Rejected from Colleges - Good luck everyone!

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>My name is Guillermo and I'm 19 years old. I'm a dude from El Salvador who had the "American dream" of studying in the USA, but unfortunately wasn't able to achieve it.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, I'm not from a rich family. I couldn't pay the whole cost of a USA college. I could barely manage to pay $7000 a year.
I applied for financial aid. I was especifically asking for the colleges and universities to give me a full ride. I stated on the applications that I needed at least 90% of the whole cost of attendance, including tuition, room, board, books, etc. I was practically asking for a lot of money, a fact that gravely jeopardized my chances for admission. However, at first that didn't bother me a lot. I knew I will had a rough time, but I was confident that at least one of the colleges I applied to was going to accept me, but I was wrong.</p>

<p>I was confident because I trusted my stats. I had an UW GPA of 3.85 and an SAT score of 2100. I was on the top 5% of my class and I got the full IB Diploma. Compared to the average salvadoran, I though that I really got a chance of being accepted at almost all the schools I applied. But, there was something I didn't have that all the salvadorans who got accepted into US schools have: money. The fact that you are not applying for financial aid greatly boostes your chances of being admitted, or at least it doesn't reduces your chances. This was something I hated a lot at first. For me, it was unfair that I spent a lot of my effort on getting good grades, test scores, essays, and ECs for trying to get accepted, while others put little effort, but had the power of money with them that could easily make them accepted. I couldn't understand why. Was it that colleges and universities value money over intelligence and passion? Was it that my application, despite me dedicating a lot of effort into it, actually sucked?</p>

<p>The fact that I got rejected from almost 10 schools for the Class of 2018 wasn't helping me at all.
I applied to:
Grinnell College
Macalester College
Dickinson College
Trinity College
Skidmore College
Connecticut College
Oberlin College
Lafayette College
Brandeis University
Colgate University
Stanford University
...and all of them rejected me. The ironic thing is that all the rejection letters started the same way: "Dear Guillermo, ...unfortunately we can't offer you admission. This year's class was the toughest in the history... bla bla bla". I even thought that maybe there was a universal template for rejection letters.
Trying to assimilate the fact I got rejected from all the schools I applied to was very but very hard. I won't lie: I did cry. Seeing how my dream of studying in the USA vanished made me feel stupid. "Why did I even try?" I thought. Watching how some of the people I know got easily accpeted into schools on Florida or California and that they could actually pay the full cost made me felt even worse. Of course, that was stupid from me since I was just being jealous.</p>

<p>After careful analysis and thought, I realized that, indeed the fact that I applied for financial aid messed my chances for admission. But it wasn't only that. I mean, I wasn't the only one from all over the world to apply for huge financial aid. There are HUNDREDS, maybe even thousands, of international students who apply to top, liberal arts colleges seeking to get a full-ride. Being an international student and applying for financial aid puts you on the pool of other competitive international students. I was competting with other students who probably had my same stats, or even better ones. Colleges and universities just don't have enough money to accept all international students in need. Most of them wish they did, but reality is they don't have the money. They have to accept the ones they can afford to sustain. It's not that my app was mediocre or that they care more about the money the reason I was rejected. It's just that, sadly, they didn't have the money to accept me.</p>

<p>Today, it still sucks that I'm not going to be able to study in the USA. It still hurts when I think of that, but I just want to tell other international studets who are or think they will be on my same position that no matter what decision you get, an admission decision isn't a measure of your success as a person! If you get rejected, it does NOT means you suck or that you are stupid. It will hurt at first, but just think that life is preparing something much better for you. I learned from all of this that patience is a virtue that everyone must have. Be patient and you'll see that life will surprise you.
Oh, and also, when you apply, just give your best. Make sure the colleges and universities read the real you on your application. That's what they like the most.</p>

<p>The last thing I can say is: Good luck! Give yor best</p>

2

<p>Guille,</p>

<p>You are absolutely correct that an admissions rejection is not a statement about your worth as a human being. It is good that you aren’t taking all of these rejections to heart.</p>

