Two Readers’ Questions: Can My Admission Be Revoked After Being Accepted?
I have two questions that I wanted to answer related to a similar subject: colleges revoking admission after already accepting a student. The short answer is that a university may cancel your acceptance for any reason they see fit. The longer answer, though, will explain why this situation can be rare and what you can do if you're in danger.
Let's start with Kristen S who has this concern about her latest ACT result:
I took the ACT in February of Junior Year (I'm a senior now), and I got a 30. Last fall I was waitlisted by a lot of schools, so I took it again in December. Today I got the results. I went from a 30 down to a 26 somehow. Are colleges I already got into (and the one I plan to attend) going to revoke me? I'm really scared! What's gonna happen to me? Their admissions council is EVIL and I'm scared they will change their minds...
Don't worry, Kristen. The great thing about the ACT (unlike the SAT) is that you get to choose which scores to send. In other words, if you have a bad ACT score, you can choose not to send it to any college and they'll never know about it. As evil as their admissions council may be, what they don't know won't hurt you.
However, even if the college did receive the lower test score, I am not sure this would influence them at all. A higher test score could be a way to bump yourself out of a waitlist, but I don't believe that a lower one will hurt you. At least, I've never heard of a student who has later had his or her admission revoked on the basis of a poor test score after acceptance.
Revocation after a poor semester of grades, however, is another matter. Refer to this question from Shaun M:
I was accepted to a college already, but I'm failing a lot of classes this senior year. I've asked around about being rejected because of my grades and some say yes you can get rejected and others say not to worry about it. So I want a real answer. And also they said a final transcript is needed and I'm wondering what will happen if i just dont send it. Thanks!
To start, if you don't send in your final transcript, the college will likely put an "academic hold" on your record, which means you will not be able to sign up for classes. The school needs proof that you actually graduated from high school, and will not allow you to be a student without your final transcript. You must send it in.
As for the policy on post-acceptance rejection for poor grades, it varies from college to college. Check your acceptance letter and look for a clause that says something like, "your admission is contingent on your continued successful performance." While they will likely forgive a very slight slip in grades, multiple F's sends a message to the admissions committee that you may not be ready to attend college yet.
I highly recommend you contact the college directly and ask what their policy is, what will happen, and what you should do. The admissions office is there to help you and will do their best to figure out a way to keep you admitted if it is possible. Ignoring the problem and hoping the college won't notice will not work. If you are proactive in trying to work with the university to find a solution, you may be able to avoid getting your acceptance revoked.
Thanks for your questions, Kristen and Shaun. If any readers have questions they would like me to answer (either privately or on the blog), feel free to use my contact form.
Have a question or comment? Leave me one.Standing Out in a Sea of 121,000: The UC Admissions Game This Year
According to a preliminary January 4th report and subsequent data collected over the past month, the University of California system is reporting receiving 121,005 applications for Fall 2008, breaking its own record for the fourth consecutive year. Applications have increased by 9 percent over 2007.
Most interesting, out-of-state applications increased by 14.4 percent, and international applicants by 25.2 percent. As each UC continues to grow, the nationwide and even worldwide recognition grows along with them. Continuously ranked as the #1 public schools in the country, the Universities of California command a staggering, but very well-deserved growth rate.
With the number of applications so high, it is becoming increasingly difficult to be accepted to a UC. Consider these three tips to help your odds.
- Apply to multiple UCs. Though each school is individually ranked by college guides -- with Berkeley, Los Angeles, and San Diego always topping the charts -- all offer a very high quality level of education. The lower ranked UCs like Irvine, Santa Cruz, Riverside, Davis, and Santa Barbara may receive less attention than juggernaut Berkeley, but they are still fantastic schools which carry more prestige than most other public and even private universities. Applicants apply to, on average, 3.6 UCs, so follow the trend to increase your odds.
- Consider community college first. The UCs actively recruit students from California community colleges. Most have a program of guaranteed acceptance called TAG or Transfer Admissions Guarantee that will allow you automatic admission if you meet certain minimum criteria. While Berkeley has no such guarantee, UC San Diego offers this TAG program, and UC Los Angeles offers preferred, though not guaranteed, admission through its TAP (Transfer Alliance Program). If you have your heart set on a UC and have been rejected, take advantage of these transfer programs. Not only will you get the same degree as the freshman admits, but you will also save money by paying much less expensive community college tuition for two years.
