<p>I just received a waitlist letter from Chapman/admission for Spring 2014 and I'm extremely confused as to why. I have a 4.6 GPA and a 2310 SAT with a considerable number of AP classes and no less than a 4 on all my AP tests. I'm also taking a very tough senior class load. I've played a sport for 4 years and have great extracurriculars. I thought I'd get in 100%. I was wondering if anyone else has been in the same situation that I'm in right now. Of course, I applied to Chapman as a backup, but I'm still very confused as to why this happened.</p>
<p>Hi J,
Your GPA & SAT score are very impressive. To possible be of help to you please answer the following questions.</p>
<p>What major did you apply for at Chapman U? What ECs do you have in support of this major? How good were your essays you wrote for the Chapman U application? Where these essays reviewed by one of your high school teachers? How good do you think your recommendation letters were from you High School teachers? Why are you applying for Spring 2014 and not Fall 2013? Which colleges (with the major you applied for) have you already been accepted for Spring 2014? What state do you live in?</p>
<p>I applied as a Business Administration major. My EC’s include the financial literacy project manager for FBLA (future business leaders of america), founder/president of the YPA (young politicians of america), treasurer of the math club, 4 years of golf, 1 year Red Cross, 1 year Mock Trial, 2 years NHS (national honors society), and working every summer for my dad and gaining valuable business experience. I thought my essays were really good. I worked with a college counselor who helped me through several drafts of all my essays. I chose teachers whom I knew very well and were very fond of me, so I do think that they wrote me good recommendation letters. I applied for Fall 2013 but got waitlisted for that semester but they said I was welcome for Spring 2014. So far, I’ve gotten into UCSB, UCD, UCI (honors program), and UCLA. I was rejected from Northwestern. Those are all the universities I’ve heard from so far. I live in California.</p>
<p>Hi J,</p>
<p>At Chapman U the business major is the largest and most popular program on campus. In 2008, The Princeton Review ranked Chapman Business School’s undergraduate and graduate programs within its Top-25 programs in the country. Check out other Chapman Business School’s Argyros School rankings here: </p>
<p>[Rank</a> and Recognition | ASBE | Chapman University](<a href=“Argyros School of Business and Economics | Chapman University”>Argyros School of Business and Economics | Chapman University)</p>
<p>In 2012 U.S. News chose Chapman University to be the #1 Up-and-Coming College in the West. Admissions to Chapman U’s Argyros School of Business is now very competitive. It is getting more difficult to get in every year. I guess based upon the data available that there are only 190 business management/administration major admission spots at Argyros available per year. Chapman U’s Admission Department uses a holistic approach in reviewing applicants to fill these small number of slots each year. Looking at an applicant "holistically” not just their GPA & SAT/ACT scores. J, you should call a Chapman admission councilor or an admission director officer at (714) 997-6711 and they will talk to you about your particular file/situation; their determination from this holistic approach on you. I do suggest J that you do this ASAP; maybe they missed something. If you look at this article about how to get into USC’s MBA program you can sell how this holistic approach is used at other top Universities;</p>
<p>[How</a> to Get In: University of Southern California Marshall School of Business - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/articles/2012/04/03/how-to-get-in-university-of-southern-california-marshall-school-of-business]How”>http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/articles/2012/04/03/how-to-get-in-university-of-southern-california-marshall-school-of-business)</p>
<h2>J, they must of felt that you are the right material because they offered you one of the few spots available in the Spring 2014. They were unable to fit you in as of now (you are waitlisted) because of the intense competition for the Fall 2013 business school class. It is not uncommon for a student to be waitlisted and offered Spring 2014 admissions. If you decide to wait students normally go to a junior college or other colleges, study abroad, travel or work for this one semester. The Spring semester starts in January with intersession classes. Since you were offered a Spring 2014 admissions you must be at the top of the waitlist. From May 1st thru July students are given admission spots from this waitlist.</h2>
<p>Some thoughts on the choice you will be making:</p>
<p>J, based upon your accomplishments I am sure you will do very well in life no matter where you go to college. You will have a tough decision to make on which college to attend in the next month. There is a lot that goes into to determining which college to attend; no one should do it for you. My S fell in love with the beauty of UCSB campus for example. One of the largest questions I think that needs to be asked is whether to attend a large university with many students in a lecture hall (with labs and some classes being taught by TAs/Grad students) or attend a small school like Chapman U where you are face to face with your professors every day (small class sizes with experienced & prominent professors in their field (no TAs) along with the many internships that are available for students). I went to UC Berkeley and from that experience I recommended to my S to attend a small liberal arts school such as Chapman U (which he decided on his own to do so) where they care about each student. UC Berkley (Haas) and USC (Marshall) have excellent Business schools that would be hard to pass up if admitted. UCLA (Anderson) has an excellent MBA program. I would take some time and visit classes in session at the different colleges you are accepted to make your final decision. Again J, you will do well in life no matter which university (large or small) you decide upon. All the best to you.</p>
