<p>My eyes have been opened to the fact that many students and parents of students who were rejected call these schools after the decision comes out. My kids, nor myself, ever would have thought to do that. I’m not sure what is accomplished. The decision was made and it was not in your favor. Those who apply to highly selective schools need to realize rejections go with the territory. I’m not really understanding the purpose of the call. If you wish to reapply, do so. Not sure what else an admissions office is supposed to say. There is a chance they may offer feedback to a guidance counselor but I just don’t see how they can be expected to respond to all these calls from disappointed applicants. The person who answered gave the stock response…unlikely to be readmitted but if you try, get new recs (basically is saying to send a new set of application materials because sending the same stuff again is not going to yield a new result). They don’t need to know your kid to give such feedback. More individualized feedback may not be forthcoming given the numbers who may request it. Further, even if you get an adcom, there is a chance that he/she may say that there was not something necessarily wrong with the application but odds as they are, it happens that even qualified students get rejected.</p>
<p>The energy now needs to be focused upon building an entirely new college list with a new approach and also doing the applications differently, not to mention achieving something new during the gap year that will make the applicant bring something new to the table. As I wrote about my nephew who had to apply to college during a gap year after an unsuccessful admissions process, he did an internship in his field for the gap year that directly related to his goals and were reflected in his essays and resume and a new rec from the supervisor. So, he had something new, on top of a very different college list the second time, and an entirely new application, essays, recs, and resumes and sample materials.</p>