Appealing a Rejection

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Wisconsin
1

<p>I've been thinking. UW is THE ONLY school I've EVER wanted to go to since I was a little kid. I've always been a huge badger fan, and both my parents attended the school and have been encouraging me to follow through and do the same. I THOUGHT I was going to get in. In fact, I was almost sure of it. All I had to do was wait for the acceptance letter.</p>

<p>Of course, I was denied.</p>

<p>Being a Minnesota resident with parents unwilling to pay for me to attend school outside of Minnesota and Wisconsin, I regret to say I was also rejected from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Again, I thought i'd get in there, but it's evident that we can't win them all. Therefore, my options are disappointing. Saint Cloud State, UW-Eau Claire, etc. Sure, the other public schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin are fine, but they're not the academic caliber and size that I've REALLY been looking for, and that Madison has. Nowhere else has the solid national recognition, the amazing campus, the school spirit, the college town, the "smartness" of the students, or the all around ideal atmosphere for me that Madison has. It all just looks boring to me. In addition, I want to go somewhere where i'm NOT going to be the smartest kid in all my classes. (Not trying to be cocky, sorry) I've had that all through high school, and I actually want to feel more challenged and intimidated when I walk into a classroom, rather that sitting in the back corner bored because I already know everything that's being taught.. as I've done in high school.</p>

<p>I've submitted my intent to enroll forms at Winona State University in Minnesota. It's a fine school, sure, but I'm really not the least bit excited to go there. I've been watching 10-15 kids in my high school get accepted to Madison and talk about how excited they are to go there, and I can't help but think to myself: "Why can't I be you? I wanted that sooo much more than you did." And then I see the kids who say they got into Madison and are going elsewhere. That's an angering feeling. I know it sounds horribly selfish, and I admit that it is, but really, this rejection was NOT supposed to happen. It's always been the place for me, and I've known that pretty much forever.</p>

<p>So, I'm thinking about appealing my rejection. It says online that we have to "bring new light" to our application. My ACT score is already 33, so it's pretty difficult for me to raise it anymore (considering the fact the 33 was a major fluke, IMO). I've gotten about a 3.2 GPA so far senior year (I applied with a 3.6 UW/3.91 W), in a full out 7-AP-Class schedule.
I don't think this is the "new light" they're looking for though. I let them get to know me in my application essays, so they really know everything good about me that there is to know, EXCEPT the fact that getting into their school IS the one thing I want more than anything else. I can't even describe the heart-sinking feeling I got when that letter came.</p>

<p>So now that I'm done sounding like a selfish loser (which I'm really not intending to, sorry =/ ) I want to know more about appealing. Do you think it's worth it if you're REALLY that serious about coming to the school? I know transferring is an option, but my parents want me to remain in the same school for all 4 years. While I may be able to convince them against this, I'm not so confident at the moment. The website said that historically, most appeals lose. But obviously somebody's getting in, so maybe it can be me? </p>

<p>You can't give up on the one thing you want more than anything else. You can't take No for an answer without a fight.</p>

<p>If it's important, my stats were MN Resident, 3.6 UW/3.91W, 33 ACT, Top 25%, Competitive Public, Decent EC's, 3 Recs, good essays. I really thought it was good enough hahah.</p>

<p>Do you suggest I go through with this whole appeal deal or not? I really wish they had more information about it.</p>

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<p>You’re not being selfish. You should’ve been accepted. Appeal. </p>

<p>On a positive note, if you lose the appeal, I heard that WSU is actually quite amazing despite its impression of being lame.</p>

3

<p>It will not hurt you to try, so go through with it. You can only gain something by doing it, not lose.</p>

<p>Have you called them? I would call and ask in depth about it if you have any major questions, to make sure you follow the process correctly. Don’t ask about chances, because there’s no point to that. You are not the only student who’s going to be appealing, but I can’t imagine a significant portion of rejected students do.</p>

