<p>I am going into my freshman year of college. I am attending a good public university and while I don't think I'll be unhappy there, I'm not particularly excited to be going to what was a safety I applied to "just in case." There are a few schools I absolutely loved which I was rejected at that I may try to transfer to. Please don't give me the lecture on "don't go into the school you're going to expecting to dislike it, give that school a chance, etc..." I'm going to give it a chance, perhaps by the second week of school I'll love it and never want to think about leaving. However, I don't see any harm in learning anything that could help me if I do decide to give my "dream schools" another shot. Penn and Georgetown are the schools I would most likely try to apply to again.</p>
<p>I remember my high school counselor mentioning casually mentioning something to the effect that in several cases in the past, either a student or the counselor has contacted the admissions counselor that was responsible for the student's application to try to get some information about what could have been improved or in essence what about the application was most responsible for the rejection. At the time I was kind of surprised that someone would contact the admissions office looking for that information, but now that I'm thinking about the possibility of transferring, I'm curious about it.</p>
<p>Is it ever OK for a student to email or call the adcom that was assigned to their region with a question such as "I was an unsuccessful applicant last year; I am still very much interested in your school, do you have any advice on how I could improve my application for a sophomore or junior transfer?"</p>
<p>I am posting this here because I am especially hearing perspectives on this from parents.</p>
<p>Well...here's my free advice. I wouldn't do ANYTHING at all about contacting any school re: transferring until mid year. By that time you will have a firmer feeling for the school you are attending. Also, to do so earlier would be a bit precipitous to the colleges, in my opinion. If you decide you want to transfer, you should have firm reasons for doing so, and you should be able to articulate THOSE reasons to the schools you wish to apply to. To be honest, after a semester at your current college, you may still want to transfer, but your choices of Penn and Georgetown may no longer look good to you. I know you weren't looking for this advice....but by writing to the rejected schools now, you do not really sound like you are keeping an open mind about your school. To be honest, if you hate the thought of going there that much, perhaps you should consider a worthwhile gap year and then reapply to colleges (you list may completely change).</p>
<p>I don't know about Georgetown, but the Penn admissions rep who was on the roadshow last year was very free about giving out her email address. I think it would be wise to contact your rep now, when they are not busy, to gain feedback about your app. They certainly would feel differently if you ask for feedback while in the admission process for a transfer app. I would think they wouldn't be as free to give feedback then. Wouldn't that compromise their process?</p>
<p>I was impressed at the presentation that Penn wanted to accept those for whom Penn was a first choice. Showing interest in transferring can't hurt. Did you apply EA? That might be the feedback answer. I have seen stats on that last year, and by my memory, there was a huge difference in the acceptance rate EA vs. regular.</p>
<p>I did not apply to Penn early which is a decision I majorly regret. I was thinking along the same lines -- that asking an adcom this now serves two purposes, to hopefully get some suggestions plus to express interest. I guess I was just looking for some people to confirm my suspicions or to warn me if admissions officers would take such an email unfavorably, or better yet, to actually hear from someone who has contacted an adcom with a similar request.</p>
<p>what harm would it do to ask...you will get:</p>
<p>um, we had so many applicants....blah blah blah (so no loss in asking)</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>you could get some concrete advice that would give you some direction and also show interest</p>
<p>I can;t imagine what harm an email can do...showing interest and not complaining about why they didn't take you shouldn't do any harm</p>
<p>and you have a good attitude and maybe in a year or two, you may still want to transfer, and by asking some questions, so will at least know what the possibilities are for transferring as a sophmore or junior, and what the schools you are potentially interested in wants in transfer students</p>
<p>2006dr
since you are asking for random parent input..I agree with Thumper. Focus on things like Orientation, making new friends and connecting with your first semester teachers and getting into the ethos/culture of the college that enrolled you. It is possible for instance that a new teacher will serve as a reference for you but only if you are your best self in the current college. I know it is tricky. Find at least a preliminary niche at your university. Don't talk a lot about being disatisfied with your safety school admission with your new friends, keeping in mind that for many of them your school was a first choice, and your restlessness/ambivalence should be a matter you freely confide about with a select group of people only. Maintain your EQ and realize that your college has a lot to offer for a person who is committed to it.</p>
