While seniors wrap up the second semester of their final year of high school, students are often met with disappointment after receiving notification that they’ve been rejected from colleges despite their best efforts. However, some students have been provided with an opportunity to appeal these decisions if they feel as though they have extenuating circumstances that may alter the college’s decision. While not all colleges accept appeals, such as major private schools like Stanford or Yale, more students should take advantage of the appeal process, as it provides an additional avenue to prove why they deserve spots at colleges that might have previously rejected their applications.
The college admissions appeal process should be put to better use by students who feel as though they were not able to fully express themselves in their original applications, or have since completed notable activities or gained experiences that they were not able to include previously. Many students believe that this process should only be used in specific instances, such as overcoming extreme circumstances or a huge obstacle in their lives. Yet, the college admissions appeal process has no specified requirements, and it varies from school to school; instead, the individual applicant decides if they deserve a second chance at applying to their desired college. Student appeals are accepted by most colleges up until the beginning of the semester, depending on the school and the policies in place.
Certain awards, certificates, and other forms of local or national recognition are good reasons to appeal to colleges and universities as well, as many schools take these achievements into consideration when comparing students who are competing for admission. If an individual’s academic records or transcripts are clearly not the reason behind their rejection, then perhaps their personal statements weren’t detailed enough, or they didn’t get a chance to expand on their passions and interests. Many colleges look for characteristics of a well-rounded applicant, and these personal statements can easily be rewritten during the appeal process.
Although the college admissions appeal process can be used by students who feel as though their original applications did not include vital information, it should not be used as an avenue for students who are simply unhappy with their rejection without proper consideration of why and if they should appeal. This being said, students should consider using the appeal process to their advantage, as this process is known to help a select number of students a second chance at applying to the college of their dreams.