<p>Get started on it as soon as possible, and good luck if you decide to do it. There’s so much more to your application than what you’ve given us, but hey, maybe you were one of the students that slipped through the cracks. It happens. (Remember that your senior year grades do matter. Were you postponed first and had to send them in? That may have been a deciding factor because dropping down to a 3.2 is a pretty big drop. Or maybe they weren’t. Only they know.)</p>

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<p>Good for them. Clearly you, the kid going, do not want that. If they’re paying? Well, then let them go to a college all four years. In time, you can probably sway them. Why would they want you to be unhappy somewhere, just because you went there your freshman year? People transfer all the time, for whatever reason, and it can wind up being the best thing you ever did.</p>

<p>If you do get denied again remember that the time to start thinking about transferring is now, especially if you want to transfer for sophomore year. Look in to it. But hey, if you end up at Winona, you may love it. Give it a chance. :slight_smile: But good luck with your appeal. I strongly suggest doing it.</p>

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<p>^ Thanks so much! </p>

<p>I wasn’t postponed first. It was a straight-up rejection, so they’ve never seen the first semester grades. It was actually 4 A’s, a B (first B ever, everything else was a C and in math), and a C- in AP Stats. They aren’t amazing, I know, but math has never been my thing and I made that clear in my essays. I’m an english/social studies guy, and that’s what my major will pertain to. I’ve gotten an A in EVERY class in high school that wasn’t a math/chemistry class.</p>

<p>And yup… my parents are paying and at this point, I pretty much go wherever they tell me to go. My dad keeps saying “If you want to transfer to Madison, forget about getting ANY leadership positions or having ANY friends when you get there.” While that’s true in some respects, it’s for sure not turning me away at all. I was also informed that dual enrollment credits that I earned mostly last year won’t be accepted at Madison if I come there as a transfer, which is a serious rip off if you ask me. </p>

<p>Thanks for the support though. Everyone else thinks I’m crazy and that it won’t work. This is just insanely frustrating =/</p>

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<p>Don’t waste any more time obsessing about the school that rejected you. There are so many postponed students ahead of you in the line to get in it is a waste of your time and energy. They also may have as much desire as you do to attend UW. You need to take no for an answer and focus on your final semester in HS. Move on. Your gpa probably influenced the decision and that isn’t any better now. Do well at Winona State and see if you still want to transfer- parents could change their minds or you could love it there. Part of growing up is handling rejection and making the best of your options. Fishing for support on this site is not going to change the decision and prevents you from enjoying yourself.</p>

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<p>^ Why are you always SO blunt towards the kids that don’t get in? And who are you to tell me that it’s a waste of time to try to give myself a second chance? Sure, I’m more than aware my chances of winning the appeal are bleak, but seriously… a grown adult telling a determined teenager that they don’t even know that they’re “wasting time and energy” by taking an extra step to obtain their goals is pretty sad. Sorry.</p>

<p>I don’t understand why the adults on the UW board feel so empowered to belittle people. sheesh.</p>

<p>Anyways, I’m going to go through with it. We’ll see what happens…</p>

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<p>I’m still perplexed as to how you got straight up rejected. Good luck with your appeal. But just so you’re clear, your chances of succeeding are tiny. wis75 was correct in a way - it’s almost like you’re obsessing over what might have been. You can live a successful life with a degree from Winona State.</p>

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<p>Please don’t lump all the adults here together. :)</p>

<p>If you will regret not appealing, then do it. I think your first post indicated you realize the bad odds. If you didn’t address it in your original statements, one thing you may want to address is the incongruity between a top 25% ranking and a 33 ACT. UW may have taken it as a sign of under-achievement. </p>

<p>I guess I don’t understand your attitude about being the smartest kid in your classes but having a 25% ranking and the 33 ACT being a major fluke. There will be equally or smarter kids at Winona. Do they have an honors program?</p>

<p>My niece transferred to Madison from Winona after her freshman year. She wasn’t happy at Winona, almost exclusively for social reasons, not academic. Wanted the big school, big partying, big sports atmosphere etc. Have your folks said why they think you should attend the same school for 4 years? That really doesn’t make much sense as a general principle.</p>

