<p>I understand the emotions around the Buntrock acceptance/rejection letters. My daughter was in your shoes last year. St. Olaf was her absolute number one choice, but she knew money was an issue, and a final decision could not be made without having all the offers from the schools she carefully chose to apply to all on the table. </p>
<p>To her horror, she was not selected as a Buntrock finalist, despite being National Merit, a ton of AP’s, captain of a sports team, all-conference honors in 2 varsity sports for 3 years each, etc. Tons of service, too. Her reaction was not one of being turned off, because her desire for a Buntrock did not involve her ego at all. Her desire for a Buntrock was so she could afford to attend her top choice school. She spoke to her school counselor, who in turn called St. Olaf and spoke to them on her behalf. We helped write a letter from the heart on what attending St. Olaf would mean to her. The Admissions staff was wonderful and helped her fulfill her merit hole without a Buntrock so she could in the end attend. In the meantime, she had been offered half-tuition to full-tuition offers from her other LAC applications and was extremely worried her dream school was slipping through her fingers despite her great performance in HS. </p>
<p>A year later, she is ever so grateful to St. Olaf for their help. It’s all about fit. If your kids are turned off and not turned queasy, perhaps they prefer another school anyway. Remember that St. Olaf does not say anywhere that the Buntrock scholarship is based solely on pure academic performance. It can also help the school matriculate students with more diverse backgrounds, interests, locations and races.</p>
<p>Good luck to everyone in this very stressful time! I do believe things work out for the best. Don’t be afraid to call and discuss any outcome you do not agree with–just do so humbly and communicate from your heart–no loss in trying (and this is true for any school).</p>