<p>PaMom, I’m sorry your son got someone rude on the phone. I don’t condone it as I’ve made clear. I hope he enjoys his year abroad, and has a smooth application process next year. He’s had a dry run on this, so he will find the ground familiar. </p>
<p>I truly don’t know what the odds of success are for someone who is not accepted to any given school, and tries again. I agree with Soozie that he should have a wide choice of schools. Hopefully he finds some other schools that he likes as much as his first choice. </p>
<p>I do know of kids who were turned down at schools who were able to transfer into them, some of them highly selective ones and one girl who was accepted to one of the most selective LACs on a rebound, so it can happen. But to hang ones hopes on any of these lottery ticket schools is really asking for disappointment, because the odds are just so small of anyone getting accepted without some outstanding reason a college would want student. Athletes, development, special talents would fall in that category and those kids with greater odds of acceptance drive the true chances for those not in such categories.</p>
<p>I also think a paid counselor familiar with the admissions to the top school, especially with experience dealing with your son’s choice would be a worth while investment, because there are so many specifics you don’t know. Should he apply ED this second time around, for example.</p>