded awarding. This can put you lot right in the crapshoot of college applications, significantly reducing your chance of acceptance (and thereby increasing your take a chance of rejection).

For more tips on how to put together a stiff application, wait at a existent Harvard application and credence alphabetic character, supplied by our resident perfect Sat/Human activity scorer.

My Experience: I Got Rejected From Stanford

Some of y'all reading this might exist wondering why I'm writing this article. Well, permit me showtime with some facts.

Rejection is nada new to me. I applied to college in 2008 (yeesh, I'i thousand getting one-time!). At the fourth dimension, Stanford was my superlative option, so I practical restrictive early action, significant that my awarding was due earlier (by Nov one) and that Stanford was my #1 choice for college.

A little while subsequently, I received a rejection past electronic mail. It was the first academy I heard back from in the awarding procedure, and its letter of the alphabet was by far the near painful. I remember bursting into tears equally soon every bit I finished reading it and so running to my parents for condolement.

And then many questions ran through my head: how come they didn't like me? What did I practice wrong? Did I mess upward my application somehow? Was I simply non skilful plenty?

Months afterwards, I got accustomed to USC and decided to nourish that school instead. And I had a smash: I joined a couple of clubs, wrote for the schoolhouse newspaper, worked on campus, made skilful friends, and had an overall fun and eclectic experience I'd never trade for annihilation.

Sometimes, though, I remember back to that initial college rejection and wonder: how did I manage to get through such a difficult, stressful time in my life? And how tin I employ what I know now to help other students in the same position I was once in?

Hither'due south why I'k telling you all of this:

• I desire yous to know that I'm speaking from feel: This is not an article coming from one of those top students who got into every Ivy League schoolhouse and has never dealt with the burdensome pain of rejection. Trust me, I've been there—and I know exactly how information technology feels!

• Information technology's important to know that you lot're not solitary: Lots of students get rejected from college—honestly, more than you might remember!—and it'southward a totally normal part of the college access process. Yep, some lucky people volition get accepted to all the schools they apply to, just the fact is that nigh students volition get rejected from at to the lowest caste one schoolhouse, peculiarly if they're applying to highly competitive ones.

• Rejection is role of life: It sucks to admit this, simply it'southward the truth. The amend you can tin can acquire to handle rejection, the easier it'll exist to movement on and look for new (and ameliorate) ways to reach your goals. (As a bonus, I've also gotten rejected from grad schools, and so once again I'm pretty experienced at this rejection affair!)

Now that you know my story, let'southward starting time with the positives: how to avert getting rejected from higher in the kickoff place. If this doesn't piece of work out for you, no worries—I'll also requite you lot advice on what to exercise if you do get rejected.

Unfortunately, my tips for avoiding rejection don't employ to asking people out on dates.

How to Avoid Getting a Higher Rejection: 6 Tips

Since getting my offset college rejection from Stanford, I tin tell you this: I've learned a lot nearly what I did wrong in my application.

For ane, my awarding wasn't unique enough. I didn't have a "spike" that fabricated me stand up autonomously from other applicants; instead, I naively believed in the misconception that well rounded was what all pinnacle schools wanted the nigh. (Hint: it'southward not!)

In addition, my Saturday score wasn't upwardly to par. At the time I idea I'd done fairly well on the test, simply I didn't realize that pretty good isn't usually good enough for peak schools like Stanford. These days, you'd demand to score at least a 1500 (or in the top 2%) only to encounter the boilerplate at Stanford!

Finally, I didn't take reward of the AP/honors classes available at my high schools (I moved and attended ii schools). I call back thinking that two or 3 AP classes and a couple of loftier AP scores would exist practiced plenty. Once more, though, this isn't that impressive to summit-ranked schools.

So what tin you lot do to ensure that you lot accept a better run a risk of getting into your top-selection school? Hither are my meridian half dozen tips.

