Wait list question

Parents Forum
1

<p>Hi !</p>

<p>I’m a senior in high school living in Germany. Thus, I don’t have the possibility to ask a school counselor regarding my - I guess - somehow special situation. I guess that I will receive the most qualified answers here in the parents section, as you probably have the most experience with college admissions.</p>

<p>In Germany, everyone (male) is obliged to provide 9 months of military service but in fact only 50% are drawn. I’ve gone through the admission process and applied only to reach universities (as I have plenty of safties here) and was waitlisted at two (no acceptances, though).</p>

<p>Time has come to write a letter of interest and Penn clearly is my first choice which I would definitely attend (financial aid is a factor, yet my parents would pay for it if it became necessary) if there wasn’t the military service thing.
I probably cannot defer a possible wait list offer, can I? I asked my military advisor and she said that there is the possibility to be released from this duty if having a place at such a top notch university. However, due to legal problems, she could not give me a yes and such an appeal can be raised only if I’ve got the actual offer.</p>

<p>Now, to enhance my chances, I’d like to say that I will attend if given the chance to, yet this isn’t quite correct as it isn’t in my hands. Chances are that I don’t need to service yet I cannot tell for sure. At the same time, I think that it isn’t to wise to explain my situation to them as the admission commitee might choose someone else who will attend rather than me, who cannot give them an immediate answer.</p>

<p>Is a sentence like “I will move mountains to attend” enough (because that is true) or is “I will definitely attend” honest enough if you see my special circumstances. Will the first sentence look awkward or might it even place me far behind all those writing “I’ll definitely attend”?</p>

<p>Many questions…</p>

<p>Thank you for any advice in advance.</p>

<p>PS: The university is the University of Pennsylvania.</p>

2

<p>Unfortunately, most of the selective schools, U Penn included, take few to none of their kids from the waitlists. My D was waitlisted at 3 Ivy’s and not one of them took a single student from their wait list last year.</p>

3

<p>I know that chances are slim - yet what do I have to lose? My question pointed rather in the direction of how to improve my chances but thank you anyways.</p>

4

<p>Go ahead and tell them that you will attend. The chance that you may be called up for military service is no different than any other unforeseen circumstance that could prevent a student from attending. For example, some other student may have a parent fall ill and lose their job and lose the financial means to pay; or be injured in an accident, etc. </p>

<p>If you were certain to be called for service, it would be a different matter entirely. But you simply are subject to a military draft --as are all US males. The difference is that the chances of being called for military service in Germany are 50%, while in the US it currently is -0- - but that could change. </p>

<p>Obviously if Penn accepts you off the waitlist, and then you are called for service and cannot get out of it, you will have to notify Penn of the change of plans. But those are a lot of “ifs”. As it stands today, you are available to attend Penn if they will have you, and that is how you should write your letter.</p>