We have a family friend who applied very late to a college where he easily surpassed the typical stats for the school. They did encourage the late application, so we were surprised when he was rejected. (I cant help but think it had to do with available space??) The letter ended with an encouraging paragraph about helping the applicant apply as a transfer in the future. Is that just standard language for rejection letters?
How exactly was it worded? There is at least one college that rejects applicants it doesn’t have space for but gives them a guaranteed transfer the following year. I’m guessing from what you said that it wasn’t as explicit as that?
@SJ2727 No, not that explicit. More like: “While this news may be disappointing, there are still ways you may find yourself at XXXX.”… Please let us know if we can assist you “as you consider transferring to XXX”. To me it sounds like an invitation to apply again, but I didn’t know if a lot of schools use that kind of language??
Thanks for your help!
Depends upon the school.
@Publisher Is it ok for him to write the admissions office (very tactfully) and ask?
I think it is okay to call and ask, but I have a feeling that it’s a soft “no”. “Rejected with an offer to reapply as a transfer” (implies they want more applications to increase or keep up their selectivity) is less welcoming than “waitlisted with an offer to transfer” (they want him but they don’t have room).
PS: I believe it is against TOS to ask questions on behalf of others outside your family.
suggest to them they have the GC call and ask. Adcoms may be more open to a GC than to the applicant.
They weren’t waitlisted. They were rejected. It’s being nice.
My S had that wording in one rejection letter – we assumed (correctly or incorrectly) it was marketing and ignored it. Fortunately he was happy where he went and never considered transferring.
@rfm512: Yes, it is okay to reach out and ask, but probably best to wait until well after May 1.
Did the student attend an alternative high school or an arts based school which may have resulted in a deficient transcript ?Possibly indicating that the student needs to fulfill certain educational requirements before reapplying ?
@Publisher Yes, he attended an arts school so that is certainly possible. However I know the college has accepted other students from that school… HIs rejection just really surprised me as the school is not super competitive and he is a strong student with good stats, so I was chalking it up to the late application or the fact that he needs a lot of FA. (He was accepted at other more competitive places but found out about this school late in the process and liked it very much.) He was also trying to interpret the “transfer” wording for himself - whether they were just being nice… In my opinion, being clear about a “no” is in the end is actually the kinder approach.
Because he applied late & needed substantial financial aid, my best guess is that the letter is a genuine effort to encourage this applicant to reapply as a transfer student. If I am correct, then it might be wise for the student to contact admissions to express continued interest & to seek guidance & advice.(Especially so if this is a small school.)
@Publisher Thank you again for your thoughts. That was my feeling as well but I also don’t want to add to any false hopes on his part. It IS a small LAC for sure and also known for their open, honest approach and general responsiveness. I think I’ll advise cautious optimism regarding a future transfer, but hopefully he’ll find himself happily ensconced at another school in the future anyway.
@Publisher Just an update - our friend wrote his admissions counselor and tho the counselor could not tell him the rationale behind the decision, the counselor reiterated that he is an “excellent” fit for the school and that he strongly suggest he apply again as a transfer. The counselor also asked if they could keep in touch in the meantime. I think you were right in your assessment that the late application combined with significant FA may have primarily driven the decision.
Apparently many schools do not offer great FA to transfers - might be a factor to consider.
@SJ2727 Yes, I have heard. At least he’ll already be safely enrolled at another school and can make an informed decision once he has an offer in hand. Thank you for your thoughts!