Rejected from my ED school. Should I change my application? Do I have a shot at any Ivies/T20s RD?

Applying to College
,
81

Sorry - you are NMSF.

You have great options. - Bama, Tulsa, UTD, Maine and more. I’m reading that not all of these will work but some will.

This is not Ivy or bust.

This is be realistic.

You have a budget. You have options. Not everyone does. Sometimes you have to choose an option you wouldn’t love.

Even if you got in Ivy, what if you couldn’t afford it?

Guess what, people choose public schools over Ivy.

You really don’t have an issue here. It’s just budget will dictate your choice - like so many others.

Be fortunate that your hard work is going to give you options without loans.

Time to pivot to an affordable or free option.

1 Like
82

My hope for you is you find a college that is affordable that you can grow to love. Right now, you are still feeling the sting of not getting accepted to your ED choice.

Get some other RD applications that are due soon done now…you don’t have to make a decision about where to go until end of April.

Even IF you do ED 2, you should still do a couple of other RD applications as mentioned above. UT Dallas might be good…or Maine.

5 Likes
83

I should add - you wouldn’t love on paper but turns out you’d truly love.

Too many go to the ‘dream’ and don’t love it. There are many threads like this.

Others go to a settled choice based on admissibility or $$ and come back and say - wow now that I’ve gone, I’m so glad. I can’t imagine having gone anywhere else.

You just don’t know.

When you pick a school - go in with a great attitude, get involved, do great things - and you may find as it turns out - it’s a great place for you.

There’s likely many schools where you can thrive - and at all selectivity levels. That part is up to you.

4 Likes
84

@aquapt @tsbna44 @thumper1 Thank you all so much for your insight and recommendations–I’ve decided that I’m going to apply to the University of Alabama. I basically already know I’m getting in, and I really took the time to look at their NMF package and it is absolutely insane. Like, getting paid to go to college insane (plus they have the largest population of NMFs and also a really great honors college, so i think i’d be intellectually stimulated there). I’d probably rather go there than Mason, and I guess I’ll just have to hope that racial relations aren’t too bad there if I end up going (does anyone have any insight on the black experience at Bama?).

5 Likes
85

I think applying to Alabama is a good option. It doesn’t mean you have to ditch the other colleges on your application list. Alabama can be your true safety school. You don’t have to decide where to go until end of April.

By end of April, you will likely have more than one affordable option​:crossed_fingers:t2::crossed_fingers:t2::crossed_fingers:t2:. So…apply to a reach or two…

8 Likes
86

I think it’s smart. You needn’t go but it gives you another option - and U Maine, UTD, Tulsa (full ride) offer more.

I think the issue is - you have a long list and you have many you’ll get into (not sure about affordability - long chain)…but when people miss their ED, it’s like they go into depression.

Looking at stats, your EDs and reaches were unlikely - but Pitt, VCU, GW are all possible. Va Tech too.

So at Bama…I’m not black and won’t pretend to be. But it’s 58% OOS including more than 1K from GA, TX, CA and 1,500 from Illiniois plus 2K more from NY/NJ/CT. They buy kids in - so it will have diversity. 1K or so Jews (I dont’ believe you’re Jewish but to show you, it’s not what you think).

I go for work - was there yesterday in fact…have never seen anything. My son went there - he says the entire conservative, racist stuff is nonsense. Are there issues? Sure - at UCLA and Michigan too. Is the state conservative - yep. So is VA (Youngkin) but that’s not your day to day.

I won’t say Honors is great - it’s big (the biggest) and I’m sure it could be if you take advantage. But they also have McCullough Medical Scholars (look up, you are cog sci…it may be of interest), Blount and Randall Research.

So the deal is fantabulous - and that’s why some would go over Ivy.

So - it’s smart to have it in the back pocket. Maybe you can even get there to look at it.

But they love the NMF - and options like this are always nice to have.

And if you end up elsewhere because something comes through you like and can afford - that’s great too.

Best of luck.

Clarifying - this was your original list I was referencing - from your other post.

  • Safety (certain admission and affordability)
    George Mason University
    Virginia Commonwealth University
    UPitt
  • Likely (would be possible, but very unlikely or surprising, for it not to admit or be affordable)
    Virginia Tech
    George Washington University (I did a program with them and I’m basically guaranteed admission lol)
  • Match
    UVA
    Northeastern (possible ED2… feedback?)??? (not sure if this goes in reach or not)
    Boston University??? (same here)
  • Reach
    Brown (ED1) THIS IS WHAT I REALLY WANT FEEDBACK ON!! do i have a chance or should i use my ed on something more realistic? I love brown like A LOT but if my chances are significantly better elsewhere I’ll consider it
    Uchicago (another possible ED2)
    WashU (another possible ED2, got into their fly-in program but couldn’t go)
    Umichigan (i’m ea here i just really like this school haha)
    a bunch of other ivies and t20s
87

Sorry that Brown didn’t work out. I have a “gut check” question.

