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I've been reading so many posts on here recently from people who are thinking of appealing to colleges they were rejected from. I can understand that it must be upsetting not to get in to your top choice college, and I don't mean to be horrible or disrespectful, but I think unless there is solid ground on which to base your appeal, you should just accept your rejection and attend a college that actually wants you. In England appeals are unheard of... it would be seen as arrogant and disrespectful towards the college admissions staff should you say that they made the wrong decision when they rejected you.

Don't have a go at me, I'm just voicing an opinion. I think at the end of the day, you don't need the stress to continue. Attend a college that wants you there, and if you really do want to go to a different college, try transfering after a year.

By Roh (Roh) on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 03:25 pm: Edit

i agree.
but i did have a solid ground for my appeal...so hopefully i get in. =D

By Thefrode989 (Thefrode989) on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 03:29 pm: Edit

What was your solid ground?

By H0neymoon (H0neymoon) on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 03:59 pm: Edit

Unless it's something like "I accidently put ten D grades instead of A's..." its pretty pointless! haha

By Robert456 (Robert456) on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 04:23 pm: Edit

I don't mind hurting the college's feelings...they seem to not mind when they reject people.

By Thefrode989 (Thefrode989) on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 06:15 pm: Edit

I agree completely with your opinion and respect the fact you stand up for something you believe in. You also conveyed it intelligently. However. whether the university wants you or not make no difference. Once you are admitted after appeals, even though in most cases it is highly unlikely, you do not go walking around with a big sign radiating across your back "I got in on appeal, I don't deserve what you other students do. If you feel you have some basis for appeal, ie new information or something compelling, then by all means appeal. It might be a dream location or school and offer you all the opportunities you need. However, do not appeal if you have nothing else to add and just thought they didn't see how great you were the first time. NOT GONNA HAPPEN in their eyes. Appealing with no NEW basis is futile and immature. If you think you have something, anything that might work, and its your DREAM school, GO FOR IT!

By Peterline (Peterline) on Thursday, April 08, 2004 - 08:39 pm: Edit

what do you have to lose by appealing?
like Thefrode989 said, if its your dream school, go for it. theres no reason not to.

By Tricializ (Tricializ) on Thursday, April 08, 2004 - 09:30 pm: Edit

I agree about appeals; am for them. Are they futile? Mostly, yes. But, if this is your top choice, then 20 years from now, if you don't do everything you can possibly do, you might have regrets.

By Artic (Artic) on Thursday, April 08, 2004 - 09:37 pm: Edit

I agree with you only if it is not a UC campus. The UCs don't have waitlists and use appeals to fill their quotas. Even then it only works if you have a decent reason to appeal and if it is not one of the top UCs. I think it is worth a shot, what have you got to lose?

By Silliee (Silliee) on Thursday, April 08, 2004 - 09:41 pm: Edit

What are the chances of appealing to UCI?

By Keevan17 (Keevan17) on Thursday, April 08, 2004 - 10:28 pm: Edit

Chances at all UCs aren't the greatest, but it's worth a shot...

By Psycrage (Psycrage) on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 06:02 am: Edit

Yeah...

I really want to go to UCB, so I'm going to appeal. I didn't put information like leadership positions, a bunch of awards I received, and the third optional essay of "life challenges." It was a highly personal incident which resulted in grades slipping. But if I explain what happened, maybe the admissions people might reconsider.

By Unmatchedsocks (Unmatchedsocks) on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 06:33 am: Edit

I think appealing is wrong, too. People do need to get over it. I have never even thought of appealing any of my decisions. People don't like to admit that they are less than stellar in any way, though.

Psycrage: If you really wanted to UCB that badly, you should have put down leadership positions, awards, and essays in the first place. I bet they will not let you submit that information now, and I would be willing to bet that they still do not take you.

By Icansmile4u (Icansmile4u) on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 07:02 am: Edit

I think appeal can be understood as a solution to minimize the administrative errors in our inefficient bureaucratic system structure. However, the pitfall of it is that people these days tend to abuse it as an excuse to get another chance. Seriously, people do need to get over it. That's the way life is in every single aspect. If you don't get into a graduate school you want, are you going to appeal again since you were careless with your application? If you don't get job you want later on, are you going to appeal on the basis that you didn't put down your crucial achievements on first trial? If your propose gets turned down by your potential spouse, are you guys going to appeal solely on the basis that "I didn't tell you what's on my mind honestly word by word?" It might sound plain ridiculous; but still it isn't too apart from "I didn't put down my leadership positions on my application" type argument.

If you guys wanted to get something done so badly, you should have put every effort into it to make it perfect at the very beginning. Appeal is not about whether "YOU" have nothing to lose or not. It's eventually about how you take away the fair trial chance on first time basis from "OTHER PEOPLE."

Learn from your mistakes.... instead of trying desperately hard to get away with your own faults. Trust me. People with "I can care less 'cause i might get a 2nd chance anyways" attitude don't go that far in life.

Having a right to do so doesn't necessarily mean you should do so, not to mention to abuse it.

By Icansmile4u (Icansmile4u) on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 07:35 am: Edit

P.S I have no grudge on people going through appealing process for purely administrative error correction purpose; In fact, I encourage them to do so. I just think that people who take appeal process "GRANTED" in spite of their "OWN INCOMPETENCE" are hopeless. That's it.

By Mkhman (Mkhman) on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 07:57 pm: Edit

Let's say the admissions offciers mest up and threw away your application or for UC's there are 98 admissions officers and your app is read by two, how about if it is the wrong two people, I think you should appeal if you want, if you family circumstances and if new stuff shows up. You people stop being mean. just like you got accepted to your top school choice, so do others.


BTW, I think it is really stupid that people that got into UCB and not UCSD, and are going to UCB, but are appealing to UCSD just because they think they made a mistake, so stupid.

By Roh (Roh) on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 09:31 pm: Edit

the UC application don't let you write down your gpa. in fact, there's no space for that.
so i don't get why people would make errors.

i think they calculate your gpa based on the grades that you sumbited.

By Charmedxgal408 (Charmedxgal408) on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 08:02 pm: Edit

well how tho? on the computer or by a calculator??

By Roh (Roh) on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 09:04 pm: Edit

^ i don't know.
i never had to enter my gpa on the UC application.

By Nutraamy (Nutraamy) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 02:20 am: Edit

You guy seem to think that people who appeal didn't put their hearts into it when they applied. I'm sure they do. I think you guys need to stop casting judgement on what other people are doing.