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<p>Sometimes admissions counselors make bad decisions. If everything you’re telling us is true, this is just one of those times.</p>

<p>Incase you’re interested, you qualify for a scholarship that’d allow you to go to Iowa State for roughly the same price that Minnesota/UW would be. I took a quick glance at Winona State’s website, and Iowa State will be a much similar experience to what you’d get at UW than Winona would. Just saying.</p>

<p>… good luck!</p>

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<p>@ BrekfastChampion</p>

<p>Don’t give up on Madison, even if you lose your appeal. I attended UW-Oshkosh for 2 1/2 years before coming here and it was well worth it to make the switch (even if most transfer after 2 years, even 1). </p>

<p>Also, I understand what you are saying about “being the smartest student”. It’s hard to bring this subject up without sounding condescending, but I can say from personal experience that it is definitely not a statement without merit. I met smart people at UW-Oshkosh, but they are definitely the exception, not the norm. I’m not trying to be elitist or anything, it’s just the way it is.</p>

<p>That being said, you should make your appeal and if you lose it move on and focus on wherever you are going. If you get good grades you can even transfer after only 1 year. Also, don’t feel like you can’t learn a lot at whatever school you goto that you don’t really want to. I learned a lot at UW-Oshkosh and was taught by some terrific professors. They might not have the awards that professors here at Madison do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know what they are talking about.</p>

<p>Also, I wouldn’t bother with an honors program. If you want to transfer college classes are college classes, pick the ones that transfer the best. I took English 101 instead of honors English at UW-O despite taking AP Lit in high school (I only got a 3, hence the reason for me needing to take it in the first place). I got an A in the class, met some cool people, and it transferred to Madison the same as the honors English course would have. One of my friends also transferred to Madison from UW-O and he never took honors classes either. The regular classes are fine, especially if you plan on transferring.</p>

<p>If you need help convincing your parents to make the switch (which I had to do as well), focus on the academic reasons for transferring. They are real and tangible, it isn’t just a matter of Madison having a “better name.” Also, you can tell them that there are many successful transfer students here. I personally know three people who transferred from UW schools to Madison. There is nothing wrong with transferring, and many people do it.</p>

<p>Everybody is different, maybe you’ll like the school you end up going to. If you don’t, just transfer. I transferred from UW-O for academic and social reasons and despite that, I don’t regret my time there. I ended up where I wanted to be in the end, and that’s the important thing.</p>

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<p>Brekfast, I think its possible that barrons and Wis75 might be the same person. If not, they are really the same kind of sad loser types who sit around this site to poke fun at both parents and students who aren’t having an ideal time with their college admissions. Please understand that us NORMAL adults don’t react this way. I’m picturing this/these guys sitting around smoking cigarettes and playing on CC all day in between playing video games. They claim to have jobs but I really doubt they do.</p>

<p>Good luck in whatever you decide. I think a transfer might be a better decision, you certainly have the stats to ask again, WHY?</p>

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<p>Thanks guys. You’re right. Even if I lose the appeal, transferring shouldn’t be that much of an issue assuming I can get my parents swayed into letting me do it.</p>

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<p>Let’s face the hard truth: You were denied. No one wants you there. Forget about UW.</p>

<p>Honestly, transferring is a lousy idea. Why would you want to transfer to a school that didn’t want you in the first place?</p>

<p>Suck it up and learn to deal with rejection. I dealt with it, so you can too, k.</p>

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<p>Being blunt with a teenager- kiddo you are nearly an adult and I do not treat seniors in HS as if they need coddling. No, barrons and I are quite different. Better to state the truth than make someone feel good erroneously. The harshness comes with the refusal to face facts. It seems as though you figure if you keep pushing the issue you will get the answer you want. Life doesn’t work that way. There are many disappointed HS seniors who wanted to go to UW, the mature ones decide to move on.</p>