<p>Hi, I really do appreciate the feedback. I guess I was just a bit overconfident with Chapman. It’s fine, really. I just got into UCLA today, and I think I’ll be very happy there. Of course, I’m still waiting on USC, Berkeley, and NYU, but either way I’ll be fine. Once again, thanks!</p>
<p>You were rejected because they didn’t think they would attend. Did you show any interest? If you didn’t that happens sometimes.</p>
<p>You are not admitted due to lack of interest.</p>
<p>A few comments: JThePedantic</p>
<p>First - you do have impressive stats. But so does your competition. In MIT interviews, for instance, almost every student has high grades and scores but also many of the same activities (Science Olympiad, Scholar Bowl, lots of AP courses, etc.) In that case, given the thousands upon thousands of applicants - how do you choose? </p>
<p>You see - that’s the problem. You’re focused on quantitative accomplishments and not qualitative ones which are often the tipping point. I see too many students focus on what looks good on a resume and not enough on who they are beyond that. What are your hobbies, your passions, what do you read for pleasure, etc.</p>
<p>Also (and this is a big also) my husband and I have seen students who know for sure they got good recommendations but actually got lukewarm ones.</p>
<p>Waitlist means you’re not only qualified, but would be a good addition to the campus if they had space. But for now, they don’t have space.</p>
<p>But honestly, as good as your stats are, they don’t necessarily stand out against other applicants. Even in my field I see students who started businesses, have substantial volunteer experiences, a global perspective. IMHO - what lessened your application is working for your father. Because it’s not objective and therefore no experience or recommendation (even from staff) will help you. It would have been better if you had worked for someone not related to your family (i.e. not a contractor) to give an objective opinion of your skills and abilities.</p>
<p>Still, you are waitlisted which is a “maybe.” Many other students have been declined. So it’s great that you have decided to concentrate on the other great schools that wanted you and accepted you now. It’s more productive than fixating on the one that may or may not make room for you in the distant future. :)</p>
<p>Do keep in mind that you actually HAVE been admitted to Chapman. For second semester. The “maybe” is only about whether you could start in the fall. Many fine schools offer this to applicants (USC, Middlebury, Hamilton, etc) and many applicants take the schools up on it!</p>
<p>If you truly want to go to Chapman, start second semester! They want you, but perhaps suspect that you do not want them so very much, which is true, right?</p>
<p>One word…automaton. A book I suggest for many trying to understand the selection process for college applications is called, The Gatekeeper by Jacques Steinberg. It gave me insight with the application selection process. There are lots of phenoms who apply for the same major, and how does your story compare to the rest? There are times I wish universities publish their favorite application essays in an ebook, the personalities of the accepted students shine. I can guarantee there are those with less than stellar stats with much more creativity than the cliche stories that one student may <em>think</em> is unique. If schools admitted all phenom autotoms you can imagine how dull the classroom discussion would be. CC disturbingly has a thread, “how did he/she get in?” Many applicants and parents just put out there how they prepared their kid through private prep school, hired tutors, went to the expensive SAT classes and the unknown kid with the shocking lower stats (based on CC standards) gets into the reach school those parents spent that kids whole life preparing for. Diversity plays such an important role in higher education and the magic formula for choosing a diverse student body is different at every school.</p>
<p>Great post mommawhalie. My daughter could easily be considered one of those unique passionate kids. She has dual-exceptionalities - a very high IQ (tested three times throughout her school years) which college admission folks could care less about - and a learning disability which has led to relatively low test scores - which college admission folks DO care about. However, she has never let her challenges slow her down. She has compensated for her learning disability by developing her artistic style, sense of humor, and ability to connect with everyone she meets. Her well-written essays talked about crazy things that make her - her. Based on her grades (3.98 no AP classes), and test scores - people would never believe how she got in to a fabulous school like Chapman. It was her reach school for sure - but Chapman gets it!</p>
<p>As others pointed out, I think demonstrated interest made the difference here. OP, you noted that you applied to Chapman as a backup. It is likely that admissions staff picked up on that, too. An applicant with slightly lower GPA/test scores who clearly states in his interview and application that Chapman is his first choice I think sometimes gets in over someone with stats like yours who perhaps isn’t all that interested.</p>
<p>My D has significantly lower stats than the original poster and received the exact same letter in the mail yesterday…accepted for spring, option to be wl for fall. She also applied to the business school. This school was the one on her list that she applied to because several of her friends were applying, but we had no intention in sending her due to the cost, so maybe her lack of committed interest did come through in her essays. We were sure that she was rejected when we saw the small envelope in the mailbox. They write the letter as if it is a rejection and then if you keep reading it says that she is accepted. Another school that she applied to also offered her Spring Admission, but that letter was written as a very congratulatory letter at being admitted for the spring. Different approach!</p>