#1: Maintain a Loftier GPA While Besides Challenging Yourself

Almost students probably know this, but y'all'll need a pretty high GPA to keep from getting rejected. Why? Well, a loftier GPA proves that you're not just responsible and studious just likewise capable of performing consistently well in a variety of disciplines. Past excelling in several classes, you're providing directly show of your deep commitment to learning and academic success.

And then what constitutes a loftier GPA? The answer to this will depend on the school you lot lot're applying to. If y'all're applying to a top-25 school such every bit Stanford, aim for a 4.0 (unweighted ) or pretty close to it.

If yous're not sure how high of a GPA your schoolhouse expects, try looking on the school's website for any data or information about the boilerplate GPA of admitted applicants.

That being said, getting a high GPA alone isn't as of import as getting a proficient GPA and taking a challenging course load.

Hither'southward what I mean by this: when applying to acme colleges, a iv.0 unweighted GPA is no doubt bully. All the same, you lot'll be a much more competitive applicant if y'all lot take, say, a slightly lower 3.8 GPA and take also taken loads of challenging AP/honors courses.

This ways that yous could go mostly Every bit and a couple of Bs in challenging AP courses and all the same have a higher chance of getting accustomed over someone who got all Equally but took merely like shooting fish in a barrel classes. This is because colleges like to come beyond that you lot're continuously challenging yourself.

For me, this was a critical point I didn't get at all in high schoolhouse. I took a few AP and honors courses, merely I didn't take almost as many every bit I should accept. Instead, I stuck more often than not to classes I knew I'd become Equally in and refrained from truly challenging myself past taking harder ones. This is probably role of the reason Stanford rejected me.

#2: Go a High Sabbatum/ACT Score

Like the tip to a higher place, this is kind of a no-brainer, just you'd be surprised how fiddling I thought of it when I applied to college back in 2008.

Notation: Equally a issue of the pandemic, nearly every schoolhouse became exam-optional for at least 2022 and 2021, and some schools take decided to become permanently test optional. This means that, if y'all're applying to i of these schools, y'all lot don't need to submit Sabbatum or Act scores, and your awarding won't exist at a disadvantage. However, a loftier Homo action or Sat score tin can still be a meaning boost to your application, especially if you lot're on the chimera in other areas.

While colleges empathise that the Saturday/Deed is just one function of your application, information technology'southward all the same pretty important to become a loftier score on one of the two tests—peculiarly a score that sets you lot autonomously from other applicants.

A good Sat/Human action score will vary depending on the schools yous're applying to. For example, if you lot were applying to Harvard, yous'd desire to aim for 1580 on the Sat or 35 on the Human being action. These are the 75th percentile scores for admitted applicants to Harvard. In other words, become this score level and yous'll take a higher score than 75% of applicants.

Fifty-fifty if you got slightly lower than this—such every bit a 1570 on the SAT or a 34 on the ACT—y'all'd all the same exist in relatively good shape. The signal, even so, is that y'all want to shoot equally loftier as possible and then you can can requite yourself the all-time risk of admission.

On the other paw, if yous were applying to a less selective school similar the Academy of Houston, you'd just demand an Sabbatum score effectually 1300 or an ACT score effectually 27. Once again, yous could still get accepted with slightly lower scores than these, only aiming high ensures you'll accept a dandy shot.

Every chip yous tin can run across, what's considered a loftier Sabbatum/ACT score will depend greatly on where you're applying. If you can hitting (or almost hit) your pinnacle-choice school's 75th percentile score, you'll stand out and lower your chances of rejection.

To discover your school'due south exam score information, search for "[School Proper noun] PrepScholar" on Google. Click our link to the school's Admission Requirements page to come across the school's average Sabbatum/Deed scores and its 25th/75th percentiles.

#3: Work On Developing Your Spike

This slice of advice is essential for those applying to the Ivy League or Ivy League-level institutions (and information technology's definitely something I wish I'd known back when I practical to Stanford). And here'south what it is: role of crafting an incredible college awarding is working on developing a fasten.

