Hey everyone! I have been accepted into several great universities (including Northeastern, etc.) and am still waiting for final results. I was, unfortunately, not accepted into Boston University, but I received a strange offer I had never heard of before that seems a bit strange. BU admissions said they couldn’t accept me now, but would 100% guarantee me a spot next year as a transfer student. So basically it’s like I’ve been accepted, but not for another year–which seems odd.
Just as a quick run down, my stats are:
SAT–2170
GPA–3.8 (unweighted)…higher recalculated due to high level of AP and post-AP courses I have taken
Many scholarships and awards throughout HS, including full scholarship to study in a biology laboratory course at Stanford University this past summer and full high school scholarship since transferring schools junior year
Tons of ECs, including student government, president and founder of a club, and member of about 8 others
Varsity letter in cross-country
Concert harpist, and member of many orchestras, including the MIT orchestra–I have also performed off-Broadway
Have had a paid job (senior year)
Lots of hours of community service with Toys for Tots, the Memory Project, Stop Hunger Now, My New Red Shoes, etc.
I think I had pretty good essays, and I know my two teacher recommendations were outstanding. I go to a very VERY tough school (in top 10 in the US), but I think my counselor recommendation was likely mediocre because I don’t know the counselor well and I don’t know what she thought of me.
Anyway, given the fact that I have been offered guarunteed admission in the fall of 2016 and have (I think) pretty good stats, does anyone think it would be a good idea to appeal my admissions decision? I have compelling new academic information to present not present on my application, including being awarded an Air Force ROTC scholarship (which is awarded to 10% of applicants from a national pool) that covers a substantial amount tuition etc. I have personally spoken to the AF Detachment at BU, and they seemed to really want me. Given this information, do you think I have a chance at convincing the BU admissions department to overturn my decision and hopefully accept me?
No idea but can the AF Detachment contact admissions on your behalf? I honestly cannot believe you were accepted in this manner given your statistics
That’s what I’m hoping! I’m going to call them and see what they can do, because two other colleges (TCU and SJSU) that I didn’t even apply to said their AF departments would try to get me in and give me full rides. And yeah I’m a bit surprised too, but hey, I know it’s all a gamble with college admissions. Has anyone appealed to BU before, and does my new info seem strong enough to overturn a decision like that?
You may want to reevaluate your options in general in a good way. I have no info on ROTC and its value but it sounds like these other schools are valuing it highly. I would contact AF departments in schools that you have some interest in, even ones you never applied to, and see if they will match SJSU and the other schools. Also if you applied for FA to BU, and this reduces your need (assuming they would have met it to begin with) that is also relevant. Also, it depends if money is even an issue.
Again no idea of the value, but the reality is that all schools can do whatever they want if they really want someone. Usually they would have known that last September but since this is new information I would put it out there and see what you get back. Speak to your GC, send her an email today, and see her Monday morning, who should hopefully know about it. It is unfortunate that you did not get to know her but the year is not over. They can often be your best advocate. Plus I am surprised that your school can be top 10 nationally with a subpar guidance department since this hurts admissions and she or the department is subpar if she is so overloaded that she did not get a chance to know you, I met my couselor a year ago and we talk almost daily.
Thanks for the advice! ROTC seems to be valued highly at BU as well as those other schools based on my discussions with the AF detachment there, and I have also applied for FA to BU, so I have quite a bit of grant money right now (which is good because without the AFROTC there is no way I could have afforded any college). I am going to personally call both admissions and AFROTC detachment at BU to ask about what AF can do, what specific appeal process is, and then meet with my GC hopefully on Monday to see what she says and to start writing my appeal. the GC is new this year and I talked to her a bit in the summer as well as tons of times throughout the year, but don’t have a great close relationship with her like I did with my last school’s GC; I know most of the other counselors now super well, but figures the one I don’t know too well got assigned to certain students this past year including me. The average SAT at my school is like a 2100+, there are like kids going to the Olympics etc., and a lot of kids get into Ivies-- so I’m sure she was comparing me a lot to other kids at my specific school, probably not extremely favorably lol
I have also been rejected by BU, and if I were in your place I would definitely appeal. I was also planning on appealing too but I’m not sure how, and I haven’t found any requirements/deadlines on their website for appealing an admission. Considering your stats, I’m quite confused as to why you didn’t get accepted. If you decide to appeal, I wish you the best of luck!
what the heck. i honestly believe that BU just grabbed a random amount of people from the accepted pool of CAS who they thought had MUCH interest in the school based of the essay and then granted them the guaranteed transfer option. the same thing happened to me too btw (except lower stats lol)
I guess this can be a blessing though. You save money depending on where you go and you get the general education classes out of the way at school. It’s only one year but you got accepted to a whole bunch of other really good schools so you should consider going to those (if you’re unhappy transfer to BU). I think you have good options.
No harm in appealing! Thanks for speaking up guys, and @97greencows BU doesn’t have a formal appeal process I think, but I’m talking to my counselor today, and after that calling up BU admissions to ask. @llegeAcceptanc I did some research and I think it’s a way to lower admissions rate while guaranteeing that people that really wanted BU get to go, so in my book I don’t like it and think it’s wrong (I read something about the process in the NY Times I think). Good luck to you guys! The only reason I’m appealing at all is because the Air Force scholarship I have should be activated at the university I attend in freshman year, so I’m not sure how that would all shake out with transferring. I have hope though, and I’ll let everyone know what happens, just in case anyone else has this happen to them sometime.