<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I just wanted to mention that J in regards to his Chapman U application stated “I thought my essays were really good. I worked with a college counselor who helped me through several drafts of all my essays".</p>
<p>It would be very hard for me to believe that a professional college counselor whom prepares college applications and picks out colleges for students to attend for a living would make the mistake that many of you have a alluded to that the application he submitted would not have express his deep desire to want to attend Chapman U. When a professional college councilor application writer creates an application submittal similar words/statements are use on all applications no matter which university they are applying to. These councilor make students also put in specific statements on why this particular college that they are applying is the school for them and why it is a great fit for them.</p>
<p>No professional college counselor is wasting there time applying to a college if there not giving it their best shot to have their client get in. </p>
<p>If you don’t want to accept that Chapman U has one of the top undergraduate Business schools programs in the country that is fine with me. But if you check out the rankings in the link I provided in my previous post other professionals whom rank college programs as part of their jobs do rank many of Chapman U’s undergraduate Business school programs as being among the top programs in the country.</p>
<p>Sukahjoy</p>
<p>I’m a parent of an newly admitted Chapman student and I’m thrilled with the choice - so I’ve been coming to the boards to get information about the school and reading your posts with interest.</p>
<p>I think it’s great that you are so enthusiastic about Chapman, but my concern is that we don’t know what your affiliation is. Since so many people come to the boards looking for credible information (I think, sometimes the cheerleading raises more suspicions than it erases) - could you establish - who are you and what is your relationship with the school?</p>
<p>Sukajoy, thank you for your responses on this chat board. My daughter was also waitlisted. She thought the letter was a total rejection and just lost it wailing and sobbing. I guess we were both overly-confident that she would be accepted. When she could calm down enough to read the letter, she was tentatively optimistic. </p>
<p>Does it really mean that she will be admitted for the Spring semester if she isn’t chosen from the waitlist? Will she be advised what classes to take at the local C.C. that can transfer in? In your opinion will the offer of admission include a dorm? Also, I need to be sure that even with spring admission, she’ll still be eligible for Chapman scholarships or grants. That will definitely be a deal maker or breaker.</p>
<p>Thanks again for your help and opinions.
Linda</p>
<p>Thank you Linda for your kind words; I am just trying to be of help to students and their families which I feel is the core of what College Confidential at its best is able to achieve.</p>
<p>JThePedantic in his post stated that he was granted admissions into Chapman U starting in the Spring 2014 even though he applied for the Fall 2013 semester. If the letter from Chapman U that your D received does not specifically state that she was accepted for the Spring 2014 semester she probable isn’t. I recommend that your D call a Chapman admission councilor or an admission director officer at (714) 997-6711 ASAP so that they can talk discuss her file/situation and tell her how best to proceed.</p>
<p>Because your D was waitlisted that means she is qualified to attend Chapman U. They start accepting from this waitlist starting after May 1st thru July. There are many good colleges that your D can attend to reach her goals in life. Hopefully your D has applied to other good colleges as well. Your D can accept admission into another college and then switch to Chapman U before school starts in August if she is taken from this waitlist; but again there are many good colleges that will take your D to where she wants to get to in life.</p>
<p>If your D wants to keep applying to Chapman U I am sure Chapman U will encourage her to do so. I have a niece who attended Lake forest College in Chicago her freshman year. She did not like it there and then applied to Chapman U and got in as a sophomore.</p>
<p>The general education classes that are taken at a Junior or State College can be applied toward any college’s graduation requirements. The graduation requirements are laid out in the College’s catalog but no matter what the major is they all have similar general education class requirements which again can be taken at a Junior or State College. Here is Chapman U’s Undergraduate catalog:</p>
<p>[Chapman</a> University Undergraduate Catalog 2012-2013](<a href=“Chapman University - Acalog ACMS™”>Chapman University - Acalog ACMS™)</p>
<p>Scholarships at Chapman U are based upon GPA and SAT/ACT test scores and your D is still eligible for them no matter when admitted. The grants are based upon the FAFSA that your family submitted and your D would be eligible for them whenever she is admitted.</p>
<p>Let me know Linda if you want advice on other colleges to attend based upon your D’s major, GPA and SAT score or if you need help in choosing which college to attend based upon where she has been already accepted to. All the best to you at this challenging/difficult time in your D’s life.</p>
<p>Umm…Spring 2014? Maybe because they have to wait for more applications to come in.</p>
<p>In regards to being offered a Spring semester admittance - I found today this great video with interviews of two (2) students whom took up the offer to be admitted in the Spring semester to Chapman University:</p>
<p>[Spring</a> Students Interview Chapman University - YouTube](<a href=“Spring Students Interview Chapman University - YouTube”>Spring Students Interview Chapman University - YouTube)</p>
<p>It may be that Chapman knew they were your backup. There are several places on the Common App and supplementals of many schools where they ask where you are applying. They want to choose students who “fit”…that means, ones they think will accept if they are admitted. Chapman may have assumed you would turn them down and attend an Ivy.</p>