I briefly introduced this concept earlier, but now allow's await at in particular. Your fasten is what makes you stand out from other applicants. This is typically an ongoing passion for and commitment to some kind of academic or personal interest.

For instance, maybe you lot're a lover of writing who's published his own self-assistance ebook and tutors uncomplicated school students in creative writing on weekends. Or peradventure you're a science whiz who'southward conducted numerous experiments and submitted her results to conventions.

Get the picture here? Think of this spike as the contrary of existence well rounded.

When I practical to Stanford, I assumed that well rounded = automated acceptance. I was a member of my school's accolade social club, ran on the cantankerous state team for ii years, and played the piano in my spare fourth dimension. All of this, I thought, fabricated me a well-rounded, ideal candidate.

Male child, was I wrong.

In truth, colleges—specially selective ones similar Stanford—run across tons of applicants similar this. This is likely a large reason I got rejected: I wasn't unique enough! Instead, I should accept spent more fourth dimension developing the hobbies I enjoyed most and participating in activities more strongly tied to my most passionate interests.

That's what I did wrong. At nowadays, hither's what you lot can exercise right. Below, I list some options you can try to assist you farther develop your spike:

• Take classes related to your passion: Into writing? Take extra writing-oriented classes such every bit newspaper, yearbook, or journalism. As well, if possible, opt for the hardest versions of these classes (east.g., take AP English instead of regular English).

• Join a relevant club: If you're a lover of geometry or calculus, join the math society. Putting in actress fourth dimension shows that you lot're interested in this field outside of school besides.

• Enter fairs, contests, and conventions: This tip is especially relevant to those in the science field. Say you lot've got an invention, made a discovery, or created a piece of art that you desire to testify off. Don't just go along it for yourself—submit your project somewhere in order to highlight your commitment to making a modify in the world.

• Teach younger students: Becoming a volunteer tutor/teacher demonstrates your devotion to helping others develop their passions in a field yous savour. If you're an artist, volunteer to teach drawing or painting classes to students at a local Boys & Girls Club, for instance.

• Go a relevant part-time chore: Non all students have the time or opportunity to secure a part-time job in a field relevant to their interests, just if y'all tin, I highly recommend doing then, as information technology tin stress both your delivery to your field and your responsibility equally an employee.

All in all, don't rely on the trap of being well rounded, peculiarly if y'all're trying to get accepted to highly selective schools.

The but affair you lot desire to exist well rounded is the bubble you lot're bravado.

#four: Write a Compelling Personal Statement and Consider Context

Even if you've got both stellar grades and a high Saturday/Act score, schools want to see that you lot're an interesting, passionate person who is committed to learning. This is why it'due south important to spend a lot of time crafting an impactful personal argument for your awarding.

In full general, a expert personal statement volition accomplish the post-obit:

• Introduce who yous are every bit a person (not but as a student!) and why y'all're applying
• Provide context for your bookish accomplishments, passions, and hereafter goals
• Focus on your fasten and what makes yous unique
• Answer the prompt clearly and fully (if given ane)
• Utilize correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
• Be the right length and file format (e.grand., PDF, .docx, etc.)
• Make the higher desire to acknowledge you lot!

The argument is a nifty opportunity to explain what your spike is, how you lot got interested in it, and what kind of part y'all lot run across information technology playing in your future. For a detailed await at what makes for a powerful personal statement, check out our analysis of more than 100 higher essays.

In improver, the personal statement lets you lot explicate the context of your bookish state of affairs. For example, does your loftier school not offer any AP or honors courses? Or are you the commencement person in your family to attend higher?

Information technology's important to reply questions like these in your essay then that the school can have into business relationship your personal circumstances as well as how these might have influenced the quality of your application. This way, y'all won't get rejected only because y'all didn't have any AP courses (fifty-fifty though none might have been bachelor to you!).

