<p>My son received a letter "providing an opportunity to send additional information" before Pitt decides on his application. I'm taking this to mean that he is on the bubble for acceptance to the engineering program. GPA is 3.6 and ACT score of 27, essay was good and EC's are standard. He retook the ACT and increased his score to 28 so we will send those scores. Has anyone else received such a letter and if so, how did you respond, and what was the outcome? I'm not sure what they're looking for. Pitt is high on his list so any ideas to strenghten his application would be appreciated.</p>
<p>I would tell him to ask his high school college counselor on what the best approach to this may be. If his first quarter senior grades were decent (I’m assuming he’s a senior like I) then I would consider sending those in too. However, getting the counselors opinion would be the best idea, and send in those ACT scores. If he took the SAT IIs, send those in too.</p>
<p>I think it’s his ACT’s that are borderline. Definitely send the new ACT’s in. Pitt “superscores” too, so if any combination of his ACT scores is higher than 28; they’ll use that. Maybe as clgchicken suggests, your counselor will have more insight. Good Luck!</p>
<p>He only sent in one recommendation letter with his application. It was a very strong recommendation from an english teacher. He could get another rec from a chemisty or physics teacher if that would help. I’m not sure how much weight Pitt places on recommendations.</p>
<p>Pitt cares quite a bit about recommendation letters. I sent three in. One from my math teacher, in which I did exceptionally well in; I sent one from my AP Physics C teacher, and one from my volunteer coordinator where I earned 405 volunteering hours. All of them were strong and Pitt takes a maximum of three recommendation letters.</p>
<p>I don’t know that Pitt cares quite a bit about recommendations. Pitt is very numbers driven - certain SAT/ACT scores and GPA. There was an earlier thread from early in November - Update your application - that addressed it.</p>
<p>It would appear as though the applicant is not a particularly strong candidate for admission based upon the information Pitt has before it at this time. If the student has retaken the SAT or ACT and received higher scores, I would report that to Pitt. Also, if the student has received higher grades than the ones turned into Pitt, I would also resubmit the new grades. The key is Pitt is giving you one last chance to show them something has improved. If there is no improvement, I don’t think any letter of recommendation is going to hold much sway.</p>
<p>I’m the one that start the original Update thread. My friend’s daughter did not retake the SATs. She did change her major to Arts and Science. She received a second letter from Pitt telling her that she was being deferred. Needless to say, she is devasted but not enough to retake the SATs. She is writing an additional essay and will send in her mid-year grades (which are excellent) but she is not interested in retaking the SATs. Since she got acceptances at two other schools already and is waiting to hear from a third (her second choice after Pitt) she probably won’t be too disappointed if Pitt doesn’t accept here because now she takes the attitude that “if they don’t want me I don’t want them”.</p>
<p>here’s the link to that update thread <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pittsburgh/1227708-update-your-application.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pittsburgh/1227708-update-your-application.html</a></p>
<p>I agree that your application is probably borderline and you might be deferred… I think its great that Pitt gives this indication so that applicants have the opportunity to submit additional info if it will help them. I’d definitely send the new scores and midyear grades. If he has some good SAT II or AP scores, I’d send those too.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Like clgchicken said, Pitt really DOES care about your rec letters. You should DEFINITELY get a physics/math/science teacher to send a rec in, especially since you’re applying for Engineering. Have the English rec was great, but SSOE doesn’t particularly care about how you were in English class, they want to know how you were in your science/math classes because that is the focus of your major.</p>