Appeal letter

GabGirl
Sun, 01 May 2016 16:52:40 +0000

Potentially. Here’s what the UW Madison website says about appeals:
Appealing a Decision

"Every application denied has already been through an extensive review. For an appeal to have merit, it must bring to light new compelling academic and/or personal information, as well as details pertaining to extenuating circumstances that were not addressed in the initial application. Essentially, the appeal must present information that clearly shows the student to be stronger than had been earlier evidenced.

Appeal letters must be written and submitted by the applicant within 30 days of the deny decision to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Email is an acceptable format for submission. Be sure to clearly outline the reasons for appealing and present new and compelling information. Do not simply repeat information that was presented at the time of application. At the time of appealing, the letter should accompany any other appropriate documentation as needed.

Postpone and waitlist decisions cannot be appealed. Any application that is incomplete or late will not be eligible for an appeal. Applicants can only appeal once and decisions resulting from an appeal are final. We will not accept appeals filed on behalf of the student by a parent, counselor, teacher, friend, etc.

It is our usual practice to respond to appeals within four to six weeks of the date we receive them. While all appeals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, the rate of a decision being reversed based on an appeal has historically been very low. Application fees are nonrefundable regardless of the result of an appeal. Appeals should be sent directly to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment."

So, if your grades are significantly stronger, and you can explain a low GPA (like depression, loss of family member, etc.), then go for it! The most you have to lose is being forced to face a rejection again, but could potentially get accepted/waitlisted.