| Copyright (c) 2010 Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz | | | | and the college would be a place at which you would |
| What You Need To Know To Appeal A College | | | | thrive, this is not sufficient reason to get a denial |
| Admissions Denial | | | | decision reversed. |
| Appealing a college admissions denial is very tricky. | | | | What Are "Plausible" Reasons For Appealing A Denial? |
| Most students don't appeal for one very simple | | | | A. There was an administrative error Even though |
| reason: the chances of getting a denial reversed are | | | | you did everything right: sent in your application |
| very, very slim. | | | | before the due date, had your transcripts and test |
| However, nothing ventured, nothing gained, | | | | scores sent, and asked your recommenders to get |
| particularly if you have legitimate reasons for your | | | | their letters in on time, sometimes things go wrong. |
| appeal. | | | | Human error does occur, as in the college didn't |
| There are legitimate reasons (things that can be | | | | receive a piece of your application. If you are certain |
| documented and/or information that wasn't available | | | | that any of the above took place, this is a reason to |
| the time of the application) and questionable reasons | | | | appeal, documenting the mistake and making sure |
| for appealing a denial decision. The fact that you | | | | that the information that is missing gets to the school |
| really, really, really, really want to go to a particular | | | | ASAP. |
| college is not sufficient reason for making an appeal. | | | | B. Something bad happened On occasion, unexpected |
| Two Appeal Rationales That Are Not Likely To | | | | events take place during fall semester of your senior |
| Work: A. "I'm as good as the other guy!" Suppose | | | | year: you have a serious illness or injury; something |
| you have a good friend who goes to your school and | | | | serious happens with a family member; some unusual |
| whose grades and test scores are almost identical to | | | | event takes place that dramatically affects your |
| yours. He gets admitted and you don't and you think | | | | academic and/or test performance. Whatever it is, |
| this is reason enough to appeal. Well, not necessarily. | | | | this is a time to explain the circumstances to a |
| Remember, colleges base their decisions on GPAs, | | | | college admissions office. Hopefully, they will listen to |
| academic records, and test scores, but also on many | | | | you and be sympathetic to your cause. Occasionally |
| other factors, many of which are difficult to know. | | | | they will reevaluate your application. And once in a |
| B. "I'm absolutely, positively certain that I would be a | | | | great while, they will accept a student who was |
| good match for the college that rejected me!" You | | | | previously denied. |
| may be right, but this argument is unlikely to lead to | | | | If you're going to appeal a denial decision, be very |
| a successful outcome. The truth is that there are | | | | organized, specific, factual and clear. While chances |
| more qualified students than there are places at | | | | are slim, you just might turn things around. |
| many, many colleges. Even if you are a good match | | | | |