<p>You do need to know however that with your GPA and test scores, this year you would have qualified for a number of automatic full-tuition or full-ride scholarships. Either you never learned about them because you didn’t spend much time in the Financial Aid Forum, or you didn’t like the places where they were offered. Here is the link, as well as a link to another list of competitive merit-based scholarship that you might be eligible for. Read through the threads, check to see which of the scholarships are open to international students (a number of them are), and think about taking a gap year while you reapply.</p>

<p><a href=“Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;
<a href=“Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>

3

<p>Hi!</p>

<p>Oh, it’s okay. Actually, 2013 was a gap year for me because I actually applied for the first time for the Class of 2017, but only applied to 5 schools and got rejected.</p>

<p>I also did apply for Troy University and I got accepted. However, I told the admission’s office that I needed the full-ride scholarship, but they told me that they won’t be telling me if I received the scholarship UNTIL I am already enrolled and studying. </p>

<p>This is what they sent me:</p>

<p>"I am happy to know that you got acepted! Congratulations!</p>

<p>Unofortunately, you won’t know until Fall’14 semester if you got selected for a reward or not.</p>

<p>You will have to chek on it with us in August."</p>

<p>What if I pay the deposit and go to Troy and then they tell me I wasn’t selected? I will be wasting my parent’s money for nothing! </p>

<p>It is too late for me unfortunately… Rejected two times in two years consecutively. USA isn’t for me.</p>

<p>ALTHOUGH, I have 4 waitlists from very good colleges, so I ask everyone to wish me good luck there! Those are my only hope :)</p>

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<p>happymom, </p>

<p>Some of the automatic scholarships in the links you list are NOT open to people who aren’t green card holders or citizens. I’m adding this simply because I don’t want some other international students to see this thread and think they can apply. It varies by school. </p>

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<p>jonri - </p>

<p>I know that not all of those scholarships are open to international students. That is why I wrote “Read through the threads, check to see which of the scholarships are open to international students (a number of them are)”. At last check some of them indeed were.</p>

<p>All scholarships are subject to change from one year to the next, so students need to be prepared to do some investigating on their own to find out the current details.</p>

<p>Guille19 -</p>

<p>Have you contacted the International Students Office at Troy? Can they give you a hand with this? Let them know that you are very interested but that you won’t get your student visa unless you have paperwork from Troy indicating that you have indeed received the scholarship and that your costs are covered. </p>

<p>Fingers crossed here for you!</p>

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<p>I haven’t. I’ll try contacting them, although I think they will tell me the same thing, but hopefully they don’t!
Thanks again, and good luck to all other international students!</p>

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<p>Guille, it it’s any consolation, many American students can’t go to the schools they’ve been admitted to for the same reason: lack of money. That’s just the reality of university education in America. It’s EXPENSIVE. And competition for financial aid to the better-known schools is fierce. Many American parents start saving for their children’s education as soon as the children are born, but even that doesn’t mean that they will be able to afford it once the child finishes high school. In my state, the main public university costs more than $100,000 for all 4 years.That’s the PUBLIC school, and I know many kids with high grades and scores who cannot afford to go there, even though their parents have been paying taxes on that school for the past 18 years. Sadly, that’s the reality of 21st century America. It’s a great place to be if you have a lot of money. If you don’t… tough luck. </p>

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<p>Yeah I know… but Americans luckily have the FAFSA, which helps them a lot. Logically, an American college or university would prefer an american student over an international student, so they’ll make an extra effort to help the student afford his or her education.
We international students depend solely on the “extra” money the colleges have. </p>

<p>Again, it’s not that we internationals suck if we don’t get accepted. It’s just there isn’t money, like you said. Everything turns around money nowadays.</p>

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<p>I really needed to read this! Same thing happened to me. Good luck with the wait lists </p>

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<p>@Guille - I am not trying to console you here. You have shown immense maturity in your mail to show that you can handle the situation you are in. However, think about another situation.</p>