<p>Also- take advantage of everything Winona has to offer. You are in college to learn as much as you can, not just to get good grades to transfer. You will likely find any Honors classes more stimulating than the regular versions and meet the top students in them.</p>

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<p>You are unbelievable.</p>

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<p>(originally posted by HotIvy)
"Let’s face the hard truth: You were denied. No one wants you there. Forget about UW.</p>

<p>Honestly, transferring is a lousy idea. Why would you want to transfer to a school that didn’t want you in the first place?"</p>

<p>I disagree, transferring is a great idea. The reasons for the rejection aren’t clear, but regardless, if Madison is where he wants to be, he should get good grades at the college he goes to and then transfer there. The fact that Madison initially rejected him should have no bearing his future decision, holding some sort of vendetta against them because of it is irrational and unfounded.</p>

<p>(originally posted by wis75)
“Also- take advantage of everything Winona has to offer. You are in college to learn as much as you can, not just to get good grades to transfer. You will likely find any Honors classes more stimulating than the regular versions and meet the top students in them.”</p>

<p>I agree, you can learn a lot even if you aren’t at a school like Madison. I certainly did at UW-Oshkosh. I disagree about taking honors classes though, for the reasons I outlined in my previous post. It’s just my opinion though, I just don’t really feel like they are worth it.</p>

<p>@BrekfastChampion
Best of luck to you, if you need ideas to convince your parents about transferring I’m sure those can be readily had. Like I said in my previous post, I too had to convince my parents about transferring. Once they saw and realized fully what a great school Madison is and understood that my reasons for my transferring were heavily motivated by academics they fully supported me.</p>

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<p>Many students transfer into UW-Madison. You can get the breadth and basic courses for your major at any school then benefit from the advanced level courses at UW. This is the approach to use with your parents. I suggest the honors courses for your benefit- the peer group and intellectual stimulation. You may find many students in those classes that would have ended up at U of M or UW if there had been room for them.</p>

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<p>Plus those who chose those schools over UW and UM for various reasons.</p>

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<p>“a grown adult telling a determined teenager that they don’t even know that they’re “wasting time and energy” by taking an extra step to obtain their goals is pretty sad.”</p>

<p>agreed. the appeals process is there for a reason. u should definitely use it. being rejected outright with a 33 ACT & all of those APs is ridiculous.</p>

<p>“I don’t understand why the adults on the UW board feel so empowered to belittle people.”</p>

<p>■■■■■, u noticed this, too, eh?</p>

<p>firefighter40:“Brekfast, I think its possible that barrons and Wis75 might be the same person. If not, they are really the same kind of sad loser types who sit around this site to poke fun at both parents and students who aren’t having an ideal time with their college admissions. Please understand that us NORMAL adults don’t react this way. I’m picturing this/these guys sitting around smoking cigarettes and playing on CC all day in between playing video games. They claim to have jobs but I really doubt they do.”</p>

<p>BAHAHA, YES. new favorite adult on CC :D</p>

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<p>OP. It could be a mess-up with admissions but you did get rejected from UM so perhaps there is something wrong with your app. Contact your regional admissions person…we did when there was no movement on the application and YES test scores did not get in folder because of confusion over last name. Could it be that you received a negative letter of recommendation? Perhaps there was something offensive in your essay (you may not have seen it…so get a teacher to read it). The admissions probably can’t tell you specifically what the problem was but you should be prepared to send in one or two more recs or a new essay so ask the admissions person if that would be helpful. Use email first and approach in a humble way…not hysterical or dramatic…just, you feel that you are a good match, you are very disappointed, and would like to ask for an appeal…can you provide new documentation to support your case? My S had pretty low grades for full Ap/ib but also a double legacy and very good test scores. He has been admitted. You look a good fit based on stats, but the double rejection seems to say that there is something missing/wrong/negative about your app. There is no shame in asking, politely, for reconsideration and asking if you can provide more information to assist the committee. If it doesn’t work out give winona a good effort. If you do well but still unsatisfied, try transferring. Good luck!</p>