Thanks for posting, great article!
DD hasn't received any rejections yet, but I'm sure there will be at least one. Hopefully, having read this article will help take some of the sting out of it, when/if it does happen.

Anonymous wrote:It's unusual, but not unheard of, to get deferred in early and rejected from the regular pool. Normally, you would be rejected in the early pool.

Unfortunately I know lots of kids who were deferred and then rejected. Seems to have become more common the last few years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it mean that there is a lot of grade inflation and overscheduling of extracurricular activities if he didn't get into the schools he had hoped to?

There is grade inflation for sure. One college admissions officer openly discussed it on a visit. It is also more competitive than ever at the most prestigious schools. There are more great candidates than open spots. Compare the admissions statistics today from those of 10, 20 or 30 years ago. 96th percentile SATs on the national scale are great, but at the schools the applicant was applying to, he was probably in the 50th percentile. Without his other qualifications, he wouldn't even be in the running. He sounds like a great kid and will be successful wherever he goes. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were college drop outs. U of Maryland will take him wherever he wants to go.

Would he have had a better chance if he were not white (is he??) and a lesser chance if he were asian?

Diversity is a huge factor in admissions. Interestingly, it's tough to verify. Applications merely ask what the applicant considers as his/her ethnicity. White females are now the most numerous group in college. White males now actually have an edge over them. Asians are probably at the greatest disadvantage. To my knowledge, only Native Americans are asked to supply any sort of proof. High school kids now openly discuss the issue of race as a factor. One liberal arts college now asks about sexual orientation. This will probably be a trend until admissions offices are flooded with statistically anomolous numbers of gay, lesbian and polyamorous applicants. Talk about hard to verify.

Terrific article. This kid can write, unlike so many at the Ivy I attended...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it mean that there is a lot of grade inflation and overscheduling of extracurricular activities if he didn't get into the schools he had hoped to?

There is grade inflation for sure. One college admissions officer openly discussed it on a visit. It is also more competitive than ever at the most prestigious schools. There are more great candidates than open spots. Compare the admissions statistics today from those of 10, 20 or 30 years ago. 96th percentile SATs on the national scale are great, but at the schools the applicant was applying to, he was probably in the 50th percentile. Without his other qualifications, he wouldn't even be in the running. He sounds like a great kid and will be successful wherever he goes. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were college drop outs. U of Maryland will take him wherever he wants to go.

Would he have had a better chance if he were not white (is he??) and a lesser chance if he were asian?

Anonymous wrote:Does it mean that there is a lot of grade inflation and overscheduling of extracurricular activities if he didn't get into the schools he had hoped to?

There is grade inflation for sure. One college admissions officer openly discussed it on a visit. It is also more competitive than ever at the most prestigious schools. There are more great candidates than open spots. Compare the admissions statistics today from those of 10, 20 or 30 years ago. 96th percentile SATs on the national scale are great, but at the schools the applicant was applying to, he was probably in the 50th percentile. Without his other qualifications, he wouldn't even be in the running. He sounds like a great kid and will be successful wherever he goes. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were college drop outs. U of Maryland will take him wherever he wants to go.

Does it mean that there is a lot of grade inflation and overscheduling of extracurricular activities if he didn't get into the schools he had hoped to?

It's unusual, but not unheard of, to get deferred in early and rejected from the regular pool. Normally, you would be rejected in the early pool.

Excellent article. Thanks for posting it.

Deferment isn't just for applying early. You can also get a defer in April. You find out late in the summer after the school knows who has accepted.

Anonymous wrote:11:53, in US college admissions, if you apply "early" (usually in the fall), you can get three answers: accept, reject, defer. "Defer" means that they postpone making a decision on your application until they have the entire applicant pool before them. Usually applications are due in January and decisions come in April. So if you were deferred, you would get a decision in April, and at that point, it would be accept or reject. In this case, it seems to have been reject.

Thanks!

11:53, in US college admissions, if you apply "early" (usually in the fall), you can get three answers: accept, reject, defer. "Defer" means that they postpone making a decision on your application until they have the entire applicant pool before them. Usually applications are due in January and decisions come in April. So if you were deferred, you would get a decision in April, and at that point, it would be accept or reject. In this case, it seems to have been reject.

