Heloparent

I'm being told that more colleges are denying incomplete applications from freshman. Is this true? How could you deny a high school student if they don't send you everything?

cortana431

Because that student isn't capable of following basic instructions and/or requirements and because colleges have plenty of other students to choose from.

Really, it is silly for students to apply and get rejected because they didnt take a certain test or send in something.

Heloparent

Sounds to me this is illegal to deny a child if they didn't give you everything to base it on!

entomom

Helo,

Colleges generally state clearly what they require for admissions and when things are due. Like most things in life, it's the applicant's responsibility to comply in order to be considered.

If there is some ambiguity or gray area, a student can call and admissions office and try to work something out.

T26E4

Illegal? Really why would you even think that? Colleges will do their best to contact students/schools, etc. to ask for missing docs/test scores/etc. -- but the first line of responsibility lies with the student.

If you apply to a job and they want your resume in MS word format versus a PDF file -- and you submit a PDF, in what universe do you think you'd get a call back?

Just like the job market, colleges get more than enough qualified applicants. Top schools have no qualms turning down 4.0 GPA and 2400SAT applicants. Why would they feel bad about not reading an incomplete file? No tears will be shed.

Heloparent

The college admission process just seems like a game to me and this is our first child to school. I think its unfair to send a child a deny letter if they don't send you documents. It's one thing to deny based on grades. The colleges are playing games with students and I just don't understand.

T26E4

Helo: try to look at it from the colleges' perspective: they feel they need certain documents to fairly evaluate each applicant. One applicant fails to submit a required item. After repeated unheeded requests for the item, what is the college to do? Admit him anyway? Over those equally qualified who have submitted each requirement?

I too, would be disturbed at colleges who were cold and would auto-reject kids for minor slippages -- but if the repeatedly request missing documents and are rebuffed, WHAT ARE THEY TO DO?

It's one thing to say it can be a confusing and nerve-wracking process -- granted. You have my full sympathies. But to expect special treatment?

" How could you deny a high school student if they don't send you everything? "

That's why colleges publish explicit checklists of items along with submission deadlines. And these items aren't frivolous. They don't ask applicants to jump hurdles out of spite. Everything required is required.

Your logic is extremely curious in this circumstance, helo. Step back and read what you've written.

See what happens if you "forget" to pay your mortgage or rent for a few months.

M's Mom

I would add that many incomplete applications are incomplete for a reason. Kids send the common app and then change their minds after being admitted somewhere they would rather go or deciding it's not what they want after all. There have been big debates as part of the 'selectivity reporting' where schools are counting incomplete applications as part of the applicant pool so they can make themselves appear more selective than they actually are. Several schools are known for sending out 'rejection letters' to kids who never completed the application (on purpose), and thereby signaling that they intend to count that application for their own advantage.

It's also true of most schools these days that you can check on line to see if your application is complete or not. Granted there is a significant lag time between when documents get sent and when the status of a particular application gets updated - but the fact is that if something is missing, the student is generally responsible for checking that out and then contacting the school. That's as it should be. If a student isn't ready to take ownership for getting his or her own application in and complete on time, they aren't ready for college.