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Can Better SAT Scores Lead to Spring Enrollment for Denied Applicant?

Written by Sally Rubenstone | July 9, 2005

Question: If I got rejected for the fall term because of my SAT scores, is there any way I can improve those scores and then re-apply for the winter term?

Lots of "maybes" here. The answer would depend primarily on the particular college involved and its policies, because these can vary greatly from one institution to another. Also, are you sure that it was your test scores alone that kept you out or are you just assuming so? If there were a number of factors that led to your verdict--as is often the case--then improved test scores may not make a difference.

Your first step should be to contact the admission office at the college or university you hope to attend. You can try e-mail first, if you're most comfortable with it, but if you don't get a prompt response, a phone call might be more effective.

Ask to speak to the staff member who oversees applicants from your high school (or speak to any admission official, if that person isn't available). Tell him (or her) that this college remains your first choice, and ask what steps might enable you to enroll for the second term ... or for another subsequent semester.

So don't hesitate to get in touch with the admission office right away. Clearly state your situation and ask for guidance. Good luck!

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone knows the competitive and often convoluted college admission process inside out: From the first time the topic of college comes up at the dinner table until the last duffel bag is unloaded on a dorm room floor. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Sally has appeared on NBC's Today program and has been quoted in countless publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, People and Seventeen. Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. As senior advisor to College Confidential since 2002, Sally has helped hundreds of students and parents navigate the college admissions maze. In 2008, she co-founded College Karma, a private college consulting firm, with her College Confidential colleague Dave Berry, and she continues to serve as a College Confidential advisor. Sally and her husband, Chris Petrides, became first-time parents in 1997 at the ripe-old age of 45. So Sally was nearly an official senior citizen when her son Jack began the college selection process, and when she was finally able to practice what she had preached for more than three decades.