So I’m in a bit of a situation. I applied to two high ranking US liberal arts colleges as a transfer to begin in January 2019, after completing one year here in the UK, and then taking a semester off. I was not expecting absolutely anything from it - my ACT was average and I had gotten a couple of C’s throughout the year (though this is common at my university, and I believe one of my recommenders made the ad coms aware of this).
Anyway, I knew I had a first choice in mind, and in November I went to visit both - one in the city, one in the middle of nowhere. I ended up completely falling in love with my second choice, but was still happy to attend previous first choice too should it come to it. I have some family ties to one of the schools which ended up being more influential in my love for the school than I thought it would be.
Yesterday I was not chosen for admission to my top choice, but was for my second choice, which I was still over the moon about. HOWEVER, I then received an email from a professor I became close with at the school, informing me I was pretty much guaranteed admission in the Fall, granted I retake my ACT and produce a higher score ( which I believe I can do with practice). Apparently I made it down to the “final cut”, but my ACT was the final deciding factor amongst other stronger academic applicants. They also suggested I take some classes somewhere, to show I can maintain good grades.
So now I’m really, really stuck. To be honest I never even thought I’d get into one school at all so I’m pretty floored. Part of me truly believes I should take the place at the other school, since I believe in the whole “bloom where you are planted”, but part of me also really desires to go to my favourite place. I feel it might loom over me if I don’t at least consider it as an option. But would it be a terrible idea to go to my second choice, get good grades, only to then have to ask 4 months in for transfer recommendations and reports? I’m so stuck and would love some advice. I’m also an international student, so this is all quite up in the air.
I really do fear that a big city school might overwhelm me, in comparison to a smaller school with a tighter community.
Sorry for the ramble, hope everyone can understand…!
This is from your old thread, why do they want a higher ACT? 1530 is 35. That does NOT sound right. Considering your completed college freshman year it seems odd that any school would have you finesse a test score that they would consider. What was your ACT and why would you submit it over your SAT?
It just occurred to me, is your SAT the old one? That would seem really unlikely but you repeat your scores are low in other threads. that is like a 22 ACT, is that about right?
@Sybylla forgive me. I never re-read my thread, but I mistyped my SAT score - it’s a 1350, not a 1530 (mix up of the two numbers). I type far too fast and do not often spell check on forums. Sorry! I have an ACT of 32 though, but my maths score is very low, and I didn’t do the writing, so perhaps that’s why they want me to retake.
32 is a pretty decent score. Math is very doable to improve as you probably didn’t do math beyond 16 right? ACT improvement on science and math might work for you. Your English and reading are excellent? Writing ACT req is school dependent but you have A levels, I suspect they won’t care. You will have proven essay skills.
ACT math is probably just about revision for you (you are a long time out of math). Science is strategy /data interpretation/reading comprehension with the odd corker thrown in. What are your sub scores?
Unfortunately yes, I only did Math up to GCSE. I can definitely improve my math with a little bit more work. I also only took it once, so I’m sure getting used to the CBT will help with scores as well.
Subscores: 26 on Math, 29 Science, 35 Reading, 36 English.
Really my worry here is what to do next. Though I know I can improve my ACT, I don’t know what the best course of action is.
Yes I considered asking for fall deferral but their website says it’s very unlikely. I also believe my “dream school” would like to see grades from college of some sort, and it’s just not possible for me at such a late stage to consider doing that in the UK as there isn’t really a community college system in place for you to pick up courses for grades, if that makes sense.
Is the professor prepared to guarantee you admission in writing, contingent on a particular ACT score? I’m guessing not?
My inclination would be to go with “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” in this instance. There are things that would worry me tbh. What happens if you end up having a bad act test day? How many times are you able to (timewise and prep-wise) take the act? What happens if your classes elsewhere don’t result in grades good enough for them? What if they suddenly get a really strong contingent of applicants next time and your higher act still isn’t high enough? If that level of uncertainty isn’t a problem for you, then it may make sense to try for #1. For me it would be too much, especially if I couldn’t get a proper guarantee of admission contingent on score, etc.
@SJ2727 so the prof is willing to create a lengthy write-up/LOR to add to my file, and I think what they were trying to assert is rather that if I show I’m willing to retake a test like the ACT to improve my chances of admission, then that’s a pretty good indication of commitment.
I would be entirely content on completing my college career at the school I’ve been admitted to. I ended up only applying to two so these two were my favourites whittled down from a long list. I just can’t help but feel like I might always have the possibility of going to the other school looming over me.
The grade thing for sure, is an odd request, even for a US student in your field of interest, theoretically your UK freshman and A levels would really put you at near junior standing in a US uni in lib arts (but not in specialty course progression, but beyond CC). Do you have any more detail about what classes they want you to take as proof?
I’m surprised you got so much feedback on what is essentially a deferral. This is very, very uncommon. If you could turn that into conditional acceptance, that’d be great. If not, I would stick with the “bird in hand”.
@gardenstategal I know the head of the department I wanted to go into very well, and they requested more information on why I was rejected! So I’m pretty lucky in that sense. Not sure what to do next.
That’s helpful. What it says, though, is that the department does not actually have real pull or they’d have gotten you in. And there’s no assurance that with those improved stats in another decision round that there wouldn’t be someone they liked better. But it sounds like you really don’t want to go to the #2 unless you have complete closure on #1. I would agree that deferring at #2 until you can retest and reapply at #1 makes sense, if doable.
So, the department responded to an audition tape I submitted as their input. This time around however, they would attach a letter from the department as a whole detailing why I should be accepted. They were told this would carry a lot more weight as they are going out of their way, rather than routinely responding to something.
I would go to the scool where you are accepted. Is the department telling you to improve your ACT or is that coming from admissions? Either way I would be very skeptical of a school that placed that kind of emphasis on a test score. Taking more college classes to prove yourself now is a ridiculous waste of your time.
And realistically you need to look at written policy as to either they would even accept this ACT taken so far out of high school (you are closing on 2 years by admission in the fall). If this is Middlebury, the average ACT is 31, with (29-33 25/75th%). It is not like you are an outlier should your talent be the hook. It seems you might want to asses the validity of this promise with admissions vs the prof. You HAVE A levels, you have grades from Edinburgh, the ACT resit sounds unnecessary or a snow job.
Hi everyone. Just an update - I put down the deposit for my accepted school and am now very excitedly waiting to move in January. I am reminded of the quote 'if you aren’t with the one you love, love the one you’re with…".
Thank you so much for coming on this crazy journey with me! Good luck to you all in life.