- Establish residency before applying. If you are an out-of-state student, try to establish residency in California. Since UCs strongly favor in-state applicants, you may find yourself accepted with the same exact credentials simply by establishing residency first. For tips on how to do this, read my article about paying in-state tuition as an out-of-state student and scroll down to the heading, "Establish Residency".
While standing out in a sea of 121,000 other applicants is difficult, the UCs work hard to ensure access for any qualified student. For school-specific tips, consult the university you are most interested in and ask for guidance for your particular situation.
Have a question or comment? Leave me one.More on the Dangers of Personal Statement Coaching and Editing
On Tuesday, I wrote a new article for parents that touched on the dangers of parents helping their child to write the personal statement (see point 6). On the same day, The Boston Globe published an article warning that college applications can be too good. I thought it would be a good idea to expand upon what I suggested for parents in my own article by generalizing the advice to cover these so-called "College Application Consultants" or "Personal Statement Coaches".
The Boston Globe cautions that, "[a]s college admissions officers sift through thousands of application essays [...] they increasingly encounter writing that sparkles a bit too brightly or shows a poise and polish beyond the years of a typical teenager." They suggest that such essays are known around the admissions office by the pejorative nickname 'DDI', for 'Daddy Did It'. Further, they reinforce my assertion that colleges are increasingly cross-referencing the SAT or ACT essay with the personal statement to ensure that a student's voice, word use, and syntax are consistent. It also becomes obvious that something is amiss when the level of polish varies dramatically between the short answer responses and the longer essay.
The importance of the application essay is well-known, and I see more and more students each season turn to professional services which offer to edit and sometimes even write the personal statement for you. College admissions officers are wise to these services and are employing even more techniques to spot and punish cheaters in the admissions process.
The most important piece of advice I can offer is to remember that while universities do want to see some level of polish, they still expect you to write like a 17- or 18-year-old. Some minor mistakes are good, and make you seem real and personal. If you do decide to hire a professional essay editor, make sure that none of the changes alter your own personal voice or the authenticity of the essay. Take this tip from admissions director at MIT Stu Schmill, who warns against penning a 'sanitized' essay: "[t]he best thing [you] can do is write from the heart."
Have a question or comment? 1 person does.College Application Purgatory: What you Must Do if You’re Waitlisted
The wait list is certainly the most stressful position during the college application season. Many applicants with deferred admissions offers in hand are left wondering what to do. As to what you have to do, the answer is easy. Sometimes you can do nothing and remain on the waitlist. Other times, you simply check a box indicating your interest and mail the latter back. But the question of what you should do if on the wait list is more complex.
Being added to a college's waitlist should put you back into action mode. Hope is absolutely not lost because universities almost always admit many applicants from their wait list in an attempt to keep the incoming student body of an expected size. Your goal now is to stand out amongst the other waitlisted candidates. Your foot is already in the door, so the trick is to make sure that the admissions committee opens it for you and not someone else. Try one or more of the following tips:
- Indicate your interest. If you don't have to do anything to remain on the wait list, do something anyway. If you only have to check a box, do something more. Personally call the admissions office to indicate your continued interest in the college and ask if there's anything they would like you to send in to help them make their decision. They're already interested in you as a student, otherwise they would have just rejected you. So make sure you make it clear that the interest is mutual.
- If they don't ask, send it anyway. Several months have passed since you sent in your application, so let the university know all the good things that have happened in the meantime. If your GPA has gone up, send in an updated transcript. A quick report on your new awards, honors, or club presidencies should be sent as well. Anything you believe could have helped you the first time around should be shared.
- If you have nothing new to send, make something. Staying the same guy or gal they wait listed the first time isn't going to get you accepted the second time. Work as hard as you can in your classes and let the school know that you anticipate a GPA increase. Sign up for a college prep class at a local community college to show initiative and preparedness. Shoot for leadership opportunities or community involvement. You need to add to your application in some way to make yourself more attractive to the university. And, of course, let them know all about it.
- Understand why colleges defer applicants to the waitlist. One of the hardest things for admissions committees to do is to make sure they select the right amount of students. This includes complex calculations regarding their typical yield (or the percentage of students they accept who actually attend) and the likelihood that certain applicants will accept an admissions offer. The more sure they can be about you, the more they will like you. So if you're waitlisted at your top-choice school, tell them that they're your top choice and that you will definitely attend if they accept you. If you're less of a risk, you're a better choice for them.