Seems from your comments and the fact you applied ED that Brown was in your opinion the perfect fit.

With that in mind what does Alabama have in common with Brown?

Not casting doubt on your decision just making sure you have thought it through versus just seeking the perceived lowest cost option.

To be clear NMF at UA is about 2.8% of students (it’s a huge school) versus a school like Tulsa at 25%. In addition none of the elites provide, calculate or market NMF numbers but based on the reported scores they would likely be significantly higher on both a percentage and absolute basis. Not diminishing UA but making sure you have the context versus the headline UA tends to market.

6 Likes
88

Totally agree re Macalester. Very very similar to Brown (ED rejection so presumably first choice) and T25 LAC, arguably better for IR and meets need and has merit. Its setting is nice than Brown’s College Hill, in a super nice neighborhood in St Paul close to various other colleges (including Minnesota); if you loved Brown, and want to do IR, you would love Mac. I would not rule out doing ED2 there. Another similar alternative to Brown in a less nice city but close to NYC is Vassar; international studies program is less well known than Mac, but proximity to NYC and network there should be interesting for UN opportunities, for example.

5 Likes
89

What about any HBCUs? Howard?

1 Like
90

Bad financial aid though. Family with income <30k pays $48k/yr.

91

Thank you for the insight!

92

Well, I basically was just seeking the lowest cost option I guess. I have a strong feeling that I would really not like it at Bama if I went but I feel like I have to apply in case everything goes wrong? I’d much rather attend VCU in-state (it would be almost free) than Bama, but I feel like I would be giving up basically free-money if I don’t go to Bama (given that my only choices would be like VCU, Mason, bama or something). Oh wow, I had no idea the percentage was that small at Bama. I think that deters me from it a bit more

1 Like
93

In that case Howard would be an absolute no go

1 Like
94

I think I’m going to apply to Vassar. I’ve always been kind of wary of LAC’s (don’t ask me why because I really don’t know), and people say they’re less recognized among employers, but Vassar is very similar to Brown and I love their open curriculum + the proximity to NYC is definetely a plus when it comes to internships/opportunities. I don’t think I’'m going to apply ED2 anywhere now that I’m aware of the financial constraints I have for college, but it’s definetely on the RD list now! Thanks so much!!

4 Likes
95

I often read that the most important school is the admissibility and cost safety. I do however think fit matters, and a big element of fit is happiness. Numerous schools have been mentioned that would likely come closer to checking all or at least more of your boxes.

I would not use a school like Bama that seems to run contrary to the atmosphere you seek as a safety just because it is cheap. Seems like a recipe for disaster.

3 Likes
96

You make an excellent point.

On the other hand, the OP could apply and then weigh the various pros and cons of their choices once they know what their choices are.

5 Likes
97

I’m really not sure why (some) people say things like this. If you look at any sort of per capita placement study, relevant SLACs are usually quite high on such lists.

I think there are a couple things people fail to account for.

First, although people speculate about smaller alum networks, there are also far fewer grads each year trying to use those networks. And actually, I think that math works out in favor of smaller schools, because I think when alums of big schools get a lot of grad contacts, they are more likely to help none meaningfully.

Second, my experience is SLAC grads don’t just look out for their own SLAC, they also tend to give a hand to other SLAC grads too. There are a lot of possible explanations for that.

Anyway, bottom line is all the numbers I have seen suggest that if anything, networking is a relative strength, not weakness, of SLACs.

7 Likes
98

Not sure where your notions about LAC’s come from but they are definitely not correct. Top ranked LAC’s including Vassar have excellent employment placements, grad placements etc. They also tend to be generous with financial aid, and offer a much more personal and supported experience for students than large state schools.

6 Likes
99

I could not agree more. You have safeties that work and don’t need to apply to schools that you don’t think are a good fit.

OP, my kid who was attracted to Brown for many of the reasons you mentioned also really likes Macalester and Vassar. Macalester has the city location, and Vassar has the open curriculum. Both have quirky, intellectual vibes. And both are meet-full-need, so I’d encourage you to consider both.

6 Likes
100

Again, look at Clark University in Worcester MA if you are still looking for options. Interesting curriculum, diversity and merit aid is possible.

2 Likes