<p>A lot of people (me included) came to this country for graduate studies. During our graduate school, we received money as teaching or research assistant and tuition for the colleges. I’d say don’t get sidetracked by your current situation, you still have a chance and you can get into all your dream Universities if you can demonstrate your desire for a graduate degree. Believe me it helps to get your undergrad results in order and then try the GRE. YOU WILL MAKE IT YOUR DREAM - I did.</p>

<p>Finished my bachelors from a top university in my home country, got a perfect GRE along with the equivalent of 3.8 GPA, was ranked 1st in my specialty along with two published papers, made it to my dream university and did not pay a penny for my ph.d. </p>

<p>Not all is lost and you can do it. You have spent two years already trying to get in to undergrad in the US. spend the next two years seriously completing your bachelors in El Salvador, get in to the graduate program of your choice - you can still get to the Ivy clad walls of your dream university. Wish you all the best.</p>

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<p>This exact same thing happened to me. For now I’m working on my three waitlists and see what happens from there. If I end up getting rejected to the waitlist schools as well, I’m doing a gap year and reapplying.</p>

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<p>The University of Alabama’s Scholarships can be received by internationals. </p>

<p>Full tuition and more if you are an engineering student. That is an excellent option right there! </p>

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<p>@ParentofD96 thanks! Hopefully that will happen if I end up being rejected by my 4 waitlists, which I hope that doesn’t happens! Haha. Pray for me please :p</p>

<p>@dancingwriter good luck to you! </p>

<p>@AmericanHopee is it too late to apply? Becuase last time I sent UA an email and they said that if I couldn’t pay the full cost I would be better off not applying :(</p>

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<p>where did you get waitlisted? At most schools, odds of getting off the waitlist are low to impossible, and it’s very rare that financial aid is offered.
The UA app goes live in August and should be completed by Dec1 (Jan 6 this year due to weather conditions).</p>

15

<p>Maybe broaden your options a little. Sometimes the lower you go on the US News rank, the less competitive it gets. A lot of top ranked LAC’s are desirable, but very, very difficult to get into for intl students requiring full aid. I got rejected or waitlisted from almost every school I applied to, except Bennington, Hampshire College and St. Lawrence University.</p>

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<p>I got rejected by St. Lawrence last year so I don’t think your theory applies that much. Rejected by St. Olaf and Wooster too. Plus, it’s mostly the top-ranked colleges that offer huge aid to international students. Others barely manage to give financial aid. </p>

<p>And I won’t know until I get notified MYOS… No need to jump into conclusions already, plus I won’t reapply again this year. It’s either waitlist or wait for a masters degree. :)</p>

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<p>Yes, I guess… just wait. But odds aren’t in your favor historically, although that depends on colleges (which is why I’d asked.)
You can also apply to schools that still accept applications…</p>

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<p>I sent you a PM with the colleges, although all of them are highly competitive @myos1634</p>

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<p>I would just like to point out that college admissions in the states is very competitive, but grad school admissions is even more so. I would assume that, since your daughter was born in 1996, that you went to grad school in the 80s-early 90s. COMPLETELY different world in terms of immigration. there were certain factors going on politically and technologically that allowed qualified students or professionals to immigrate to the states with relative ease. these same factors still work on nations such as canada and australia, but even there they are drying up. there’s a great deal of access to information and transport now, for practically anyone in the world, and the world is responding by restricting freedom of movement.</p>

<p>to OP: even if you had gotten into college in the states, that is absolutely no guarantee that you will be able to stay in the states after college. best of luck in your later life:)</p>

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<p>Guillermo, I almost have the same situation you have, I apply for FA with almost all the schools, and only get one admission, and I am from China. I really like to hear about what you will do next, because were I rejected from everywhere, I will take the Gaokao and learn in China. BTW, one of my college interviewers have some suggestion for students like you, like a gap year and apply for some state schools, if you want, I can give you his email, he really love to help.
And keep reaching out for your wait list schools, try to send them a letter or anything you think you have missed couple of months ago, before the decision released, I believe this will work if you really want to impress them.
And, I mean, FA and full ride is not the only way to pay for your college, many times we should depend on ourselves, try some way to earn money in the US, reaching out for loan opportunity or chance of special working opportunity.
Best Luck with you,</p>