<p>I have to say that when my son applied to schools a couple of years ago he was rejected from a match school. I should have taken a hint from our visit, but he applied anyway. The school is very small. They accept a large number of international students. We were one of 2 families at the info session and tour. The other family appeared to be a very wealthy family from Mexico. The admission's counselor nearly fell all over him and his family. We were completely ignored! We made an appointment well in advance, paid for a hotel, and traveled a considerable distance! None of that mattered. This was the only bad experience that I ever had with an admission's office, and we have toured quite a few schools! Anyway, I distinctly got the feeling that they were interested in families with a lot of money. My son needed to apply for financial aid. I cannot help but feel that $$ very much entered into the decision. This school never claimed to be need blind.</p>
<p>If the college is need-aware in admissions then the low EFC very definitely be the reason for rejection -- they simply may not want to pay out what your daughter needs to attend. Money really is a big part of the equation. </p>
<p>That does not mean that low-EFC kids are out of luck. My d. got what I thought were surprisingly generous merit offers at some safety/match schools -- though the awards still fell short of meeting full need. But you do have consider that the finances are one strike against you every step of the way. The question is always whether that strike is enough to shift the balance toward rejection by outweighing the favorables, which may have to be something <em>special</em> beyond mere test scores or GPA (such as strong participation in an EC likely to appeal to the college).</p>
<p>I think its fair to make inquiry, but quite frankly I'd also encourage your d. to move on, in light of the fact that she has been accepted with merit offers from other colleges.<br>
After all - considering the adage, "love your safety" -- they are the colleges that are showing that they love her back.</p>
<p>Chocolate, I'm sorry to hear the news also. I hope everything all works out. Best of luck to your daughter.</p>
<p>Count me as another who thinks it has something to do with $$.</p>
<p>Also as a parent whose S was waitlisted at a school clearly a safety, match/safety at best, and accepted at considerably more selective schools.</p>
<p>What I suspect may happen now with your daughter: she can't help but have a bad taste in her mouth about this school. I wouldn't be surprised if you find she now wouldn't attend that school even if the rejection is overturned (unless the rejection was based purely on a definite clerical type of error).</p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>An EA from a superior student has no business receiving an outright reject.<<</p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>But it happens all the time, especially at the hyper-selective schools. I hope the GC will be able to find out something that helps (admin error, etc.). The GC may get nothing more than the usual platitudes (a lot of excellent applicants, can't accept them all, blah-blah-blah). If so, move on...</p>
<p>My D was outright rejected on the EA round when she applied and was devastated. She is happily situated at College X--ready to graduate in June. She mentioned over the Christmas break that she really couldn't imagine being at College Y. She has been there a few times for football games and thinks that the forces that direct the universe knew which college was better for her.</p>
<p>This doesn't ring true to me either. Definitely have the GC call Monday. I really thing there must be a mistake. Let us know what happens!</p>
<p>Yield and money were big factors for both my kids.</p>
<p>S rejected at Tufts (relative on the faculty) and accepted at Brown. Money the issue here, I think.</p>
<p>S accepted at Williams, rejected at Bates. Yield the issue here I think.</p>
<p>Accepted at Williams, Brown, Amherst, UChi, Wesleyan and Vassar. Rejected at Bates, Tufts and Cornell. Strange, No?</p>
<p>Money definitely plays a part in these decisions. I know it did for my daughter at NYC and the Sarah Lawrence person just about came out and told her she'd get off the waitlist if she'd forego the financial aid for the year.</p>
<p>Barnard, need-blind, accepted her with a wonderful aid package.</p>
<p>It hurts when this happens. I'm so sorry. I hope she likes one of the schools she'll be going to.</p>
<p>Oh, chocolate, I'm very sorry... Something went wrong somewhere down the admissions chain. </p>
<p>I'm bracing for impact of my D's rejection from her dream school. I'm worried about the opposite situation. We do not qualify for any aid, and D marked "not applying for FA" on her applications (my company did not lay me off, after all, and H's job is OK). Would my D be seen as a "spoiled rich brat" by admissions staff?</p>
