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How to Write a Compelling College Admission Appeal Letter

It's that time of year again. High school seniors are waiting to hear back from their dream colleges, and many are finding out that they didn't quite make the cut. For some students, this can be a crushing blow. But all is not lost! There is still a chance to appeal the decision.

It is important to remember that not every school will accept an appeal letter. And even if they do, the odds of an appeal being granted are slim. So before you start drafting your letter, it's important to do your research and make sure that it's worth your time and effort.

If you're still feeling hopeful and want to give it a shot, then read on for tips on how to write a compelling college appeal letter.

Things to Avoid

If you've been rejected from your dream school, it can be tempting to write a college appeal letter in an attempt to get the decision reversed. However, there are certain things that you should avoid mentioning if you want your appeal to be successful.

First of all, any information that was already contained in your college application has already been evaluated. The admissions committee isn't going to change their mind just because you reiterate what they already know.

There is not one specific reason for your rejection. The admissions process is holistic, meaning that all aspects of your application are considered together. It could be that your grades were slightly lower than average or that you didn't have as much extracurricular experience as other applicants. Either way, trying to guess the reason for your rejection is unlikely to lead to success.

Thirdly, appealing to the fairness of the decision is also not likely to work. College admissions committees understand that not every student will be accepted, and they don't make their decisions lightly. Although an appeal letter stressing unfairness is rare, rejection letters are not always swayed by them.

Additionally, writing a list of items from your application in paragraphs is not likely to be successful. The admissions committee has already seen everything on your application, so repeating it back to them isn't going to change their minds.

If you're considering writing a college appeal letter, make sure you avoid these four mistakes. By doing so, you'll improve your chances of getting the decision reversed and finally being accepted into your dream school!

Why Appeal

If you've been rejected from your dream college, it's natural to feel disappointed and even a little lost. But don't give up hope just yet! There are several reasons why you might still have a chance of getting in – even if your SAT or ACT score wasn't quite what you wanted it to be. Here are three potential reasons to appeal a college rejection:

You've had a major accomplishment since submitting your original application.

Maybe you won a prestigious award or were accepted into a highly competitive program. Whatever the case may be, if you can show that you're even more impressive than when you first applied, the admissions committee may take another look at your application.

You achieved a significantly higher SAT or ACT score.

If you took the test again and got a much better score, that's definitely worth mentioning in an appeal letter. The admissions committee may be willing to overlook a lower score if they can see that you've improved significantly.

Did you forget to include a key experience or detail about yourself on your initial college application?

It could alter how the admissions staff perceive your accomplishments.

If there was something important that you forgot to include in your original application, make sure to mention it in your appeal letter. For example, maybe you didn't list any extracurricular activities because you were focusing on your academics, but now that you've had some time to reflect, you realize that those activities would have made your application even stronger.

While there's no guarantee that appealing will work, it's definitely worth a shot if you truly believe that you belong at the school. So don't give up hope – start writing that appeal letter!

Eugen

Eugen

About the author
Got kids about to go to college, so making my own research and sharing here!
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