Hello! I’m, at the time of writing this, a high-school senior. I will be attending the University of Florida in the Summer B 2019 Term. I could not be more excited, and I am so glad I have been given this opportunity, but I can still sympathize with those who thought UF was a dream school. I originally got rejected from the UF Class of 2022, and I was absolutely devastated…for about a day. Because I made sure to keep in my mind that UF was a very competitive school, and I had to make sure that I had all my bases covered, so I couldn’t just apply to one school. Once I finished my application, I even had worries that my appeal would have been denied and that I would have to go to the next best school that had accepted me. But the good thing is that I actually made sure that I was emotionally ready for when any hope for becoming a gator was demolished. And, after making so many preparations and, more or less, falling in love with the University of Central Florida campus, I was ready to leave my house and go onto Orlando. But then I get a letter in the mail with the word “CONGRATULATIONS!” in big, bold letters to let me know my hard work has paid off. I couldn’t believe it. So now I have to uproot all of my previous plans to go to UCF because the school I had originally wanted to go to had said no when I first asked. And almost immediately after I got the news, I thought back to when I was trying to find resources for writing a successful appeal letter, which is what leads me to this discussion: I wanna help at least one potential, but discouraged, gator to become a part of the family they love. So, I wanted to give aspiring students some advice for what to do if they decide they want to appeal their dream school. I’m writing about UF in particular, especially since it’s a very exclusive school and has only a 2% (I’ve heard) acceptance of appeals.
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PUT YOUR FOOT IN ANOTHER DOOR. EARLY.
I was very afraid, waiting for February 9th before making any decision about what college I was going to. I was so worried about not having a dorm, or not being able to do what I would like to with my future, but fortunately everything was all right. I wanted to make sure I had a place to go no matter what, so I continued to make plans to attend UCF during the desired summer. I made sure that I kept tabs on my appeal, but attending UCF took the forefront of my mind that the sadness that came with the initial rejection had faded into obscurity. Now, be careful: only pay for deposits and down payments if your family will accommodate for that. Fortunately, my parents are willing to ignore the money spent on non-refundable deposits on UCF. Please, communicate with your family. Students, your parents just want to help and make sure you have a successful life; let them aid you in this process. -
WHY NOT APPEAL?
I was so crushed after UF rejected me, a small vendetta grew inside of me. I wanted nothing to do with gators or associate at all with anything similar to a swamp. I grew enamored with UCF, and began to have daydreams of myself in Orlando. When March came and the appeal package was in my email inbox, one of my teachers who I took personally with was encouraging my appeal, and was scolding me for being so childish about my rejection. I soon realized that I need to act like the adult I’m trying to be, and stepped up my game. I finished my letter, which I proofread with a UF student on what would appeal to the admissions committee. The topics of my letter were also made more clear by another teacher colleague that wished for me to succeed. Anyways, my teachers made it clear that appealing would result in nothing bad. I had nothing to lose for trying to get UF to see how my original application didn’t adequately reflect my ability. But I wouldn’t be killed or anything if I got a second rejection; I had to learn that getting rejected would just lead me to a different option for my future. -
NEED TO BE NEW
The University of Florida website in particular says it all: this is not a second-chance, but merely an opportunity to EXPLAIN how your initial application isn’t consistent or accurate to your capabilities, situation, and accomplishments. If you are really stretching for something to write about, I would go with the second biggest strategy: CONVINCE the reviewers of your application that they were the ones to make a mistake. If you can prove to them that you fit the ideal UF catalog for a student, then they will be more inclined to look into your case with greater detail. My final note for what you can do to grab their attention is REVEAL some climactic moment when you overcame a great and, more importantly, unique obstacle. If you can make yourself seem special, you make yourself seem like the more prominent ideal gator that UF is looking for. In summation: EXPLAIN your improvements, CONVINCE them that you fit the bill (or snout), and REVEAL a unique story that persuades them in favor of granting your request. -
DON’T BE DISCOURAGED, AND SAVE YOURSELF TIME
My biggest mistake was dipping my feet to deep into the pool with UCF. I paid for way too many non-refundable deposits, like my initial enrollment deposit, and my housing deposit, which is going to be essentially wasted money for my family. I would suggest makes small plans: maybe pay the enrollment deposit (some colleges are like $50, many might be more), look at some dates for orientation, mark it on your calendars and keep up with every college’s dates (yes, EVERY college, because you’ll never know what door you might be opening). Appeals have completely reversed many decisions made by high-school seniors every year all across the country. And if you don’t get in, what’s the worst thing that could happen? You go to another school (which, if you’ve been following my advice, you have been getting associated with the information of other colleges while attempting your appeal, so you have a backup plan if nothing works).
Overall, I think the best summary of what you need to know is this: Make UF think that you are a UF student, show them how you are more than they initially thought in a meaningful way, and keep yourself protected in case your efforts in appealing a specifically selective school falls flat. Because choosing between colleges won’t make or break your future, just change the way it will progress. This is just one stage in the entirety of your life, so one choice, even as big as what college you attend, isn’t going to have as big of an impact as you think it might.