<p>I'm new here so sorry if this is in the wrong thread, but I'm having a little trouble accepting this whole admissions journey. Boston University has always been my first choice and I was absolutely in love with it. I have a 3.93 GPA, 32 ACT, I take the most rigorous courses available at my school, a lot of volunteer work including international work in Peru and Thailand, both NHS and National Art Honors Society, my essay was the best thing I've ever written, and I can't imagine my teacher recs were bad. College Prowler said i was in the 85th percentile of students there. Yet to my surprise, I was waitlisted. I learned later that other people I knew, with lower GPA/scores got accepted. It crushed me and I was so confused. </p>
<p>I had been accepted to NEU very randomly in February with a big merit scholarship and some aid. Most websites say Northeastern is harder to get into so I couldn't fathom why they wanted me and BU didn't.</p>
<p>From what I read, people said not showing interest can hurt your application, but I had been on the mailing list since my junior year, visited the campus, and gone to a local reception in my area. I also come from a public school, whereas most of the people I know that got into BU with lower grades/scores than me come from private schools, but does that really make that much of a difference? And lastly, I thought it might have to do with the fact that I said we would need aid on my app, but I keep hearing that BU has need-blind admissions. </p>
<p>I know college admissions are a crapshoot, I just never thought that would happen like this. I have decided to attend Northeastern and I am very excited because I think they have better opportunities for me anyway, but I had been so set on BU before March and I would just like some closure and understanding as to why this happened. If you have any insight as to what BU was thinking when they waitlisted me, please let me know! </p>
<p>If you are in the 85th percentile for students at BU. the odds were against you from the start. There are many students as qualified and more qualified than you are, so they can pick and choose, which they did. The admissions people work to put together what they feel is a great blend of students who will learn and grow with each other, each contributing something unique. Try not to look at is as there being something bad about you or your application - it’s not so much that you were rejected for any one reason, but that they were looking for something else. Like turning down strawberry shortcake for a chocolate eclair - nothing wrong with either choice, but the person choosing was in the mood for fruit rather than chocolate at that particular moment in time.</p>
<p>Congratulations about the huge scholarship at NEU. And maybe think of it this way: you did not have to choose between BU at a high price or NEU at a bargain - always a bright side to consider!</p>
<p>Do you mean 15th percentile? College decisions are a crap shoot and frankly i think you are x1000 more qualified than me, and i’m going to BU next year. You’ll be fine at Northeastern honestly, we’re basically in the same area…you’ll get a similar experience.</p>
<p>It appears you have a strong sense of entitlement with nothing to back it up but average stats and average (and few) ECs. Why do you, someone who cannot understand the percentile system, deserve guaranteed admission to a top 50 school?</p>
<p>@foolish I think your username speaks for itself. A 3.93 and 32 ACT are respectable scores. Furthermore, it is you and everyone else on this thread that doesn’t understand how a percentile works. 85% percentile means that OP’s scores are better than 85% of the people there .Only 15% of the people had higher scores than OP. How can 85% of the people there have a higher ACT than 32 when the average ACT for the incoming class was a 30? It really astounds me how dumb some people can be.</p>
<p>For OP, the only thing I can say is that we can’t change the cards we are dealt, only how we play them. You had a great shot at BU, and perhaps the reason you were waitlisted was because you didn’t fit in with the type of class they were trying to build this year. Hopefully you will get off the waitlist, if not I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. NEU is a great school, and you got a great scholarship. You should be proud of yourself.</p>
<p>Unfortunately you will never get a rational explain of why the admissions fell the way they did for you. Sorry you didn’t get into BU, it certainly looked promising from your stats. But in the end you got a great scholarship at a great school in the same city. I’d just put BU in your rear view mirror, buy a Northeastern hoodie and enjoy your success. </p>
<p>You could ask your guidance counselor to call BU on your behalf to see what happened if you really want. But it sounds like NEU is a great fit and you got a nice scholarship. In the end, things may have worked out for the best.</p>
<p>He, honestly, I feel you. I currently attend BU and I honestly don’t think you were unqualified or anything. Believe or not, sometimes good schools turn away great students because they are overqualified and the school thinks that it’s the student’s safety school. Idk if that’s what happened here, and I don’t think you’re full of yourself–you just know where you stand grade-wise and it doesn’t seem right. BU does accept a good amount of transfers, so just do well at NEU. Also, I do have to comment that NEU is easier to get into than BU, statistically speaking. </p>
<p>It is easier to get into BU than NEU (I’m almost convinced NEU’s acceptance rate dipped below 30% this year, but don’t quote me on that). BU is also known for yield protection, meaning that overqualified applicants are rejected because BU is convinced that the student won’t enroll. NEU isn’t so stingy, and they’ll accept super-qualified applicants even if they think they won’t enroll.</p>
<p>Come on this is such a senseless discussion. OP did not get into BU, he/she will never find out why. Take that and go to NEU period. Why we have to talk about this for? There are many reasons a student could not get in a college, from yield protection to the adcom had a PMS, it could have been anything fall in between.</p>
<p>What’s CGS? I’m not sure which of the two is harder to get into anymore. NEU accepted 33% of applicants again this year and I think the applicant pool continues to get stronger. I think these two schools are in the same league now and they are filling slots based on finances, ethnicity, demonstrated interest, and major. My guess is that you were waitlisted at BU because of financial need and maybe were applying into an over-subscribed program. Strong but not superstar stats with financial need. That seems to be the trend with these schools and very few, if any, schools are need blind no matter what they claim. We learned this the hard way ourselves this year.</p>
<p>I’ll be following this wait list game myself but really think its for the qualified candidates with financial need. My son was offered a spot off of the waitlist somewhere but did not see any mention of financial aid as though they expect full pay. I plan to contact the school to find out since FA is important for us as a household with multiple college students.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter where you go to college, so stop obsessing over it. Go to NEU and work hard, and you’ll be successful. Don’t work hard (at any school) and you won’t be successful.</p>
<p>Hahaha, I bet you will never get a rational explanation to your question even if you requested to get an answer from the horse’s mouth…anybody will tell you bull crap…but I think admission these days is more of a chance game, you never get a suitable answer to what anything happened…you will probably enjoy NEU…BTW, what is the difference between BU and NEU? maybe just their names…</p>
<p>Tuft’s Syndrome, Yield Protection… call it whatever you want. They thought you wouldn’t SIR. I got into USC, Cal, and LA but not BU? Lol… #stillbitter</p>
<p>Have your GC call BU and ask. Might not get any answer, but then again there might be a mistake. Have a parent call your GC and ask for an inquiry.</p>
<p>Congrats for NEU. Hot school these days, and with money–hooee, absolutely fantastic. You are doing very well. BU has a matrix for aid if they even give it so even if you get some consideration and clear the waitlist, you may not get a dime there. Would you go, if they accepted you, Without money? </p>
<p>@dexter25: NU and BU are very different. That does not mean that one is necessarily better than the other. Each school offers a unique environment that may attract or turn off students. </p>
<p>If you want to know the difference between the two, check out their websites. </p>
<p>NEU and BU are both great schools. I applied to both and chose NEU, and I know two others: one who chose the same and one who chose differently. While there are differences in culture, the co-op program, CGS, etc etc, they are both great urban schools in Boston. You won’t ever get a reason, just have fun at NEU. If BU was your dream school, you should have a fine time at NEU.</p>