<p>DS2 was just deferred to his very first choice school ED 12/15. Now that we are a few days out we are beginning to regroup. The defferred school remains his first choice. Deferral letter says they will consider supplemental materials sent in by 2/15. We had thought the school was a low reach/high match and hence the ED option even though FA is an issue</p>
<p>WHAT DO WE SEND THEM?</p>
<p>I can't imagine that picking up additional ECs or work experience will make a difference. His essay is what it is and wont change. SAT improvement wont happen.</p>
<p>The one red flag we identify is a rel. low grade in a science AP class. Our only thought at this point is deep concentration on grades and trying to pick up that one grade in particular.</p>
<p>Any thoughts on what they may be looking for and what would be helpful to send???</p>
<p>Thanks. We will do that. Semester ends end of January. It seems so strange that improving one poor grade out of 4 years would be enough to change things. </p>
<p>It is very frustrating not knowing what the concern was that caused deferral, so also not knowing what to address.</p>
<p>This would seem to be a good time for the GC to call and get a feel for what is concerning them. You will still have tme for another round of testing, showing improvement (or at least no sownward spiral) on grades, etc.</p>
<p>GC had no recomendations. Had thought he would get in ED. She did not offer to call admissions. I think we are on our own.</p>
<p>Afraid additional round of testing will not be helpful. They were fantastic first go around. Part of our frustration now in not knowing what to improve.</p>
<p>Imo. I think you need to start getting your student to concentrate on the other schools on his list. Other than sending in his first semester grades about all he can do is reiterate why he believes his being a student at the school will contribute to the school’s community. </p>
<p>Has he been accepted anywhere else yet? Does he have a real safety on his list? I would make sure he does. Also, go over his list and make sure their are similar schools to the one he was deferred from that have slightly lower standards for admittance.</p>
<p>Sounds like your S applied to a highly selective school. If that’s the case I’m not sure there’s anything you can really do. What is the acceptance %age at the school?</p>
<p>How selective is this school? Where did his scores fall in their 50th percentile GPA? To have a real strategy it’s key to know where he falls, his strengths and weaknesses. Telling us the school and his profile would help.</p>
<p>He is in at his financial safety that he likes. Will be applying to another just to have options. He was accepted EA at Case with great merit but so -so need aid so that may be a stretch. He has a reasonable list of a mixture of schools where he believes he can be happy. “just not as happy as I’d be at ED choice”. </p>
<p>He is reasonable but he (and we) are not quite willing to forgo doing everything possible to improve chances at his first choice. We just dont know exactly what that is </p>
<p>What is the best way to “reiterate why he believes his being a student at the school will contribute to the school’s community.” </p>
<p>Acceptance rate is 33% so yes, selective, but not lottery.</p>
<p>if it helps - Colgate
800/800/630 in one take, plus SATIIs 800 math, 780 physics
everyone has loved his essay, very much “his voice” and says alot about him being a creative, thoughtful, slightly quirky intellectually curious thinker.
I believe his LOR should be good
the outlier is GPA of 92 but in rigorous AP/IB coursework
ECs are solid but not starting-a-charity spectacular.</p>
<p>There’s all of it. Hope this generates lots of useful suggestions. makes me nervous throwing it all out there :)</p>
<p>toledo - thanks for the ACT suggestion. He got a 33 composite with 36s in math and reading. We didnt send it since the SATS were higher but we can if it would help.</p>
<p>Also havent sent the 5 on physics AP since it wasnt requested. Thoughts?</p>
<p>This felt like a reasonable school option. Do you think we were off base?</p>
<p>If this is truly dream school and GC is no aid, I’d consider hiring a private counselor. There may be things he has not highlighted enough in his current resume. The counselor may not cost much since you are only requesting a review and aid for 1 application.</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about Colgate, but I personally know 1 student a few years ago who strike up a relationship with a professor whose class they sat in on. The professor then went to bat for the student with admissions. Accepted in the end (and did very well).</p>
<p>skier, I think the most important new information he could send would be a note telling them that this school is his clear first choice; he would have applied ED except for needing to see his aid package; and he would definitely attend if he is accepted and can afford it.</p>
<p>“Also havent sent the 5 on physics AP since it wasnt requested. Thoughts?”
SEND IT! It cant hurt at all!</p>
<p>"This felt like a reasonable school option. Do you think we were off base? "
I think you need to treat this deferral as a wake up call and have your DS add some other, less selective safeties to his list. My DS was deferred and then rejected. Some prefer to call a deferral a “gentle” rejection. Treat it as such.</p>
<p>Although I hate to have a kid volunteer for the sake of impressing an adcom, did he have a concerete volunteer activity that he can dig deeper into over the holidays (especially an activity that would impress them with a global activist slant)? I seem to recall that the Colgate essays were about multicultural perspectives or global awareness. Maybe if he writes another letter, essay about an experience and send it along with 1st semester grades, he can reiterate why Colgate is the right fit. Can he get a LOR from a place where he volunteers (if he does regularly, or from a teacher/EC coordinator that could talk about who he is as a person?</p>
<p>“he could send would be a note telling them that this school is his clear first choice; he would have applied ED except for needing to see his aid package”
Calreader, he DID apply ED.</p>
<p>Many ‘selective’ schools defer,so nothing to be overly concerned about…Have you shown interest in the school aside from submitting app and required info,and perhaps the obligatory 1 st visit? If not, you should have…</p>
<p>My kid was able to update her file with a few new accomplishments after sending in her applications–stuff like a course she completed at the local community college (it wasn’t on her transcript as she was doing it completely outside of school), a prize she won in a poetry contest, a successful grant application for a project she was working on…</p>
<p>In the context of sending these updates, she also sent in an extracurricular resume, which she hadn’t originally submitted. I think this was a useful document because it took a number of things that were scattered around the application form and pulled them together into coherent sections to tell the story of what she was interested in and how she spent her time. </p>
<p>If your son didn’t submit something along those lines, maybe he could do so, adding in anything new, but, more importantly, using a format that allows him to tell his story better than the application forms permit.</p>
<p>Many ‘selective’ schools defer,so nothing to be overly concerned about"
oh really? Have you looked at the acceptance rates for deferred students? many get rolled into endless wait lists, and the students most likely to clear WL’s are those NOT needing FA.</p>
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