<p>I'm not sure why, but my son got a rejection letter from University Honors today that started out saying "We have received your application to University Honors and have given it careful review. We regret that we are unable to offer you admission to University Honors at this time." HE NEVER APPLIED! When he filled out his application for Tech (he got in ED), he checked off the box saying he was interested in knowing more about honors. He was sent a link to the application, but never any other information. We looked further into it, and he decided he didn't want to apply. So he never completed the application or submitted it. I'm just wondering if Tech did this to anyone else. I don't think I'm going to even show my son the letter, because it will probably tick him off.</p>
<p>Are you positive that he didn’t go back and change his mind and apply for it, even if he just applied in case he changed his mind later? You should bring it up with him, and also did you open his mail? Don’t hide it from him, that will tick him off more (and at you) especially if he did apply.</p>
<p>Hope, granted this was five years ago, but the same thing happened to my son. He even received emails from Honors about seminars, etc. for his freshman year and beyond. I think what happens is if your student has the Honors numbers (GPA/SAT) etc. as they apply to the school, but they don’t apply to Honors,they may be included with communications in case they want to pursue it. If I remember correctly I think my son emailed them well into his sophomore year and told them to take him off their mailing list bc he did not see himself going that route. No worries.</p>
<p>I did talk with him about it, and he did not apply. There is pretty much no way he would have done it without having us read over the essay and give him feedback. We logged back in to his account, and when you click on the link for the honors application it says the application has been submitted and scored. He had looked at the application but never filled it in, so either he mistakenly submitted it or Tech automatically submitted it. I have a hard time believing he mistakenly submitted it, since it should have been kicked back as incomplete because he didn’t fill anything in.</p>
<p>Perhaps he didn’t want to get rejected and disappoint you so he applied without telling you? I don’t know, it just seems a lot more likely that he applied without you knowing than VT messing up and sending an accidental rejection letter (although that’s also possible.)</p>
<p>Point is, if he didn’t apply, or didn’t purposely apply, then he isn’t going to be upset about the rejection. If he did apply then he’s probably waiting to find out and even though its not good news he needs to know it. So either way he needs to see the letter that was addressed to him.</p>
<p>There’s also the issue of the letter being addressed to him, not you. Are you in the habbit of opening his mail and deciding for him whether the mail is interesting or relevant? What else have you tossed without showing him? Yes, you should be involved, to ensure important things are handled, but it’s his mail, and ultimately his responsibility.</p>
<p>That is why I said above that I talked to him about it. He does know. And he didn’t apply.</p>
<p>Honestly CTScoutmom, I could see through the envelope that it was a rejection letter (without even opening it), and I felt at first that keeping it from him would save him from having another disappointment in what had been a series of rejections. I’m not normally in the habit of opening his mail. I came here in a frustrating situation hoping to make some sense of something that didn’t make much sense to me. I’d really rather not get lectured by people that don’t know the whole situation.</p>
<p>KandKsmom, I’d like to thank you for your feedback. You did make me feel better. My son had his reasons for deciding not to apply for honors, but he hasn’t closed the door on that possibility in the future. I’m just hoping that he’s not now marked as the kid who made a half-hearted effort and turned in an incomplete application, in case he decides he does want this in the future.</p>
<p>Well, that’s odd. I wonder if they mark you as ‘applied’ if you check that box and ‘deny’ you if you don’t actually apply.</p>
<p>Screening a kids mail to avoid disappointment (or just about any other reason) is a very bad habit. The kid got into VT, he’s smart, but it won’t (wouldn’t have been anyway) be the last disappointment he has. </p>
<p>I found a box of college mail once that my mom hid from me. Our relationship is still strained (6 years later), and that’s a part of why. I’m not saying what you’re doing is the same but everyone here means well with their advice. If its not applicable due to some reasons we don’t know about then just consider it potential good info for someone else reading.</p>
<p>Wow, you all are being very harsh and judgmental. I expect the original poster knows her son better than anyone else and doesn’t need anyone giving her parenting advice or criticism on a college application website. My son and I have an agreement that I will weed out any irrelevant college mail, but show him the important stuff. He’s happy that he doesn’t have to fool with it, and I’m happy that I don’t have a pile of unopened mail piling up in the kitchen. Point is “different strokes” and all that. </p>
<p>As for the original issue presented, I would be more concerned about the disorganization or computer/records problems such a mix-up suggests.</p>
<p>Well said Dominar…</p>
<p>“I wonder if they mark you as ‘applied’ if you check that box and ‘deny’ you if you don’t actually apply”</p>
<p>I am beginning to wonder if this might be the case. When we visited VT we went over to the Honors office and my son filled out interest cards while there (had to put GPA, SAT/ACT stuff down, too). My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I think he may have gotten a letter saying he wasn’t admitted, too! But then he kept getting those emails from the Honors program. I do remember him telling me about it in the summer and I told him to email them and tell them he wasn’t in the program. It got to be kind of funny actually; I teased him by saying I wanted him to keep thinking he was in so he would have an incentive to keep his grades up :)</p>
<p>Don’t stress over it too much. If your son is like mine, it will most likely be a non-issue, since he wasn’t committed to it in the first place. But,tell him not to be surprised if he gets emails from them, too! lol</p>
<p>Goodness… I wonder why anyone thinks it’s their business that OP opens her son’s mail? My son is extremely independent and quite capable of opening his own mail, but like Dominar, he is happy for me to weed out the junk for him. He has nothing to hide, so why would he care if I opened his mail? I open my husband’s mail, too… go ahead, slam me!</p>
<p>I got the same rejection letter and I also never applied.</p>