<p>i applied early decision to umiami and was rejected. I'm devastated :( it was my top choice school. i applied with low scores (23 on ACT). i want to appeal my application decision even though majority of appeals to any college are a fail. I'm taking the ACT tomorrow on standby and plan to bump my scores up a lot (27 range). i also plan on getting an A in AP bio. does miami consider appeals? i literally fell in love with this school and can't stop crying ever since i found out i didn't get in. </p>
<p>regardless of if they accept them or not I'm going to appeal by writing a letter about how i improved my scores and bumped my grades up, and along with another letter of rec. </p>
<p>I don’t think that UM has a formal appeal process. However, I think it would certainly not hurt you to write a letter to the admission office and place a phone call to your regional rep after you retake the ACT and get your new score. Make it clear how much you want to attend UM and you might have some swaying power.</p>
<p>That having been said, please do make sure that you also pursue a backup option, if you haven’t already. UM is a great school, but there are many other great schools, too, some of which are very similar to UM. And, in the worst case scenario, you can always transfer to UM after your first year of college.</p>
<p>there’s a reason why my scores are so low too. I have adhd and I just found out the end of my sophomore year. I wrote my essay on it and how ive grown/overcome it and it came out really good. Except I feel like they might think I got a 23 by testing with extended time which is totally not the case! Because Of my late diagnosis, i was denied Extended Time which was truly upsetting. I feel like I need to clarify this to them in my letter.</p>
<p>Pinacolada74, I think I understand your concern. One of my nieces has ADD and has just started receiving extended time on testing. She is a sophomore in high school and my sister is hoping the extra time will really help next year when she takes the ACT. It sounds as if there has to be a diagnostic history of a certain duration established before the testing agencies will allow the accommodation of extra time. </p>
<p>I also believe that the colleges are no longer able to see which students received testing accommodations, though I think they might have been able to do so in the past, not sure when that was changed. If that is accurate, that the colleges are no longer notified when a student received extended time, I would think it might be a good idea to mention the fact that you didn’t receive that accommodation, since you did write your essay on your challenges with ADD. If I were working in admissions, and read your essay, I think I would assume you had received the extended testing time. What do others think?</p>
<p>I agree with illinoismom93. I have a friend with fairly severe ADHD, and he receives Extra Time on every standardized test he takes. He also got denied on the ACT for extra time though. It seems that the ACT is a little more hesitant on giving children extra time on the ACT.</p>
<p>However, if I read your essay, where you mentioned your ADD issues, I would automatically assume you were given the extra time because that is what happens when a student takes the SAT.</p>
<p>I would make sure that I clarified that I did not receive any extra time pinacoloda74. You never know, your decision could change.</p>
<p>ufiscool:
i know a 23 is low. i just took the ACT on standby yesterday and hopefully i bumped it up to a 25. thats still low but honestly i’m going my best. Not at all am I intending to whine, but i don’t think its fair if they hold me up to their high standards on test scores because i am at a disadvantage. They’re comparing my app to a kid who is normal and gets a 30, obviously my scores are low but that doesnt mean I’m not smart. I just can’t do any better under standard time conditions!! i know UM wants like a 28 or up but I have a 4.0 GPA so its like you don’t think they will be a little nicer to me considering i did not recieve extended time?</p>
<p>pinacolada74: Did you look into maybe appealing to the makers of the ACT themselves to see. Otherwise, maybe try taking the January SAT. Kaplan is fairly generous with awarding deserving test-takers with extended time. I think it might be something you could look into. </p>
<p>That is what my friend did, and at his full potential, he got a 2020 on his SAT in a single sitting.</p>
<p>What is your unweighted GPA? With a weighted 4.0 I’m guessing it’s somewhere around a 3.6-3.7. According to the CDS 78% of freshman last year had a UW GPA of 3.75 or higher. Right there your grades are behind nearly 80% of the entering freshman class. The same filing shows that with an ACT of 23, 96% of your classmates would have higher scores. Even if you bring it up to a 25 you’re still well below the 25th%tile. Statistically there’s nothing helping your case.</p>
<p>You wanted Miami to be “nicer” well believe it or not they were. The school wants to admit students who are going to succeed. It doesn’t do anyone any good if you get admitted and then struggle and potentially fail. In college the information and demands come at you like out of a fire hose. If you can’t keep up you will be left behind very quickly. Right now your stats don’t give them confidence that you’re going to be able to keep up.</p>
<p>I suggest you move onto worrying about your other applications. If you truly have your heart set on Miami I recommend getting as close to a 4.0 as you can freshman year and then apply for transfer.</p>
<p>umm I’m sorry but just because i have low test scores does not determine whether i will succeed at life. i don’t need you to insult my intelligence level okay. and they’re doing me a favor rejecting me because they think i would fail? umm how does anyone know that? you don’t know if someone will fail unless you give them a chance. its not like i have a 2.0. I’m in the top 25% of my class and have taken honors and APs so its not like I’m stupid if thats what your leaning towards. </p>
<p>also, “Stop whining and complaining…” seriously??? how dare you. you don’t even know what its like to take a walk in my shoes for a day. PEople think your lazy because you can’t pay attention when really your trying with every muscle in your body to restrain yourself to the chair and try to force yourself to focus and learn. Nor do you know what its like to struggle with the amount of time it takes you to take a test. judging by some of the stuff you have said I’m assuming your one of those people who can get a 30 on the ACT just by breathing alone. well thats fan-freaking-tastic for you! but i can’t help that i think differently; i don’t choose to take 7 bajillion hours on tests. its just how i think. its not like i can put an on/off button on my add okay. Maybe get off your high horse every once in a while before you go around judging people.</p>
<p>pina hopefully you showed more maturity in your essays than you have in responses 8 and 14. I never called you stupid. I never belittled the difficulties you have dealing with your ADHD. The one thing you haven’t shown us is why Miami should have chosen you over another candidate with stronger statistics. That’s exactly what you’re asking the Admissions Office to do. What would you tell someone with the same ADHD who posted a 3.9/28 but was rejected to let you in?</p>
<p>You’re in the top 25% of your class? Congratulations. 68% this year’s Miami freshman were in the top 10% of theirs. A “normal” (to use your word) with 3.7/23 would be rejected just as quickly as you were. Asking that Miami be a little nicer because you’re disadvantaged is whining whether you want to hear about it or not.</p>
what were your test scores?</p>