So basically i was waitlisted to tulane for ed2 which means i probably wont get in. i have a 26 ACT and 3.5 UW gpa, looking to major in poli sci. I guess my top decisions now are American(if i get in), UPitt(accepted already), and UDenver(accepted). i really am devistated after tulanes decision and dont have any excitement about these schools i have left lmao. what should i do from here?
You owe yourself a 24 hour pity party. Extra points for ice cream. It’s hard to hear that your application has been rejected, and very hard to separate that rejection of your application from a rejection of you. YOU weren’t rejected; they’ve never met you. Your application was rejected. There’s a huge difference.
OK, once that 24 hour pity party is over, you have two jobs:
- Find schools that you are likely to be accepted to that you can get excited about.
- Find out what it is about Pitt and Denver that has other kids excited. Join the Facebook pages for the Class of 2023. See what the kids are saying, why it was their number one choice. Their excitement is likely to be contagious, and allow yourself to catch it.
Last year, when my daughter was going through the process, our family mantra was “You will bloom where you’re planted.” You will end up in a school where you’ll live and learn and make friends and find your way. Just let go of Tulane and give yourself the opportunity to find that school.
It’s okay to be sad for a little while. If you have anything else to show Tulane, let them have it (prizes, etc) While you are right to be bracing for a rejection or WL from Tulane, good news from them could come!
Start doing research on Pitt and Denver to figure out where you would like to be. (I am a Pitt fan, but mostly because I don’t know many kids who have gone to Denver.) Those are two really fine options! @bjkmom gave great advice about the FB page.
Congratulations on your options!
Thanks so much for your response… it was super nice. I just joined the PITT facebook class, but im still having doubts. How do i disregard weather in my college decision? I loved tulane cuz it was warm and where im from (st louis) its not warm much unless its summer @bjkmom
@gardenstategal I will def keep them updated. How soon would u say would be too soon to email them?
I guess i need some more information about PITT. what makes u pick it over a school like denver? I probably would pick it too but is there any definite reasons other than not knoing anyone from denver?
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Not knowing anyone is not a reason to choose or not choose a school.
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If weather was really that important a criteria, why did you apply to mostly schools in cold/coldish places? think about that for a minute: if it really was that critical back in Oct/Nov/Dec, there are a bunch of southern schools that you would have been competitive for that you did not choose to apply to. Obviously, you have built up as a plus for Tulane, but it couldn’t have been that big a factor even a month ago- or you would have made different/additional application choices. So don’t get mired in it as a huge loss now.
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Think about why you applied to Pitt & Denver in the first place. Presumably you wrote a ‘why us’ essay for them. (even if you were writing it through Tulane goggles). Even if you picked them as ‘safeties’ or ‘fall backs’ you picked them over other possible ‘safeties’: why? what made them ‘less bad’ = better than other choices?
You have 2 strong choices in hand. You have 2 long shots out in the wild. I love @bjkmom s advice to spend (virtual) time with people who are excited about Pitt & Denver (just remember that who joins is not a full picture of the class).
You already have great advice above but I want to make one comment about the weather. Snow in college is fun! My daughter (freshman in the midwest) just had their first significant snow fall of the year. Students from the south saw snow for the first time and social media was flooded with happy students building snowmen, sledding, skating, etc… My daughter was out all day “playing” in the snow. She said it was an awesome weekend! Warm long coat and great boots are all you need to make winter magical!
PS. There is also good skiing near Pitt!
@yoelijah Pitt & DU are both great options! I have a son who is a junior at the University of Denver. He has had a great experience! The weather there is great (almost always sunny, even when cold.) Big snowfalls in the mountains, with pretty lighter snowfall in the city. Join the FB pages, follow them on Instagram and go to the accepted students days. I’ve written more about his experience in the DU EA 2023 tread. LMK if you have any questions.
Understandable that you’re disappointed. It was a reach, as you know. We’ve been seeing many rejections given to kids with sub ACT 32 scores.
You’re OOS for UPitt, are your parents willing to pay full OOS price for UPitt? If so, super. If not and you want WARM, then quickly apply to where you could get warmer weather.
Did your dad give you that specific amount? Do you have college savings? I only ask because that’s a lot if they’re paying out of current income.
There are still schools that would meet that cost that you would be accepted to that are in warmer weather.
You still have time to apply to Loyola New Orleans.
Rollins in Florida is worth a look. It’s a match with your stats, and the deadline is February 1.
The New College of Florida has rolling admissions, so get your application in ASAP if it looks like a good fit. They guarantee a minimum $15,000 scholarship to all admitted out-of-state students that knocks tuition/fees and room/board down to ~$25,000 a year.
If it helps, the two DU students my son knows and their families are so happy with the college it borders on creepy.
When it is cold up north you can always add another layer. There is nothing you can do when New Orleans gets that swamp heat except stay in the air conditioning.
One thing I would wonder about … when I was in school, I knew a number of kids who didn’t get in to their top choice, and went to a second choice, did well, and then transferred after 1.5 to 2 years to their first choice. At the end of the day, the degree is the same as long as you finish there. Just a thought.
I’d give an update in mid-Feb (if you have anything new to add.)
Pittsburgh is a great student town - lots of affordable stuff to do and very friendly people. Pitt alums have supported the school generously. Local employers, of which there are a lot, seem to be eager to provide jobs to kids from local colleges.
Thank u all for the responses! im gonna write a handwritten letter to tulane and pursue my interests at other schools
Sorry for the disappointment.
It also crossed my mind that you could still apply to Loyola if New Orleans was a big part of the appeal of Tulane. But then again, maybe being right next door to your first choice school wouldn’t be the healthiest thing.
Pitt and UDenver both have a lot going for them. Have you considered Miami of OH? It’s smaller than Pitt and has what I perceive as a more Tulane-like atmosphere (a little on the preppy side, with active Greek life)… and their application period is still open. It’s a high-match for you but certainly in range, especially if your weighted GPA is a lot higher than your unweighted. They have a great DC program that might interest you http://miamioh.edu/cas/academics/departments/political-science/academics/Inside-Washington/ Climate is pretty similar to Pittsburgh.
(Actually, while the temperature range is similar, Oxford OH gets only 18" average yearly snowfall, to Pittsburgh’s 27’, FWIW.)
Seconding Rollins, Loyola New Orleans, Miami Ohio.
What about Goucher? Loyola Maryland? Eckerd? Ole Miss? College of Charleston?
Run the NPC on all of these.
Double check budget with your father.