Rejected from Rice...

<p>Rice has been one of top choices for several years now, and I thought I had a pretty good shot of getting in. My SAT scores weren't awesome like everyone else's, but I'm a strong student from NY with awesome ECs in the top 3% of my class of 400 at a competitive high school. All honors and APs. My essays were outstanding, my recs were great, already have tons of college credit from APs and additional college courses. I was completely rejected from Rice despite being wait-listed and accepted at simliar schools with similiar selectivity rates. I'm convinced it was my scores because everything else was outstanding. SAT 1 650 V 640 M 720 W. SAT II 660 Lit and 710 US History. I'm wondering if I should try to take the SATs again in order to apply for transfer admission. Also, is there any way to appeal an admission decesion?</p>

<p>I'm not sure, but I suspect that Rice cares how much INTEREST a student shows. My son has awesome scores & pretty good grades as well. He was accepted by more selective schools as well including USoCal but rejected from Rice. We never toured, didn't interview, and never saw the campus. Oh well, we will go on.
You might call the admissions office & they might be able to give you guidance on your questions about possibly transferring or appealing. Depending on when you transfer, I believe your college grades may be much more important than SAT test scores.</p>

<p>socal is not more selective than rice. but i agree with you that interest is a big deal. i sent so much stuff to them and i got an interview, etc, etc</p>

<p>i believe that your SAT scores caused you to be rejected. </p>

<p>2004
Verbal:
Top 25% of class scored above 760
Top 75% of class scored above 660
Math, SAT I:
Top 25% of class scored above 780
Top 75% of class scored above 670</p>

<p>HImom, i dont think thats the case
Im in india and all I did was correspond by email with any queres I had. I didnt vist or anything (couldnt :() and got accepted.</p>

<p>and my SAT verbal was pretty sad... 640. maybe my SAt 2's helped?</p>

<p>SAT 1 : 2110 (Math 800, CR: 640, W: 670)
SAT II: math 1 - 760, math 2 - 790, chem - 780, bioE - 750, phy - 750</p>

<p>haha i am the same as you. my verbal was a 640 , but i got a 790 and 720 on the other sections. i never visited either. but i did have an interview/send extra stuff</p>

<p>
[quote]
I was completely rejected from Rice despite being wait-listed and accepted at simliar schools with similiar selectivity rates. I'm convinced it was my scores because everything else was outstanding. SAT 1 650 V 640 M 720 W. SAT II 660 Lit and 710 US History. I'm wondering if I should try to take the SATs again in order to apply for transfer admission.

[/quote]
I'm sorry you weren't accepted to Rice, but CONGRATULATIONS on your other acceptances. My advice would be to pick one of those other schools, and put all your enthusiasm and energy into enjoying the challenges there. Most likely, you will love your school and will not even want to transfer by the time the winter holidays come around. If that is not the case, work very hard and apply for a transfer - but don't go into your freshman year at your school with the idea that you are going to transfer. Give it 100%.</p>

<p>thanks anxiousmom for your kind words. i did interview off campus but never visited. i'm wondering if it's good to sort of, for lack of a better expression, "harass" the admissions people by calling and writing non stop to prove interest. I understand that every call or correspondance should have a purpose...but I've seen people with similar SATs scores that have been accepted to rice by showing an extraordinary amount of interest in the school...</p>

<p>i never visited, interviewed, anything- just did the app- and got in. so much for interest, i doubt its a factor</p>

<p>I don't think it could have been your SAT scores. I only had a 500 math and a 610 verbal and I still got in. Maybe you should have applied ED and shown how interested you were and maybe you needed stronger SAT II scores. I just don't know. Admissions are crazy and irrational. Good luck with the transfer. Hope it works out for you.</p>

<p>don't worry about it, college admissions are so random... rice waitlisted me, but harvard accepted me!</p>

<p>yea admissions are random...lately there is no formula anymore. so unpredictible</p>

<p>yeah...it' definitely been a stressful process because it's so unpredictable. it's hard when you're left with, "well how come i got into this school, and not that one?" a little demoralizing but i guess it grounds you too. it just wasn't meant to be. i really wish i had called more and extra stuff ect to show just how interested i am. i didn't realize how important that was</p>

<p>and wisabee, congrats on your acceptance to harvard. i'm surprised you were accepted to arguably the best school in the country yet didn't get into rice. where did you end up going to college?</p>

<p>alwaysyourgirl1 - doesn't matter about the interest thing. My D showed lots of interest and passion. If you really think about it, many, many more people are rejected than accepted, period. Everyone who is anywhere good enough to apply to Rice has usually enjoyed many successes in their life. Here is a situation when they are finally confronted with a "failure" - which this really isn't. Think about everyone in your town you live in. How many are successful who didn't go to Rice University?</p>

<p>Thanks RiskCareDream, my heart was broken but I realize that it certainly is not the end of the world. I'm going to the University of Rochester, which, although without the caliber of Rice, is still a great school and I'm really happy with my decision. With the scholarships and grants I got, it will be almost a free ride. And I can still be extremley successful there. And I was wait-listed at my first choice, WashU, although I've heard they've waitlisted TONS of people and chances of getting in are very small but I'm still hanging on to hope--I really would LOVE to go there. If anyone has any info on Washington U in St.Louis admissions and waitlisting please post. I think WashU and Rice are very similar in many respects.</p>

<p>Rochester is a great school. As a matter of fact, I think it is close to WashU in many aspects. Both are mid-sized research-oriented university and both have excellent faculty members. You will get a first rate education there.</p>

<p>look, i was ranked in the top 2% of my class, had SAT composite scores of 2200 (680M, 790W, 730CR), was a NM Scholar, and I didn't get in. I applied to the school of natural sciences, which is very very selective</p>

<p>i applied to the school of humanities, but i guess it really doesn't matter to which school you apply, or so i was told. but i would definitely think that the natural sciences/engineering programs are much harder to be accepted. i guess they don't have a problem turning down the perfect 800/800/800 applicant because i've seen so many deserving people rejected. my scores were pretty low for rice:( i ace school and even AP exams, but i can't score well on that stupid SAT</p>