Recently gotten rejected by Northeastern which was my third top choice. My top two are JHU and Cornell. I also have Bates on my list. Looking at all these threads of superhuman students with unbelievable scores, ec’s, and credentials I am practically hopeless. I know that its a numbers and luck game with these schools, but I want to keep hope. So have any of you gotten rejected from a less prestigious/selective school, but have gotten in to one that was more prestigious?
It is possible for the following reasons:
a. If the less selective school considers “level of applicant’s interest” and you appear to be “overqualified” and do not play the interest game.
b. If what the less selective school looks for does not match your profile as well as what the more selective school looks for. For example, different schools weight grades, rank, and test scores differently (and that is before getting to how they evaluate subjectively-graded aspects like essays, extracurriculars, etc. differently).
c. If you applied to a major or division that is more competitive at the less selective school, but less competitive at the more selective school.
I have absolutely heard of this happening before. Keep your chin up.
There have been threads on cc (can’t remember names), and Facebook postings of kids holding up rejection postings from very good “university U”, yet acceptance into Harvard and Yale. There are others much more knowledgeable than I that may be able to give concrete reasons why.
Keep hope and us posted on how you fare. Good luck!
JHU and Cornell have acceptance rates in the teens. They are reaches for everyone. I assume you applied to more than just those four colleges? Bates and Northeastern have acceptance rates below 30%. They are hard to get into. It doesn’t have to mean you will be shut out of the schools you haven’t heard from yet.
I don’t think it is a good idea to try and foster hope that you will somehow be the lucky one who gets into JHU or Cornell, despite having an ACT score that is below their average… I have seen plenty of people get turned down by collegs not as selective as others they got into. I have seen more people get shut out of all their top choices. The best thing for you to do is to stay positive about the ones you have a good shot at.
I saw your post on the Bates thread, and your stats are good. You might get in, you might not. At this time last year, my D was waiting to hear back from Bates too. Before that happened though, she focussed on the schools she had a good chance of getting into, and the EA schools she had been accepted to. Keeping herself busy with school work and researching those colleges kept her mind off the waiting game. For now, focus on your safeties and don’t dwell on the reaches. Those schools use holistic admissions and it’s futile to worry about whether or not you have what they are looking for.
Happens all the time.
A girl who graduated from my school last year applied to four colleges: a safety, two in Canada, and Columbia. She was only accepted to Columbia. I mean if that doesn’t prove the point I don’t know what will.
Depends on your major and how competitive is your major at the college. Also, how hard you worked on your application. How interested you appear to be in the college. IMO those colleges you mentioned are not so different in levels.