Are there some colleges that take into account extenuating circumstances more or less?

Applying to College
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Hi there,

I’m wondering if anyone has any knowledge about schools that weigh in extenuating circumstances on apps more than the average school or less than the average school. For example if a student got a lower GPA due to these circumstances and College A takes this into account and waitlists/accepts them where normally an applicant without these extenuating circumstances would be denied VS a school that would be more likely to deny a student anyway although their regular stats are good.

Personally I got denied from a school that has a significantly higher acceptance rate than another that I got waitlisted at with a big scholarship offer; the grade drop I had was pretty noticeable but I wrote why in my additional comments. Or maybe this was just a case of one school not thinking I would fit well?

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One never knows why they are rejected. Could be grades, fit, yield protection, the AO woke up on the wrong side of bed or more.

One also doesn’t know how the additional info section is used. One school may take into account.

Another may not.

You’ll never know why you were rejected so there’s no reason to overthink it.

If you were WL how did u get a big offer ??

Acceptance rates alone are not a fair way to compare schools because the average student is likely different.

Move on and find a school to love u. Let this one go.

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The school I was offered a waitlist to said that if admitted off the waitlist I would receive a merit scholarship of $24k per year

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Well, depending on the school, most don’t get off the waitlist.

Any school that is offering merit like that is saying - we need bodies and the sticker price is never paid - our real price is x school minus $24K.

You can look at the common data set section c and see how many got off the WL last year - and tell the school and I’ll look for you.

I find that hard to believe a school would say this though. Are you sure you’re not mis-reading.

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The school in question is Denison University; I tried to look up the CDS but they don’t release it. They only release their own “fast facts” on their website which lacks the the waitlist admit rate.

My status update says:

“Should you choose to accept a place on Denison’s waitlist and be admitted, based on your qualifications you will receive a Tyree/Parajon Scholarship , valued at $24,000 per year.”

I also got extra grant money added to the financial aid calculation as well

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Oh - they meet 100% of need - so that could be why. Between the grant and scholarship, they’ll meet your EFC.

You are correct - no CDS.

I would not count on a wait list. Many top schools take few if any and while Dennison isn’t top, it’s strong. Some schools have huge wait lists. Case Western, for example, 30% of all applicants - literally 10K of 30K.

Who is your top choice where you’ve been accepted? tThat’s where you should focus.

Who rejected you - the school you said was easier.

Right or wrong, this data is from College Data.

2,140 offered WL

313 Accepted

107 admitted from WL

Denison University Acceptance Rate | CollegeData

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So they are asking you to commit your love for them while they protect their yield. Drop them a “interested” note and see where you land. You do not need to be manipulated, but at some point you liked the college enough to apply.

That is separate from the other school. Move on from that one.

Where have you been accepted that you are interested in attending and can afford? That is where you need to focus your time.

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I’ve only gotten a few decisions so far, but southwestern university is one that gave me good aid at this point

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I was an out-of-state applicant for uc davis and was denied and the 2021 oos acceptance rate was hovering around 70%-80%. I am assuming it went lower this year, but not to the point of Denison’s rate. I’m waiting for most of my decisions still since I applied RD only

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Have you been to any schools - have you found a favorite, etc?

Southwestern is much easier to get into Dennison.

What is the “easier” school you were surprised turned you down?

Given the # that Dennison offers WL to, I would not read much into it (sorry)…if it comes through later, great…but mentally, consider it a no because you’ll need to commit to somewhere by May 1.

If Southwestern is your top choice, have you gone to TX? If they showed you love, see if you can show them love back - meaning go and experience and if you like it, it’s got a great rep.

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I haven’t been to any schools in person because I live in quite a rural area and expenses would be too much, but I have emailed back and forth with some faculty of colleges to show my interest.

As of now, my top college pick is Occidental College. Some others I also am very interested include Lehigh, Syracuse, Villanova, Tufts, Skidmore, Boston U, Colgate and George Washington. I would say these are all reaches except Lehigh & Syracuse being march/targets (potentially GWU).

I have emailed back and forth with Southwestern staff some to show my interest.

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No clue what your GPA is and rigor (don’t forget, UC doesn’t count 9th grade) - wow, Davis is so different than these other small schools.

UCD, in the latest common data set was 46% - so i can’t imagine OOS was 70-80%. Additionally, the UCs are looking at cutting OOS admission - not sure if it took place yet.

