UIUC rejection due to postal issues/misunderstandings

Applying to College
1

<p>I just picked up my mail today and UIUC says the program I've applied to is full and I didn't send all the documents in a "timely manner" which is complete bull****. </p>

<p>The issue specifically is my transcripts. I did my first 3 yrs of high school all the way in Hong Kong and I'm now in Canada for my senior year (it's complicated) so I had to get 2 sets of transcripts sent. I checked the status of my application pretty regularly all through Jan and I noticed that they claimed to be missing one set of my transcripts (the Canadian one) even though they received the financial docs which I sent together in the same big envelope. At this point they claim to have everything including the HK transcripts which my counselor sent way back in Nov. </p>

<p>So I called them one afternoon and spoke to a lady, explained the situation and she gave me her email so she could follow up on it herself. She said they're probably being sorted through along with the 1000 other envelopes. I emailed her later explaining the situation in a bit more detail and then she replies me saying she's DISCARDED THE TRANSCRIPTS THEY RECEIVED FROM HONG KONG. That sent me into panic mode, so I hit reply like right away and told her that she misread my email (I was so clear and specific I don't get how she could've interpreted it in any other way) so that she could try and undo the disaster she'd just caused (well, I didn't tell her that part). And then she never replied me back. I assumed she was busy. I didn't want to flood her inbox with messages so I only sent one follow up email because nothing on my application status page had changed. Still no reply. Then I had exams and everything slipped my mind and now here we are today. I have been rejected because an admissions officer has thrown away my transcripts and the office thought they never received them.</p>

<p>There's probably nothing in this world I could possibly do to save this. But I'd just like to hear what people have to say about these types of things. I'm almost certain I'm not the only one this has happened to, right? Admissions people misinterpret things and everything just screws up?</p>

<p>Most of my other schools have received all my materials except a similar sort of thing has happened with Rice. They sent me a letter a couple days ago saying they haven't got my financial statement. I sent everything sealed individually in a large envelope so they have everything else that was in that big envelope but my financial statements. Should I call them and have them check again or ask my dad to resend them? Thing is he lives in Hong Kong and any mail from there will take at least a week to reach Texas. Screw my life. ><</p>

2

<p>Contact the dean of admissions and explain your situation while being careful not to disparage the woman in admissions whom you talked to before.</p>

3

<p>APPEAL APPEAL APPEAL</p>

<p>Explain the situation fully—I have a feeling everything will work out well</p>

4

<p>@Northstarmom: There is no direct contact info for the Dean of Admissions on the website - there’s only the admission office phone no. & email. How do you suggest I go about getting a hold of the Dean? Thanks for the help and advice, it’s greatly appreciated :)</p>

5

<p>pick up the phone and call.</p>

6

<p>I think the general admissions contact info goes to the head of admissions- I have needed to email a two offices and contacted my regional rep and the general contact, and both times when I contacted the general admissions email/number it was the dean who emailed me back.</p>

7

<p>Apeal the decision. get in touch with the board/president.</p>

8

<p>Thanks everyone for your input. I just called the UIUC office and spoke to the lady I emailed a few times back in January. She acknowledged the misunderstanding but implied that there was nothing that could be done now. I tried to tell her in the nicest way possible that she discarded my transcripts so it wasn’t my fault they’re missing, and then she went on to describe how their online status check system is flawed and sometimes people whose statuses say paperwork is ‘received’ changes to ‘missing’ and all that jazz. She went back to check the files again and said there was nothing in there from my old school in Hong Kong. Which was expected because she removed them earlier. But every time I reiterated that point she just explained that situation again about the people who open transcripts to check them and update the online application status check. (Apparently our transcripts go through 3 people before it reaches our folder)</p>

<p>So in the end nothing could be done. She also said they had a record number of applicants this year so it was more competitive than ever…which I guess is understandable as well. Considering I’m an int’l and UIUC’s a public univ I’m guessing there was a surge in Illinois applicants due to the recession. Just a thought…</p>