<p>My son submitted his ED application materials in one envelope to Penn via certified mail. Unfortunately, the Penn admissions people told us that they could not find the two Teachers' recommendation letters and a few other forms.</p>
<p>And they asked us to resend these missing documents and we did. We thought it is unwise to argue with those people.</p>
<p>If you have similar experiences, please share as to how to deal with this.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>That's very common in every office setting; at least they are still considering him ED; treat it like any other business transaction and politely send again. But when he gets accepted, get those deposits in on time Fed Ex!!!!</p>
<p>Probably they misplaced the recommendations because they usually come separately. Did your son not waive confidentiality? This is considered a bad idea because it means the teacher cannot write frankly. Maybe this is their polite way of saying that the recommendations should come directly from the teachers to them (you can give the teachers a stamped envelope) and not pass thru your hands.</p>
<p>Hmmm....sometimes the recommendations are sealed with wax or other means and initialed to signal to the school it was confidential and just returned with the larger envelope for convenience. But I dont know what happened here. It is always wise to convey to them that you enclosed them in the original mailing but that you would be happy to retransmit them. Welcome to the wild and woolly admissions process. I empathize. We went through this last year with our kid and it was, frankly, not a very fun experience.....THOUGH.....in the end, turned out beautifully. I hope your son gets in at Penn, since that is obviously his first choice. But brace yourselves. Its a quirky process for all. Sometimes capricious results. Kids get in who surprise you. Kids get waitlisted or rejected who shock you. Make sure you have backup schools ready to go and that you put in as much effort on those applications. I know of plenty of stories of kids who got into a dream school but then decided to go elsewhere...sometimes it was money, sometimes it was a change of heart, sometimes it was walking on a different campus and just saying to themselves, "this is really ME.....". </p>
<p>Remember always that selectivity in admissions does not always equate to a superior college education. There is more parity in the quality of education than many will admit to. Being happy is MORE important than being prestigious. Not picking at Penn. Its a superb school that is well deserving of its prestige. I am just telling you, in the event you don't get in, that all is not lost and many great schools exist, sometimes right under your nose.</p>
<p>My kid is at another school. Some kids there were sort of chapped about not getting into "Georgetown or Notre Dame or Brown". etc. But now, three months into the first semester, NONE of these kids are unhappy.....indeed they are thriving and happier than larks in springtime. </p>
<p>Again, best of luck to you and I hope you get in because that is what you want. But cover your bases and YOU can be as selective as some schools! Its all about personal fit.</p>