I got into Barnard last year, and due to concerns about money and parental pressure, I decided to go to another school. I deferred enrollement, and while living in a small town in the middle of nowhere and talking to a friend who decided to go to the same school as me, I’ve realized that I really made the wrong decision. Does anybody know if there’s any way I can go about getting myself back into Barnard, or should I just try and transfer after a year at the other school? Or should I just resign myself to four years of unhappiness? I know it sounds melodramatic, but I need some advice since it’s driving me crazy.
<p>Wait if you deferred enrollment, that means you're still in at Barnard and they are merely waiting for you to come the year after? No? Or did you just deny your acceptance altogether?</p>
<p>You need to call and talk to the folks in the Barnard admissions office. They're the only ones who can authoritatively tell you what's what. If you were accepted once, they may be able to grease the system to get you back in ASAP with a minimum of hassle...but only they can say.</p>
<p>Do <em>not</em> resign yourself to four years of unhappiness.</p>
<p>I sent them the card saying 'I've decided not to come to Barnard'. Even as I put it in the mailbox, I already had regrets about my decision, which is not good.</p>
<p>My only problem is that right now I'm in Thailand, which makes communication quite difficult.</p>
<p>Use e-mail just like you're using with us.</p>
<p>Many schools will keep applications of accepted students who didn't attend on file for a year. Call or email Barnard and be brutally honest that you feel you've made a mistake and ask what the procedure would be to have your file reactivated. Best of luck!</p>
<p>If you sent them a card saying "I'm not attending", I always assumed that meant that you rejected admission - to defer it, you have to take extra steps I'm pretty sure. So are you positive you deferred admission? And did you enrol in the new school? Because almost every place I've seen, deferring gets taken away if you enroll full-time at a new school in the meantime.</p>
<p>I agree with Carolyn - contact the school ASAP - be very honest with them - and get your app reactivated - or if you have to - re-apply altogether if your previous app is not still there. Good Luck</p>
<p>I think that if you defer, you are not allowed to take classes at another school. If she mailed her card in stating that she has decided not to come to barnard, she will have to apply again- if under 24 credits, she will apply as a first year student, 24 or more credits, she will have to apply as a transfer.</p>
<p>Powereddie, this is important enough and time critical enough that if you don't get a near-immediate response by e-mail (two business days), I would re-arrange your sleep schedule and get on the phone and make the international phone call. If you find yourself in an extraordinary or weird situation, you often must take an extraordinary or weird step.</p>
<p>I think she means that she deferred matriculation at another school. She is supposed to go to this other school starting next year, i.e. she hasn't started taking classes there yet, but on the other hand last year she sent Barnard the card saying she would be going elsewhere.</p>
<p>...which means she denied her application there, which means she needs to re-apply, yes?</p>
<p>Prettyfish,</p>
<p>That is how I assess her situation, that she would have to reapply and start the process all over again.Since it is too late for the class of 2009, she would have to apply to the class of 2010.</p>
<p>She will have to decide as to whether or not she will attend the school she chose over Barnard (and deferred admission to) beginning fall 2005 or take another gap year.</p>
<p>Even reapplying, she will have to state in her application what she has been doing over the past year (s)</p>
<p>Some schools do not mind people changing their minds. My friend's roommate at Cal had a change of heart a month into semester, called Princeton and asked them if he could still go. He was too late to go for that semester (i.e. class of 2008) but will be starting this fall for the class of 2009. So, call them and ask.</p>
<p>I've been in Thailand for the past few months teaching English in a government primary school, and I hadn't really thought about college that much until I got an email from my friend who goes to the other school, who has problems with it for all the reasons that concerned me. It's not a decision I made lightly though, and I've though about it for a while.</p>
<p>This is the email I plan on sending them. I figure trying can't hurt. Can you tell me what you thing about it, and what I should add or take away? </p>
<p>I was granted admission last year to Barnard, but turned down your offer and decided to attend another school instead, although starting in 2005. During the past months, I've come to regret my decision, and to believe that I made a mistake in rejecting a place at Barnard.
Although I realize this is probably an unorthodox request, and it would be perfectly reasonable to say no, is there any way that my application can be reconsidered for the class of 2009? Or would I have to re-apply next year?
Sincerely,
powereddie</p>
<p>Powereddie, Your situation is unusual, but Barnard is a college that is known for promoting individualism. I think you have the right idea in your message but you need to put a more positive spin on it. </p>
<p>First, don't focus on the fact that you turned Barnard down for another school. I don't mean that you should lie about it, just don't put it in your first paragraph. Say that you were admitted to Barnard but that you decided not to attend. That you decided to go to Thailand instead (and here explain what wonderful character building things you are doing in Thailand) and after having been overseas for a while you realize that Barnard is the school for you. So far, all of this is true.</p>
<p>After you've convinced them that you are sincere, you could mention that you have deferred admission at another school. I would absolutely lose the phrase "it would be perfectly reasonable to say no." This is unnecessarily negative. Be positive. Not aggressive, just make a forceful, frank and honest case.</p>
<p>In closing tell the person to whom you are writing that you will call him/her to discuss the logistics of this request at 10:00 a.m. New York time and name a date. Then do it.</p>
<p>You are absolutely right. All they can do is say no and then you'll be in exactly the same position... but I have a hunch that you'll get a positive response.</p>
<p>Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Rewritten email:
I was granted admission last year to Barnard, but turned down your offer and decided not to attend. Instead of attending college immediately, I took a gap year and went to Thailand to teach English in a public primary school. This has given me quite a bit of time to reconsider my priorities and my choices, and a different perspective on my life. During the past months, I've come to regret my decision, and to believe that I made a mistake in rejecting a place at Barnard.
Although I realize this is probably an unorthodox request, is there any way that my application can be reconsidered for the class of 2009? Or would I have to re-apply next year?
Sincerely,
powereddie</p>
<p>Better or worse?
Thanks for the help from everyone, by the way.</p>
<p>Powereddie
I just PM'ed you. Check your messages.</p>
<p>Sybbie, I think what you say is probable but this is a weird situation and probable wouldn't do it for me: I'd flog the horse until it were dead, giving myself every chance to win.</p>
<p>Powereddie, I'd do what Momrath suggests, add the bit about calling at X date and time.</p>
<p>Assuming you're not Thai, I would definitely work in the fact that you've come to the decision while teaching English in a government school there. While I would not advise you to be untruthful about the reasons you rejected admission before or why you have changed your mind now, it would seem to me that what you have been doing since then is worthy of consideration. Not just for it's intrinsic worth but also because teaching in Thailand could cause a person to seriously think or rethink what they want to do in life. In other words, you are not merely a fickle young person who realized your mistake just because you don't like the dorms or sports teams at the school you chose over Barnard. Rather, you are a serious, thoughtful person, doing some good in the world, which is probably more than many if not most of the students who took Barnard up on their offer of admission. What you have been doing might well enhance your request in their eyes.</p>