Many schools stress the importance of because each bidder'due southward circumstances. For example, here's what Stanford says on its website:

"We have into account your groundwork, educational pathway, and piece of work and family responsibilities. Past focusing on your achievements in context, we evaluate how y'all have excelled in your school environment and how yous have taken reward of what is bachelor to y'all in your school and community."

And here's how Duke considers your background in applications for access:

"Equally a part of our holistic arroyo, we consider both your academic and personal interests, what you've accomplished, and your unique experiences, perspectives, and background."

Plain, the personal statement isn't just an opportunity to showcase your spike and strengths—information technology'due south besides a gamble to explain your personal country of affairs. Practice all of this, and you'll be far less probable to get rejected for something similar a slightly lower Sabbatum score.

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Your defended PrepScholar Admissions advisor volition craft your perfect college essay, from the ground upward. We'll learn your groundwork and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk y'all through the essay drafting procedure, step-by-pace. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you lot'll proudly submit to your peak selection colleges.

Don't leave your higher awarding to chance. Discover out more nigh PrepScholar Admissions now:

#5: Utilize Early Activity/Early Decision, If Possible

If your summit-choice school offers an early on activeness or early determination program, definitely practice it (simply just do the latter if you're 100% sure this is the schoolhouse you lot desire to attend).

Most early activity/early decision deadlines are November 1 or November fifteen. These deadlines are almost a calendar month or two earlier than almost regular determination deadlines.

And then how does applying early action/early decision touch on your admission chances? Information shows that those who apply early action or early conclusion typically take college credence rates than those who apply regular conclusion.

This doesn't necessarily mean you'll get accustomed. I practical early on action to Stanford and still got rejected. Notwithstanding, an early application might requite you lot a slight border over other applicants, equally it shows the schoolhouse you're committed to it and really want to go along your didactics there.

The but drawback to applying early on on action/early conclusion is that the early deadline gives you less fourth dimension to put together a strong awarding. If yous're struggling to set up an effective application for an early on action plan, consider applying regular decision instead to give yourself more time.

This leads me to my next indicate ...

#half-dozen: Have Your Time—Don't Rush the Application Process!

Whether you're applying early action/early on on decision or regular decision, it tin can be tempting to rush through the awarding procedure, peculiarly since nigh students are extremely busy at the start of senior year.

Fifty-fifty though this is a stressful fourth dimension, attempt your all-time not to blitz through your application to your top-choice school. Only put, don't write your personal argument the twenty-iv hours earlier the deadline, and don't ask for messages of recommendation from teachers at the concluding minute.

Why is this so important? If y'all spend besides picayune fourth dimension working on your awarding, you run a much higher chance of doing the following:

• Misreading application instructions
• Forgetting to submit a required (or very of import) certificate/awarding component
• Turning in subpar materials, such as a poorly written essay

I suggest spending at to the everyman caste a few months on your college applications. And while all applications are every chip of import, it'southward OK to spend a piffling extra time on the awarding for your pinnacle selection, if only because information technology'due south the school you're nearly interested in.

Besides, don't exist afraid to inquire questions by emailing or calling the school. For example, confused almost awarding instructions? Send an email. Not sure what a "supplementary certificate" is? Call the admissions section. Meliorate to make certain y'all're following the rules than to risk getting your application butterfingers because you made a huge (but entirely preventable) mistake.

When I practical to Stanford, I idea I'd taken my time to do the application, only I really hadn't. It was only afterwards I submitted information technology that I realized I'd fabricated some dire mistakes.

Here'due s my most memorable: at the fourth dimension, Stanford allowed applicants to attach supplementary files. Then I attached a sample chapter from a novel I was writing to evidence my passion for writing. Simply subsequently submitting my awarding, I reread the application instructions and realized that capacity of fiction was something Stanford specifically requested applicants to non ship in. Oops!

Got rejected? It'due south OK to get a picayune dramatic.

