"Imo, colleges are better at both recognizing a lack of interest and a not great fit "
WashU btw did not have a supplemental essay until recently so there really was no way for them to figure out who was really interested since they didn’t have a why us and was going off the common app essay. They did this to get more applicants of course.
Now they added the essay because they wanted to improve their yield. They also consider demonstrated interest so a waitlist is actually not that bad if the OP in fact did not visit or show any interest.
I didn’t visit or show any interest, also applied super last minute. Not sure what they look at but this makes me feel better! Maybe the fact that I applied for one of their writing scholarships (did not get it) showed them some interest.
"This is also surprising. As a alumni admissions interviewer, we are instructed never to bring students into our homes. Please make sure you bring someone along with you (parent, etc). "
In the good old days when we applied in the 80s, I think all the interviews were in the homes of the alumni interviewer. You had to get the interview of course from a place like Princeton.
“Maybe the fact that I applied for one of their writing scholarships (did not get it) showed them some interest.”
If you’re really interested now in WashU, you can send a letter of continued interest, contact the adcom responsible for your region. Even though I’d lean to bio/spanish at UM LSA.
Rejected from Georgetown, accepted into URochester with awesome merit and they wrote about me personally and my accomplishments (French horn) in my acceptance letter
Still really upset about Georgetown but life goes on
Sorry about Georgetown- but thrilled about your URochester win. Can’t overstate the value of going where they really want you! Congratulations ?
@benandjerrys101 can you update on all 15-16 schools you applied to?
Yes! @UGG2023
- EA: Princeton (Deferred)
- EA: UMASS Amherst (Accepted into honors college)
- EA: University of Michigan (Deferred and then accepted)
The rest are RD
- Georgetown (Reach) Rejected
- Lehigh (Match) Waitlisted??
- University of Rochester (Match) Accepted with merit
- Cornell (Reach)
- UPenn (Reach)
- Brown (Reach)
- Tufts (Reach because of yield protection)
- WashU in St. Louis (Reach I assume) Waitlisted
- Fordham (Safety) Accepted with merit
- Yale (Reach)
- Johns Hopkins (Reach) Rejected
Just received the news about Lehigh… very confused. I know I’m not obligated to be accepted but my ACT is definitely on the higher end of who they normally accept and I really thought I was qualified. Would not have chosen Lehigh over UMich most likely but the decision worries me for the Ivies and Tufts as my chances are looking pretty bleak now.
Starting to believe I should be expecting 6 outright rejections on Thursday.
@benandjerrys101 My DD was accepted at Lehigh last year but visited 3 times including interviewing on campus (we live 1.5 hours away). Just to give you perspective, she was rejected from 5 reaches (including 1 ivy-legacy), and waitlisted at 1 reach, waitlisted at 3 matches, and waitlisted even at 1 safety. She applied to 15 schools and had 5 rejections (4 reach, 1 match), 5 waitlists (1 reach, 3 match, 1 safety), and 5 acceptances (3 match, 2 safety)
It was recommended by her advisor that out of 15 applications, no more than 5 should be reaches, and that we should not count on any of those because the chance of rejection was 90+%
Your list is very very reach heavy (they are reaches for everyone) but you have 4 acceptances already so that’s good. Please update when you find out!
Lehigh is very big on demonstrated interested. That was a school we absolutely made a point of visiting. D also did an interview with admissions, followed them on social media, responded to additional scholarship requests, etc…
Well, tonight is the night I get my last 6 decisions… in 40 minutes. Based on these decisions I know where I’ll be attending college. My stomach is in knots and my expectations are low.
Well here are the final results. Very sad
- EA: Princeton (Deferred) Rejected
- EA: UMASS Amherst (Accepted into honors college)
- EA: University of Michigan (Deferred and then accepted)
The rest are RD
- Georgetown (Reach) Rejected
- Lehigh (Match) Waitlisted??
- University of Rochester (Match) Accepted with merit
- Cornell (Reach) Waitlisted
- UPenn (Reach) Rejected
- Brown (Reach) Rejected
- Tufts (Reach because of yield protection) Rejected (didn't do an interview)
- WashU in St. Louis (Reach I assume) Waitlisted
- Fordham (Safety) Accepted with merit
- Yale (Reach) Rejected
- Johns Hopkins (Reach) Rejected
Here’s a clearer outline:
Acceptances:
- UMASS Amherst Honors College
- University of Michigan
- Fordham w merit
- University of Rochester w merit
Waitlists:
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Cornell
- Lehigh
Rejections:
- Princeton
- Georgetown
- UPenn
- Brown
- Tufts
- Yale
- Johns Hopkins
I haven’t heard from anyone from my school that got accepted to an ivy and now my dream school doesn’t want me and it hurts a lot.
I don’t think I could have tried any harder and that’s the worst part about it.
I regret all of the work I did for these applications and all of the hope I had… this process has not been fun and I don’t think it went at all the way I had envisioned
I’m sorry that things did not work out as you wanted. You have 4 acceptances, 3 waitlists, and 7 rejections. Based on my experience with my DD, those are fairy typical results. (She had 5,5,5 last year) your list was heavily weighted with reaches so it seems reasonable that your results were weighted that way. I know you are sad right now, feel like you have wasted your time trying hard, and that is OK, and it will take a few days for that to go away. When you are able, start to think about the options you do have. Which of your acceptances offers the best education for your money? Will you accept positions on any of the waitlists and write letters of continued interest?
Please know that you are not alone in your disappointment, many others are as well. My DD went thru the same thing last year, felt like she wasted her time working so hard for grades and scores, high stats and rejected from UPenn and (was a multi gen legacy). She threw that Penn sweatshirt right into the trash! She is now very very happy where she ended up. She now feels like it’s where she was meant to be,
I would prioritize Rochester and Michigan as your top choices, as they probably fit your interests (premed, music, foreign language) better.
Lehigh accepted me off of the waitlist like two weeks after they waitlisted me. Strange. Feels like a yield protection game. I wont be accepting their offer.
I have seen folks with similar stats getting accepted base on the Essays. So make sure they are stellar and you will have a good chance. All the Best!!
Update for everyone: I have paid my deposit for University of Michigan, but Cornell emailed me today saying to confirm interest because I was at the top of their waitlist and they are looking to take kids off the waitlist starting in May! I am definitely excited about the fact that I got the email, but I also have really gotten to know Michigan!
Thank you for the update- and congrats on the head’s up on Cornell! This process can be rough, but look at how far you have come. Guessing you are no longer regretting all that hard work?!
@benandjerrys101 michigan is amazing !! congrats. sorry it didn’t go as you wanted it to.