<p>I was really shocked and depressed after hearing from both Cal and LA that I got rejected. I thought i was match to both of them.....
I dont know if I should appeal to them because I really want to go to LA and Cal.
Some of my friends with lower stats got into LA, but I dont understand why I didnt. I had significantly lower grades (5B's and 2A's) compared to my other semester graders because my mom got cancer during that period.
I put that down under my personal essay, but I dont know if I should put that down in appeal letter...
Also during junior summer vacation, I took community college course but didnt put it in application. Should I include in my appeal?
Also should I send any records for my mom's sickness since they may not believe from my personal essay?
Also for awards, I didnt put that I was in principal's honor list(ppl with over certain gpa gets it) and CSF, so should I also put it down in appeal?
I also saw a post that i can email students in LA for help, but I dont know if it really helps...</p>
<p>Can anyone give me feedbacks on appealing process?</p>
<p>seems like you have a totally different application. Definitely appeal!</p>
<p>Thing is that i put my mom's illness in my personal essay, but I dont know if I should put down same thing in my essay..</p>
<p>Dude,</p>
<p>I have sort of a similar appeal though I'm OOS.</p>
<p>I was diagnosed with cancer during junior year and had to drop my AP courses and did not get to prepare for the SATs at all.</p>
<p>john777, make sure your appeal contains the missing courses from a JC, and your awards. You should let them know about EVERYTHING.</p>
<p>Since you have a <em>very</em> strong basis for appeal, you should take advantage of that fact by finding strong letters of recommendation and the works. If you're passionate about these schools, and you seem very qualified as well, then this is what the appeals is really for.</p>
<p>You should definitely appeal. It's weird, because one of the admissions criteria is overcoming tremendous circumstances. But work on getting good recommendations and show why you belong at the school. Also, all the stuff that you didn't put before, just put in all in. Don't hold anything back, considering it'll probably be your last chance.</p>
<p>Does this go for me too or just John?</p>
<p>I have very strong letters including my assistant principal, and I will ask my principal to write me a letter of recommendationas well. I have from for the SGA, who is also my AP European teacher and also a very strong letter from my Algebra II teacher from last year. I also will get my pediatric oncologist to write me a letter and I have already sent numerous medical documents, but I will also send them again. And I will write a stellar letter that shows how I will be an asset to their university.</p>
<p>Bruins, if you feel you didn't mention cancer enough in your application, then no one in this forum is going to change your mind about appealing. However, I personally think that the UCs DID consider this. I understand that you've been through a lot, but the way you mention it sounds a lot like how my friend mentioned his congenital heart disease on his application. On the open, he flat out, in the first sentence, basically told them that the reason he got bad grades was because of that. It's understandable if you integrate it into an essay of struggle, but if you just flat out use it almost as an excuse, then I don't imagine an admissions officer being partial to your application. Even if you didn't, I'm <em>fairly</em> sure they have reviewed your application in light of your circumstances. </p>
<p>Again, no one on this board can say for certain that appeal won't do anything, so by all means try, especially if you think it wasn't mentioned enough, but from the way your past posts have been tailored, it seems as though you have iterated the point, and reiterated the point. As I mentioned in the UCSD forum too, the impact of you not getting cancer on your point total for that school would have been less than the points received for your major life changing event. While obviously UCSD =/= UCLA, we can certainly imply a similarity in this case. </p>
<p>If you are intent on appealing, though, I think your recommendations should be strictly academic. If you keep pounding at the cancer issue, it creates more of a sense of an excuse than a legitimate reason for an appeal to be reversed. AP letters are good, regular classes, not so much so. Writing a letter and having it reviewed and edited is also a plus. </p>
<p>Best of luck to your appeals, and best of luck wherever you end up going to.</p>
<p>Getting recommendations is about quality, not quantity. Really take your time and find teachers who know you well and like you. Yeah, you're gonna have to write a letter about why you love UCLA, but just go for it. Nothing to lose, right. Good luck. Hope we've helped.</p>