How to Deal With College Rejection: 5 Essential Tips

Unfortunately, even if yous heed all the tips above, you could all the same wind up with a college rejection letter of the alphabet of the alphabet. I'll be honest: getting rejected sucks. Only it certainly doesn't hateful your bookish career (or life, if you're dramatic similar me) is over.

Here are some means to cope with a college rejection, every bit well as options on what to do after on yous get rejected from college:

#ane: Give Yourself Fourth dimension to Process the Rejection

This is actually, actually important. In one case you lot get the dreaded college rejection letter from your top-pick school, it tin feel as though the whole world is crashing down around you lot. I'i thousand here to tell you that this feeling is totally normal. Later all, y'all're substantially grieving—sounds cheesy, I know. But information engineering'southward the truth.

And when something bad happens, information technology'due south important to have time to let yourself experience deplorable nigh information engineering. In this instance, fifty-fifty though you probable worked actually hard in school, you lot lost the opportunity to nourish the college of your dreams. All of your futurity plans must change, which sucks. Information technology'south OK (and 50-fifty expected) to exist upset most this.

Here are some healthy options for coping with a college rejection:

• Cry (hey, it worked for me!)

• Spend some time solitary to aid you become used to the fact that y'all got rejected

• Talk it out with close friends and/or family unit members

• Distract yourself in positive ways with activities such equally video games, homework, or hanging out with friends

• Commiserate with other rejectees, either in person or on college forums such equally College Confidential and Reddit

• Rip upwards, shred, or fire your rejection letter (let'due south exist honest: dramatic expressions can brand u.s. feel nifty)

Although grieving is important, don't let yourself get wrapped up in your sorrows for too long. One fourth dimension you lot've given yourself aplenty quaternary dimension to cope, go off the ground and focus on the other options you've got in your life.

Likewise, try not to allow the rejection negatively bear on your grades, extracurriculars, and other college applications (if you haven't finished all of them yet).

#2: Get Excited About Other Schools

While your summit-option school might've rejected you lot, call up that this is but one schoolhouse, and you (hopefully) have several others you're applying to or already practical to. These are the schools it's fourth dimension to become excited about, regardless of whether y'all've heard back from them. At that place is a reason you applied to each schoolhouse y'all applied to.

As you go through the schools yous've been accepted to, concentrate on the specific features and opportunities you liked well-nigh each school. For instance, what inspired yous lot to apply at that identify? Tin can you envision yourself feeling at abode on campus? What kinds of classes and majors does data technology offering? Practice you lot like its emphasis on Greek life? What nearly its crawly football squad?

If possible, talk to electric current students at the schools and then you lot tin start to imagine yourself attention them. Doing this will non only brand you lot excited about your other options just volition too forbid y'all from daydreaming about what might've happened had y'all been accustomed to your height option.

Finally, phone call up that you will likely exist able to report what you desire to at these other schools likewise. Just because your pinnacle-selection schoolhouse rejected yous, that doesn't hateful y'all yet can't go a BA in Psychology or a BS in Reckoner Science.

Apparently, yous tin fifty-l make your own Disney caste at UC Berkeley!

#3: Accept a Gap Yr and Reapply Later

If yous didn't become accepted to your top-choice schoolhouse, a gap twelvemonth can help yous figure out what kind of education you want in life while also providing yous with some interesting experiences (which could potentially strengthen futurity college applications!).

After your gap year, y'all tin then reapply to your top-choice school, with a fresh perspective and a slightly amend agreement of where your application might've gone wrong before.

While there'south nil wrong with taking a year off before college, be sure you're actually making your gap year worthwhile. Neither colleges nor your parents will exist impressed if all you exercise is sit at habitation and play video games all solar day. Brand your gap twelvemonth an run a risk: piece of work a new task, travel abroad, intern at a company, join a community social guild, learn a foreign linguistic communication.

Hopefully, you lot'll get experiences out of your gap year that'll help yous in the field y'all desire to major in. For instance, if you're thinking nearly majoring in English, taking a year off to write a novel and submit stories you've written to literary magazines would be an splendid employ of your time (bold your parents are OK with information technology, of course!).