- Find an advocate. If you want to be a college athlete, contact your sport's coach and let him or her know that you've been wait-listed and see what he or she can do to help you. Somethings the athletics department has some sway over who gets to come off the waitlist. If you're not going for sports, find any other contact. A professor, an advisor, or even an admissions officer all make great advocates. If you have someone at the school who likes you and wants you in, you have a much better chance.
The wait-list can be an uncomfortable place to be, but keeping your hopes up and continuing to play the admissions game is the trick to getting accepted off the waitlist. The majority of deferred candidates will do nothing -- they will not call, update their application, or show that they care. By being different, you will stand out and have a decent shot at acceptance. Don't pester the admissions office of course, but do make sure they know that you're interested.
The wait list is never the end of the road, but just a beginning to a new one. Good luck.
Have a question or comment? Leave me one.Do boys have a better chance of getting into a college than girls?
It is a growing truth that colleges are seeing a shift in the balance of male-to-female student ratios. In fact, though males vastly outnumbered females on college campuses just a few years ago, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) predicts that this year's incoming college student population will have 75 boys for every 100 girls. This begs the question: since college admissions boards desire diversity in their student population, will they now be more likely to admit a boy over a girl even if their qualifications are otherwise equal? Or, even more striking, will they admit a less qualified boy?
What we know for sure is that colleges are currently working harder to attract male applicants. Some universities have used athletics as a draw, and some have expended more traditionally male-dominated programs, such as business. Skidmore College in New York, for example, has used both strategies in hopes of drawing in more boys.
However, there does not appear to be any sort of generalized trend for preferential treatment for boys during admissions. Though if you are concerned about a gender penalty (or bump) and want a better estimation of your individual odds, there are two things you should analyze about each college you are interested in:
- Current enrollment statistics will tell you if there is a wide gender gap at your target college. Interviews with admissions officers have revealed that if such a gap existed, they may prefer male applicants. Bruce Poch, admissions dean at Pomona College in Claremont, California suggests that, "if [enrollment] were to suddenly be 65/35, [a gender preference] would be very reasonable."
- Application statistics are revealing as well. Pomona College, for example, admitted 17% of its female applicants to 24% of its male ones in order to maintain a rough 50/50 ratio. Other colleges such as Swarthmore College near Philadelphia engage in similar practices, as suggested by admissions dean Jim Bock who says that he would consider admitting more boys than girls off the waitlist if the incoming class seemed too lopsided.
Girls should not panic too much, however. University of Delaware admissions director Louis Hirsh along with several other admissions officers assert that they would not admit an unqualified male applicant over a qualified female one.
Ultimately, the best any applicant can do is to put his or her best foot forward. I highly recommend that you not stress yourself over potential gender handicaps or the effects of gender diversity. Though boys may receive a slight bump at the margins, there is no evidence yet to suggest that colleges in general are offering preferential enrollment to male applicants.
Have a question or comment? 2 people do.Applications with Flair: Ticket to the Accept Bin or the Trash Bin?
Competition is certainly heating up every year in college admissions. In desperation, students are doing their best to stand out from the crowd and show their creative side. Yesterday, I suggested that some flair might be a good idea. I did not expect that students would go as far as they have:
A Smith College applicant glued words to a Scrabble board trumpeting her attributes. A Tufts University hopeful designed a neon-green flower made of duct tape. And a teenager desperate to get into Harvard sent in a homemade chocolate replica of the school's Veritas shield.
[...]
"The ultimate question is, 'Does this help the student get in?' " said Debra Shaver, Smith College director of admission. "And the answer is no. It certainly entertains the staff, but it doesn't help the student get in."
Giving an even more pointed answer, William R. Fitzsimmons, Harvard's dean of admissions, said, "[d]on't do it."
As important as it is to stand out in a crowd, none of the admissions officers quoted in the article and certainly none that I have ever spoken with advocate the use of gimmicks to do so. Instead, most recommend that you show your history of creativity through past activities listed in your resume or offer a unique perspective of yourself in the personal statement.
Flair will almost always make it appear as if you are trying to compensate for something. You want to show to the admissions committee that you are proud of your accomplishments and believe that they stand on their own without needless decoration. And as I mentioned in the how to get rejected article, ideas which you think are clever rarely are. Backing up my disdain for the advice given in books about 'great personal statement ideas' is Tufts director of undergraduate admissions Susan Ardizzoni, who gave the perfect summary when she said, "[w]e think there's some guidebook telling them this is a good thing to do."
It isn't. Stick to the materials that the college actually requests and leave the gimmicks to your straight-to-the-trash competitors.
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