I would not say UC Davis is an easier admit than Dennison - an acceptance rate alone is not enough for a comparison as the level of students who apply to both are different.

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What state are you in? I’ll assume TX as Southwest is big there.

So I assume you have significant need?

Occidental meets 100% need - so that’s good.

Syracuse is stingy - so it’s unlikely - my alma mater.

GW easier than Lehigh I believe - also not a cheap school like Syracuse - so if you have need, it’s likely not going to happen. GW is very urban - so it’s for a student who can handle that. They don’t even have a dining hall…

So right now you’ve heard from Southwestern (in), Dennison and UC Davis - no and then await Nova, Tufts, Skidmore, BU, Colgate and GW?

Several of these meet need - but yes, I’d agree if you were WL at Dennison, will be unlikely.

If SW is affordable, it’s not a horrible spot - but it’s unknown outside of TX (most students are local).

btw - since you did Davis, and not sure your GPA, ACT, etc. but if money is an issue, schools like Arizona, Alabama, UAH (smaller) have unbelievable merit air…Davis is big hence I mention them. You can still apply and get the $$.

You really need to find a way to get to campus if you can. If not, virtual tours - you have to spend four years there - day after day so you want to make sure, if possible, it’s a solid fit.

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I am a student in Arizona and applied to my state schools and only received an $8k scholarship per year — no other financial aid for some reason so the total cost is $23k per year in comparison to Denison’s proposed $8k per year.

Interestingly I believe for scholarships and admissions Arizona schools consider only GPA and course rigor according to the CDS, so since my extenuating circumstances dropped me from a 3.9 UW to 3.51 UW I still was only offered $8k because 3.5 is the $8k scholarship. This leads back to my original post about extenuating circumstances because honestly I am surprised I was not denied outright at Denison and was even offered a hefty merit scholarship — I thought that my big GPA drop would get me out of the running, but I guess they took into my additional info notes into account. I also went test optional for almost schools, but not Southwestern.

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It depends. If the applicant has something that the school wants, such as diversity, money, full-pay, athletic ability, etc, then the school would be more likely to overlook poor grades due to extenuating circumstances. If the school doesn’t need that student, they’ll just reject them.

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If you like Denison (i do!), accept your WL spot. I really like their practice of telling students how much merit they’ll get if the school admits them. It allows students to decide if they would be interested at that price before committing to the WL. For some, the school may still be too expensive.

Schools maintain big WL because it’s impossible to know who will ultimately choose to enroll. On May 1, they may need only boys. Or students interested in classics. Don’t count on getting in - make plans as if it won’t happen. But you just might get lucky…

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Denison cost before aid is $76k. You say they gave you a $24k scholarship. How does that get you to $8k? Did they also give a lot of need based aid?

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I also got another grant added in the financial aid calculation the gave me

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U of Aconsiders UW GPA. if u r 3.9 or above u r golden.

A school with a table is not making a subjective decision. So your additional info won’t make an impact.

You did not get into Dennison. Sorry to say it like this. A WL offer is a hedge. For them. In case they need you. But they offer too many. But you were rejected. You need to mentally see it as that.

Dennison is a 100% meets need school. The merit made u feel good but truth is if they take you, your cost is going to be $8k bcuz that’s what they determine your need to be. Doesn’t matter how you get there.

Most likely on the WL they will grab full pay or higher pay students. Typically with the WL they are making a business decision. You are not a good investment if they need to pay $70k for you. Just being honest.

Sure do your LOCI bit mentally move on. What’s your best offer ? Southwestern ? Can u afford it ?

You can compare others as they come in but I worry that you applied to schools you won’t be able to afford. Gw. Syracuse. UC Davis etc.

Do you have an sat/act. If so check out Alabama and UAH. U can score big with a 3.5 if you have a good test.

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I agree that if you’re still interested in Denison (which it sounds like you are) to write a letter of continued interest and accept your spot on the waitlist.

Can you afford any of the schools that have accepted you? Can you afford Southwestern’s offer? I would definitely look at online tours at Southwestern and investigate everything you can about it (do you know of any students that attend there)? Southwestern is a great school and there are many happy students and alums from there. But it’s always best to know what you’re getting yourself into.

Also, what is your intended major (if you have one)? Is it a field that is best as a direct entry from high school because it’s super competitive to get into the major at the college? Or is it a major that is usually not too competitive to get into?