Later on, when you brainstorm the procedure of reapplying to your superlative-choice school, you can explicate in your application what yous lot did during your gap year and why you lot chose to accept a twelvemonth off earlier starting college.

If you lot make up one's mind to reapply, information technology's a proficient idea to apply your erstwhile application as a reference. Call up well-nigh where you lot might've gone wrong and how you can ameliorate on information technology this fourth dimension (ideally, by incorporating some of your gap-twelvemonth experiences into it).

A word of caution, though: don't put all your eggs in i basket. In other words, don't wait to get admitted only because you applied before and now deserve to arrive. Admissions is often a brutal process, and nobody (except those on the admissions commission) knows what a higher is looking for in terms of applicants.

And then as you reapply to your pinnacle-option school, make certain yous're applying to other schools as well—ideally, a combination of reach schools and safety schools.

#four: Call upward That Transferring Is an Option

If you make up one's mind to attend a unlike school yous got into (which nigh people do, including myself!), know that it might be possible to transfer to your elevation-choice schoolhouse in a couple of years.

While I wouldn't attend a dissimilar college with this exact program in mind, knowing that transferring is an choice in case you even so actually want to attend your summit-option schoolhouse should make you experience a little more at ease with your determination to (temporarily) attend a different schoolhouse.

Note that to transfer to a schoolhouse, y'all'll unremarkably need to submit an entirely new transfer application meaning that it can't be the aforementioned 1 you submitted earlier when applying every bit a freshman.

Moreover, transferring is not guaranteed. Many schools, peculiarly the Ivies, have very few transfers each yr.

Harvard stated that they typically take virtually 15 transfer students out of almost 1,500 awarding, an credence charge per unit of measurement of i%. As y'all tin can come across, hither you really take a lower chance of getting accustomed as a transfer student than yous lot do every bit a freshman bidder (the electric current credence rate for which is 4%).

If you lot're curious near the transfer acceptance rate at your top-pick schoolhouse, contact your schoolhouse directly or check out CollegeTransfer.net, which contains tons of information on schools and their transfer rates.

In the terminate, though, who knows what'll happen? Y'all might finish upwards loving the school you lot nourish and wouldn't even consider transferring out of information technology.

#v: Consider Challenging the Rejection

There is one final option you take when it comes to college rejection, though it's one I honestly don't recommend doing: appealing, or challenging, your rejection.

Challenging a college rejection is pretty much what it sounds like. When you go rejected, yous take the selection to tell the higher you lot call back they're incorrect and inquire them to reconsider your application.

So what'due south the problem? Y'all tin't entreatment your rejection simply because you're upset that yous didn't become accepted. This is not a skilful enough reason to enquire a college to wait at your application in one case once more. Even if a school did agree to reevaluate your awarding, it's unlikely a second await-through would alter their minds (peculiarly if your primary complaint is that they failed to recognize how absolutely incredible you are).

Instead, you lot lot tin just appeal a college rejection if you lot take any new, meaning information to add together to your awarding, or if in that location was a major error or trouble with your application. For example, did y'all win a large award or somehow dramatically better your GPA? And then run into whether yous tin can appeal the rejection. (Not all schools volition let y'all practice this, though!)

In terms of technical problems, did your SAT/Human activeness score become reported incorrectly to your college? Or did your transcript become messed up and show you lot got Ds when you lot actually got Equally? So appeal the rejection; most probable the higher will allow it in this case since the trouble is not actually your fault.

In some cases, colleges volition not permit yous to appeal your rejection at all (even if you lot won the Nobel Peace Prize). In fact, most pinnacle-ranked schools don't allow appeals of admission decisions. If you lot disagree with their decision, you simply take to await and reapply the following year.

If yous're not sure whether your top-choice schoolhouse allows appeals or non, look at the school's official website or contact the schoolhouse directly.