<p>Is your name spelling unusual for a usual name? That is our situation, and it results in misfiled information constantly. Medical records, phone book listings..we always have to check and recheck. Smyth, not Smith, or Hirsh when people expect Hirsch. Misfiles at the admissions office went through my mind, so I thought I'd mention this longshot possibility. The Social Security numbers are usually there, too, so that ought to avoid a lot of this. Sigh. </p>
<p>Certainly have the GC call!!</p>
<p>First, I would like to thank you all for making me feel better about this situation. I truly appreciate the time you are taking to post. </p>
<p>I pulled out a copy of her app and couldn't find anything amiss. We were afraid she might not get a great package, but were willing to let her go there as son will be graduating in one year and that will give us breathing room for her soph, junior and senior years. The kicker is that she would probably be full pay her senior year as she will be the only one attending college that year.</p>
<p>Her sister graduated from the same hs last year and does not have the same stats. I wonder if they sent the wrong transcript? It doesn't seem likely though, because she got in everywhere else she applied. Our last name is quite unusual, so I don't think there was a mistake on the part of the college. My other two children did not apply to this school, so I don't think any mistake happened there. </p>
<p>I told her that our finaid situation might have had something to do with the rejection and she felt SO much better. She really wants to believe that. </p>
<p>This school is not an Amherst, Williams, or Brown--not even close. If she had applied to highly selective schools I would not even had posted. This is not even a top 10 in the regional rankings. </p>
<p>One thing she said last night is that the rep who came to her school stressed that they are not "only about the scores", and this was stressed during the info sessions as well. Although her scores are avg for this college, she has all the other pieces: top 10% ranking, varsity sports, tons of community service, two honor societies, and a job! I saw the recs and they were fabulous. She wants to know why they rejected her, yet waitlisted or accepted other kids who are not as active or have not taken the same hard courses she has. "Why don't they do what they say????" </p>
<p>She applied undeclared liberal arts, so her major choice should not have had anything to do with this. </p>
<p>One poster said that she appealed her child's rejection--how does one go about doing that? </p>
<p>And hi northeastmom :) Your youngest should be a junior now, no?</p>
<p>And finally, I am not expecting a happy resolution when gc calls, but I'm willing to try to have this decision reversed (by appealing?). I have no doubt in my mind that she will be happy and successful wherever she makes her home for the next four years. I have always told my kids that when life gives you lemons you need to make lemonade. You will not always get what you want, no matter how hard you try. It's what you do with what you get that truly matters in life, doesn't it? The sting will eventually go away and she will move on! This will not be the last disappointment in her life...</p>
<p>Thanks again :)</p>
<p>We were going to appeal my son's rejection. He had mono during the application period, which might have resulted in a somewhat lackluster application/essays. For example, the school didn't require teacher recs, but accepted them. Son got the recs and didn't send them in. (He thought his transcript, activities, and test scores would be more than sufficient.)</p>
<p>IF there is an appeals process, based on my very limited experience you will be discouraged from attempting an appeal, and it would need to be based on something be incorrect or missing in the application, or some other extraordinary circumstances. Call the admissions office and ask about an appeal, and don't be surprised if you are strongly discouraged from appealing.</p>
<p>My oldest son's first choice was U Chicago, where he was waitlisted. It was a blow, but that was the ONE pricey private that we would probably have ponied up for, since it was his dream school. With two more following him to college, and retirement looming, I'm glad we are not that much more in debt. Things really do work out for the best. Both my sons are VERY happy at the schools that they are attending.</p>
<p>It's worth having the GC make the call to see if there was an error of some sort. </p>
<p>Barring that, rejection of any sort can be a hard pill to swallow, but in today's college admission environment, no student can count on being admitted to any one particular school (even one with a 50% admit rate)--that's why it's so important to have options. I also believe there are many good schools out there at which a student can be happy and thrive.</p>
<p>It's the school's loss, not your daughter's. As the OP says about his daughter, "She has excellent options and ...she'll be fine".</p>
<p>Admissions decisions are just a lot of judgment calls...hard to appeal when it's so subjective to begin with.</p>