<p>Your feelers to Georgetown/Penn are perfectly legit to consider. They are swamped with requests for transfer every year and so there is no reason you should not give a transfer application your full effort this winter or perhaps after two years when your identified major influences your path more clearly. But remain appreciative of what is in front of you. That is a trick in life, not just in college..not a cliche. </p>
<p>Most colleges in the US have excellent faculty members for instance although your peer group may be quite different from place to place. Volunteer somewhere and contribute in some way to campus life. </p>
<p>If you are set on transferring, consider adding in a school that has better odds than Penn and Georgetown if leaving is truly important to you. Rejections at Penn and Georgetown truly can be random and difficult to anticipate/predict so stay reality based on the odds. </p>
<p>You do not have to dislike School A to still be considering an application to Schools B and C. So no one equates a transfer application with devaluing your current university. You can find a way to convey this when you do applications.</p>
<p>People including adcoms are always attracted to positive energy. In my opinion, you can convey a balanced, constructive persona best by embracing your current university with an open heart and with out any preliminary judgments. Then your paragraphs of inquiry or your formal application that follows will be couched in a voice of reason and personal preferences or sense that you match better at Colleges B and C. Life is full of personal preferences and journeys about where one fits in. </p>
<p>Here's hoping that you meet some great students and teachers in a few weeks, and best wishes as you sort out where you belong for college.</p>
<p>In senior year (this past Spring) a friend's son was rejected (ie not waitlisted but flatout rejected) by the school that was his first choice. He called the admissions office, requested a review and in-person interview. He went up there, he made his case, and they decided to take him right on the spot. He was a full-payer. The school was a large University.</p>
<p>Follow up never hurts, at least it does not hurt your future prospects. As others have said, at worst you get no response or one with generic information. At best, you get honest feedback and an opportunity to begin a dialogue.</p>
<p>One word of caution: If you do get a useful response, avoid at all cost being a pest just because you connected with the rep.</p>
LOL.... I'll bet that part didn't hurt a bit. </p>
<p>Anyway I agree that there's no harm in asking. In some cases it can result in a useful answer -- some perceived deficiency that can be rectified along the way. </p>
<p>Just be aware that even a factually correct answer might be an oversimplification. If an ad com says that the problem was that the applicant's test scores weren't high enough, it does not mean that the applicant would have gotten in with better scores or that the student ought to retake the SAT again. At highly competitive colleges, the real reason for rejection is often not anything wrong with the applicant, but simply the fact that the application wasn't strong enough to rise above the competition.</p>
<p>My opinion is that you should contact the counselors now, and explain that your situation--that you are certainly going to go into your college with a good attitude, and would like to get closure on this issue in the event you choose to transfer. The reason I would call now is because your files may not be so accessible later in the year, or not even be there. Your admissions counselor may be gone. The office is not swamped at this time of the year as it will be mid year. THe advice they may give you could help you plan your first semester at your college.<br>
If you were a viable candidate, but just not accepted because the spaces ran out after accepting the top applicants, a sterling record at your college could make a difference. You also need to check how friendly these school are about transfers. Many of the top schools take transfers only if there the school the student is in does not offer what he wants in pursuit of his education.</p>
<p>Assuming you learned the reason(s) why you were not accepted as a freshman applicant, would it help you transfer? My guess is that colleges look at different qualities in transfer students than in freshman applicants. For instance, SATs and high school GPAs are obviously a big issue for freshman applicants but I suspect your college grades and the quality of your freshman year education will take precedence as a potential transfer student. </p>
<p>I believe you when you say you will give your current college a fair chance and that you also want to keep your transfer options open. It's okay to think about the past and why you weren't accepted but it would also be good to think ahead to what it takes to transfer. I suggest you look at the Transfer Students Forum for ideas about how transfers work and what colleges like Penn and Georgetown consider.</p>
<p>I'd inquire now because the records are still presumabl accessible. I don't know how long they hang on to rejects if at all. I don't think there's any downside. But as others have pointed out your acceptance as a transfer student may hang on very different things. Good luck!</p>
<p>BTW I also know of one person who was able to transform a rejection into an acceptance. (At U. of Delaware I believe.) He had been to two different high schools and had had a very difficult time at the first one. He made his case in person and it worked.</p>