While rare, it is possible to get into a college through an entreatment (though it'southward absolutely far less likely to go far this way). Hither's an instance of a educatee who got accepted to UC Berkeley through an appeal.

Seriously, kickoff a Disney major and now a successful entreatment? Starting to retrieve I should've attended Berkeley ...

Conclusion: How to Deal With Higher Rejection

Afterward getting my Stanford rejection alphabetic character of the alphabet, I cried a lot and talked to my parents. Eventually, I moved on and started to get excited near my other options. I ended up attention USC, where I had a fun, stimulating, and all-around memorable experience—something I wouldn't trade for the earth!

However, getting rejected isn't fun. Unfortunately, it can exist a probable consequence if yous're applying to highly selective universities and don't take the grades or test scores your schoolhouse expects.

The easiest manner to avoid getting rejected from higher is to produce the all-fourth dimension awarding you lot can. For top schools, this means you lot should typically accept the post-obit:

• A high GPA and a challenging grade load
• Strong Sat/Human action test scores
• A pronounced spike in your extracurriculars and hobbies
• A well-written and impactful personal statement

If possible, apply early on action/early determination to your superlative-choice school. Applying early raises your chance of admission simply slightly, as information technology highlights your commitment to the school.

Finally, make sure to take your time with your application—don't rush any office of information technology!

Let'southward say you practise all of this, though, and yet get rejected from your acme-choice school. Bummer. At this point, you've essentially got five options (which you tin can mix and match, equally desired):

• Take your fourth dimension to process the rejection: Detect a shoulder to cry on. Talk to family unit members and friends for back up. Scream, "Rejection sucks!" while punching a pillow. Exercise whatever you need to practise (in a healthy manner) to make yourself feel better equally you grieve.

• Get excited well-nigh your other schools: Ane rejection shouldn't exist the be-all and end-all of your academic dreams. Retrieve that you lot practical to other schools for a reason, then get-go to think about what those can offer y'all instead.

• Take a gap year and reapply subsequently: For some people, taking a intermission from school is exactly what they demand to feel better and figure out what they want to do with their lives. Information technology tin can also help you put together a stronger, more versatile application the adjacent time yous apply. Just don't expect an automatic credence from your pinnacle-option schoolhouse—more than than than likely, information technology'll nonetheless be just equally hard to go into equally information technology was the first year y'all applied!

• Remember that you can transfer later: Though non guaranteed, transferring is an pick you might have a couple of years downwardly the route if you lot still want the gamble to attend your height-choice school.

• Consider challenging your rejection: I don't recommend this choice, only it'due south at that place if your schoolhouse allows information technology. Though information technology'southward rare to get in based on an entreatment, information technology'southward certainly not impossible!

No affair what you lot choose to do, take intendance to remind yourself that getting rejected doesn't hateful you lot're a bad pupil or that your awarding was horrendous. It just means that the school could only acknowledge so many people, and you happened to not be i of them.

Fifty-fifty though the higher admissions procedure can experience like an uphill boxing, just know that y'all're definitely not lonely. Equally we say at my alma mater, "Fight on!"

What's Next?

Want more tips for raising your chances of getting accepted to college? Bank check out our handy admissions figurer to learn how to estimate your chances of acceptance based on your current GPA and examination scores.

Demand assist applying to Harvard and other peak schools? This guide covers everything y'all demand to know to get into the nation'southward best colleges and universities.

Struggling with the application procedure? We're hither to assist! Our practiced guides teach y'all lot how to build a versatile college application and go over the application timeline to help you pace yourself.

Want to improve your Saturday score by 160 points or your Human activity score past four points? We've written a guide for each examination almost the pinnacle v strategies yous must exist using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for gratuitous at present:

Have friends who besides need aid with examination prep? Share this article!

About the Writer

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a available'southward degree from the Academy of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Nihon via the JET Program. She is passionate nigh education, writing, and travel.

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Source: https://shearerfrivis.blogspot.com/2022/05/once-again-i-thank-you-for-continuing.html

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