<p>Now that I think of it, the FA piece could be a factor. A friend's D got into Harvard but not Sarah Lawrence. I had thought Tuft's syndrome or too many girls from NY, but now I'm realizing FA could have been a big piece. Harvard wanted her more because of her familiy's lower income and SL may have wanted her less for the same reason.</p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>Things really do work out for the best. Both my sons are VERY happy at the schools that they are attending.<<</p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>Here! Here! There was a thread a couple of years ago about how kids were doing who weren't successful on the EA/ED round in Dec 2003 (yeah, been around that long). It was gratifying to see how they were happily situated in another school and loving life.</p>
<p>We were there -- never would've believed that things work out for the best. Two years ago we were in similar situation with DS#3 rejected ED -- not even waitlisted -- from Ivy where he had tons of legacy. GC was stunned (he was top 10 students in class of 400 and had several state level awards) and I still have parents coming up to me to offer their condolences. Once RD letters were out, he had several wonderful acceptances. His final choice suprised us as it was not originally anywhere near the top of his list plus it's a LAC even though he at first wanted a medium sized university. He is sooooo
happy at this school that DH & I are actually pleased that the ED Ivy rejected him.</p>
<p>I just wanted to say that I am sorry too. I have a feeling a lot of us, both parents and children, are going to be having these same feelings come mid-march and early april.</p>
<p>S was deferred, waitlisted, and ultimately rejected from ivy first choice (both parents attended). We thought he had the stats (top 20% in a school that sends the top 20-25% of students to ivies and other top 10 schools., high SAT's, good EC's). </p>
<p>The students that did get into the ivy were highly qualified and also legacies! He was happy for them and said they deserved to get in. </p>
<p>He is SO HAPPY at choice #2 (top 20, not ivy). I can't tell you how many times he has said "I'm so glad I didn't get into _______."</p>
<p>The uncontrollable factor for applicants is “Community Building”. Colleges seek to have a diverse student body. Gender, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status are subcategories in which individual applicants are placed and then compared with other applicants within that particular subcategory. Bright, middle class females are at a particular disadvantage here due to their simple abundance. (I didn’t say Bright, WEALTHY females because the ability to pay without FA is always a distinct advantage.)</p>
<p>I too feel sorry that this happened to your daughter. Your story has certainly triggered some very empathetic replies and brings up an issue that has my husband and I a bit concerned. My first daughter just went through the college admissions process and her GC told us NOT to indicate that we would be applying for Financial Aid unless we were sure we would need it. He indicated that her odds would be much better if the schools knew that we would be paying the full tuition (easy for him to say!). She was accepted to her ED school and we will be paying full tuition for that pricey private university but we've been concerned about our next daughter who is a HS soph this year. We are not sure we will be able to handle $100k+/year when they are both in college and we are concerned that it may have a negative impact on daughter #2 when applying. </p>
<p>I'm curious to know if anyone else has some insight into this issue.</p>
<p>Sorry, chocolate.:(</p>
<p>When you think about it, very few private colleges in the land do not use Enrollment Management (read, FA, need-aware, etc.) as a factor in admissions. Very few are in the position not to need to use that as an admissions factor. I definitely expect my D to be affected by this, with "lower-stat" or less substantial kids at her school being accepted over her, since many of those competing students are relatively rich. Since you mentioned the efc & the disclosure of sibling enrollment, the college could have put 2+2 (or 2+1, lol), together.</p>
<p>That said, I agree with those who figure in the Yield factor as significant. For those tempted to shrug off Yield as no more important this year than previous recent (also impacted) years, here's a confirming anecdote about the historic levels of this year's application numbers:</p>
<p>For the first time in its admissions history, NYU is not doing application status checks this year. They were overwhelmed. Last week they had "not opened all their mail." (That's a quote.) Literally, they had not opened all the applications sent to them: also a first for them.</p>
<p>The Yield and the Enrollment Management may have been a double whammy against your D. That said, simply because of the large numbers, I agree with others that a GC check would not hurt. Statistics would support the likelihood of greater numbers of errors this year than usual, simply based on numbers & percentages.</p>