UCLA Class of 2015 Official Appeals Thread!

<p>Yeah, I got rejected. :/</p>

<p>But I have several connections through the UCLA marching band, so I think I'm going to appeal through that.</p>

<p>Anyone else planning on appealing?</p>

<p><em>btw</em> why do people keep putting "Official" in their title? Seems silly.</p>

<p>What instrument do you play and how good are you?</p>

<p>Just because you have connections doesn’t necessarily mean that the band director will fight for you. Only if you play an instrument of great need and your skill level is high will Gordon Henderson submit a band appeal on your behalf.</p>

<p>And your application still needs to be strong.</p>

<p>Well, I started playing the piano at 8 years old. I was taught classically through private lessons until I was 14. At that time, in high school I picked up the guitar, bass guitar, flute, all mallet instruments available to me (xylophone, marimba, vibraphone), bassoon, and marching baritone horn/concert euphonium. I have played solo parts on all these instruments for our Spring performances (not all at once of course).</p>

<p>I was low brass section leader in my sophomore and junior years, and I conducted the marching band as the Drum Major for fall 2010.</p>

<p>Plus, I have been arranging pep band music since second semester of my freshman year.</p>

<p>(It’s probably safe to say that my dedication to music was the reason why I was ONE ranking away from ELC)</p>

<p>I intend to play the trombone for the UCLA marching band, but as you can see, I have no experience with that other than the embouchure. Is it possible for me to audition with my marching baritone horn and still get that trombone spot?</p>

<p>For your appeal to be considered, you must prove that you are a much stronger candidate than what was presented in your application. Specifically, you must present new and compelling information that was not previously available to the admissions office. So if you failed to include information regarding extraordinary hardship or exceptional talent/extracurriculars on your application, you can discuss these things on your appeal as reasons for the UCs to reconsider you. Make sure you describe exactly how the exceptional talent/extracurriculars qualify you for UC admissions or how the hardship prevented you from achieving academically. </p>

<p>Go back and review your UC application (you can see and print a summary of your application by logging into the UC online application site at <a href=“UC Application - Message from the system”>UC Application - Message from the system). Check to see if you left out anything major (medical/family problems, significant extracurriculars, etc.) and compose your appeal accordingly.</p>

<p>While you have the option to appeal, you should do so with the understanding that UCLA is exceptionally competitive and decision reversal is unlikely (in any given year, decision reversal rate is less than 3%). Hope for the best but don’t expect miracles.</p>