<p>How do you start an appelas letter? Right now I have:
"To whom it may concern,
this letter is written to give my app another chance for review."</p>
<p>And also importantly, should you say you centered your life over the past year to get into a school? Or is that excessive? What's a more lighthearted way to say it? But make known that if there was a reason to revolve your life around getting into a school, this would be the most acceptable reason, if there is one.</p>
<p>They don’t care that you centered your life around getting into the school. In fact, depending on the college, they may find such a statement to be a big negative becasue they would prefer students who followed their own interests instead of packaging themselves to look good to the college. </p>
<p>In general, the only reason that appeals letters are successful is if there was some kind of error such as if there was an error on your transcript or the college confused your stats with those of another student who had the same name.</p>
<p>I see you posted the below info elsewhere. </p>
<p>Public colleges – including UF – make their decisions overwhelmingly based on students’ gpa, test scores, and state of residence. Your 3.0 is far below what it takes to get into UF. The essay is a minor factor for UF’s admissions. If you want to go to UF, an appeal is not going to help – particularly since due to major budget cutbacks, UF’s admission standards probably are now the most stringent they’ve ever been, and students with far stronger stats than you aren’t going to get in.</p>
<p>Your best chance of going to UF is to go to community college, excel there, and then apply as a transfer.</p>
<p>SAT: 720 Math, 680 Reading, 710 Writing (2110/2400)
GPA: 3.0 unweighted, 4.0 weighted (my weakest part)
My essay was honestly probably one of the best that the Univeristy of Florida receieved this year. It was about an immediate family member who was attending UF and passed and how it shaped me.</p>
<p>I didn’t ask for your opinion on any of that. Who are you to tell me, or at least insinuate that I should not appeal the decision? Honestly, who are you? I called the UF undergraduate office, explained my circumstances, and was told to definitely appeal and received letters and info regarding the appeal. I was asking if that line would be excessive, and how to formally start off the letter. You know nothing of my circumstances, and I strongly doubt you understand how the appeals committee works at the University of Florida, and how they ask you to provide medical letters explaining disabilities, and they suggest that those with “very compelling personal circumstances” only appeal. Does that sound like they are only trying to correct “some kind of error such as if there was an error on your transcript”?</p>
<p>start off with “Dear University of Florida Admissions Committee/Office,
I was very disappointed that I was not admitted to your university, especially since UF had been my first choice and I was planning on enrolling. My counselor had told me I would have loved UF, and after I spent hours researching about the school’s student body, academics, and other opportunities, I found that he would have been right. After consulting with many friends, counselors, and even some members of the undergraduate office, I have been told that I should request an appeal which is what this letter is intended for. I understand that the admissions season was very stressful but would greatly appreciate it if my application would be considered for an appeal. BLAHBLAH BLAH…”</p>
<p>thank you so very much nooob! if there are any other opinions that would be great! Thanks again!</p>
<p>SatWizard,</p>
<p>Northstarmom is a pretty valuable resource on this site. People recognize her value because of her qualified advice, experience, and commitment to helping students like you and I succeed. Regardless of what you may think, she’s usually right on the button. </p>
<p>I wish you luck in your appeal. However, the anger and entitlement that come across in your responses suggest that there’s more to your admissions decision than your GPA or a clerical error.</p>
<p>Jan</p>
<p>what nooob wrote is really good. if they consider reviewing your application from that appeal i bet you will have ur decision reversed because your SAT is really high for UF and i know ppl who have gotten into UF with a lower GPA.</p>
<p>satwizard, you need to cool off. Why don’t you reread what you wrote:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s a little incoherent, but I can definitely see why Northstarmom replied the way she did because you imply with this statement you’re basing your appeal off you being really desperate to get in.</p>
<p>Quakeroats, thanks! I’ll use that as a little base!</p>
<p>Hellojan, how about you stop judging me?</p>
<p>Another vote for Northstarmom offering sound advice all the time.</p>
<p>I don’t think what noob wrote will help. A successful appeal is typically just what Northstarmom says, or something that was left out in the first place, such as I forgot to tell you I won Intel. A story about why it’s important to you to attend alone is unlikely to do much. Colleges are not trying to make you happy, they are trying to get a class where each brings something to the party.</p>
<p>You mention disabilities and other circumstances. If those effect you and you didn’t mention them in the first place, that is what should be focused on.</p>
<p>But honestly, if I were an adcom (and I have been one) and a kid wrote that they had centered their life on attending my college, they would be in the reject pile based on my fear they were not stable.</p>
<p>nooob has written a letter that tells UF why UF is right for you. They don’t care about that. What you need to tell them is why you are right for them. What do you bring to the campus that they want? What is it about you that will enliven or enhance your class. This is not your “Why I want to go to UF” essay; this is your “Why should we admit you” essay.</p>
<p>The first thing you should do is lose the Attitude toward people who are trying to help you.</p>
<p>The next thing you should do is structure your appeal letter to provide <em>new</em> information to the committee. If you already told them how much you wanted to go to UF, that obviously didn’t work. Rehashing other stuff they already know about you isn’t going to work either. Focus on what new information you can provide about yourself, your qualifications, and your achievements.</p>
<p>agreed with coureur. and honestly satwizard, you’re going to get judged on this site and off your whole life. if you don’t want to be “judged”, don’t ask for advice. and do not give hostility to someone who’s only trying to help you.</p>
<p>I understand being denied to your top choice is tough. </p>
<p>Don’t take it out on people much wiser than you that are trying to help you. Being rude is stupid, and quite frankly I wouldn’t admit you if I were the university of florida.</p>
<p>He didnt ask you guys to chance him. He asked for a simple answer. Obviously most of you have failed to comply with his request so you shouldn’t need to post a negative remark. After all, I think this is how to start an appeal not how to shoot him down. </p>
<p>Are you going to judge a paper by the author or how well its written.</p>
<p>Same situation. </p>
<p>“if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say it”
Most over used cliche in school. Apply it to yourselves.</p>
<p>He deserved the responses he got. The OP clearly has an attitude problem. My guess is that it popped up in his school report and recs. I was amazed when I worked in admissions at how many teachers and counselors sent out warnings.</p>
<p>Fine, then, here’s an answer to his question. </p>
<p>The way to start an appeals letter is to provide new mention of data that was not in evidence at the time of the original decision (“I won the Intel”) or to correct an error (“my transcript contained an error and my GPA is actually 4.0, not 3.0”). </p>
<p>The way to start an appeals letter is NOT to talk about how much you really-really-so-badly want to go to the school, because that’s not distinguishing. Of course schools know that people they turn down really want to go there, else they wouldn’t have applied. You’re not providing them with new news. They’re not going to say, “Your standards are below what we’ve set, but … oh, you REALLY want to go here? Well, then, what were we thinking – come on in!” As has been pointed out above, you need to be bringing new information to the table, and that new information can be awards (etc) or it can be a demonstration of what you can bring to the school. </p>
<p>Good luck to the OP.</p>
<p>Satwizard,
Northstarmom tries to give you the straight dope. Give you something you can understand. Northstarmom is eminently qualified and valued on this site. Your response shows a lot of immaturity.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It is overused and overrated. It gets in the way of honest assessment. That is what this site is for. If you always want someone to pat your back go look elsewhere.</p>