Anonymous wrote:

Duke deferred me. I was in “college admissions purgatory,” and I’m not even Catholic. It wasn’t an admission or a rejection. It was my dream date telling me she would think about going out with me while she was dating other guys to see how I match up. On the positive side, I had not been rejected outright and other schools would soon accept me.

I don't understand the use of the word defer here. Defer means to postpone. In the UK if a college defers you it means they accept you but for the next year. What does it mean here?

Duke. Some Ivies. Stanford. It can help to know VIP's college employees personally. I suppose this fellow couldn't find an URM generations back in the family trees. 2 ways to explain extreme admissions surprises.

I used college logo [branded] items from some schools to clean around toilets or hub caps or my favorite -dog shit on shoes.

Getting rejected from your dream school(s) isn’t a bad thing
By Eric N. Harris

Today’s guest blogger is Eric N. Harris, a junior at the University of Maryland.

There are only so many ways that a school can say that you aren’t worthy to attend, and rejection letters seem to follow a similar style.

Some of my favorite phrases: 1) “we’re truly regretful,” 2) “this year’s applicants were very competitive,” 3) “we turned away numerous valedictorians and one Nobel Prize winner,” and 4) “shame your family doesn’t have a campus building named after them.”

The letter ends as the Dean “wishes you success at whatever sub-par school accepted you. This should not be difficult as your classmates are also rejects.” (I may have made that one up.)

Over the next few months, many high school seniors will be receiving these wonderfully crafted rejections. A few years ago, I was in their place. I was on the unsuccessful side when it came to college acceptances, yet I could not be happier with where I am today.

I believed I was an attractive candidate. I graduated co-valedictorian from a top high school in Maryland, earned a 4.0/4.6 GPA (unweighted/weighted), and my SATs were in the 96th percentile. I played varsity tennis (and was co-captain when we won the county championship), qualified for math and science honor societies, tutored other students and participated in Habitat for Humanity. Further back, when I honorably served as a 5th grade safety patrol, there were no serious injuries at my bus stop.


(Photo courtesy of Eric N. Harris) Excited and confident, I awaited my offers of admission. Then an important life lesson kicked me in the head. Hard.

I applied to nine schools, selected by their academic reputations and the well-rounded college experience offered. My early admissions choice was Duke University. All of my choices were out-of-state, except for the University of Maryland. My parents insisted I apply because of its high-quality reputation. (I’m sure it had nothing to do with the in-state tuition.)

Duke deferred me. I was in “college admissions purgatory,” and I’m not even Catholic. It wasn’t an admission or a rejection. It was my dream date telling me she would think about going out with me while she was dating other guys to see how I match up. On the positive side, I had not been rejected outright and other schools would soon accept me.

Wishful thinking.

The rejections began. Needless to say, it was not a cheery time.

For some schools, a simple e-mail rejection wasn’t sufficient. I was thoughtfully offered the option of receiving a hard copy by mail. “Why yes,” I thought. “I would love to get rejected in multiple ways! Could you possibly send me a text or even a singing telegram?”

Emory University in Atlanta and Maryland finally accepted me. These were great options but I had another problem: the branded apparel I bought on my college visits were reminders of love spurned.

Friends suggested a bonfire; I considered giving the clothing to homeless people. Two reasons: 1) I would feel good about helping people, and 2) I would feel better when seeing a homeless guy wearing my Northwestern University sweatshirt. I never expected anyone to actually wear the Duke shirt because it is difficult to find any Marylander, homeless or not, willing to wear Duke apparel.

It came time to choose. Despite my hesitation to attend a school close to home, Maryland was my choice. I accepted a spot in their honors program and acclaimed business school.

At Maryland, I am involved in Images (the campus tour guide organization... come on my tour!), Greek life as a member of Sigma Chi, and Club Tennis. Academically, my GPA has once again qualified me for honors societies, and I have a double major within the business school.

I LOVE my school! Great friends, exceptional faculty, competitive sports teams, and the fun of leading campus tours to future Terps are my rewards for going with an open mind to a school that was not my first choice.

Looking back, I could not have predicted such a good ending. There is too much hype, pressure and chance related to college admission decisions.

For those readers who get into the schools you want – congratulations! For those who may not have your first choice (or first seven) available, don’t despair. You can make your college experience memorable, productive, and happy.

So don’t invest any emotional capital on the rejections when new challenges await.