Admissions season has come to its long awaited end and frankly… It’s left me a bit disillusioned with the whole process. Things didn’t go exactly as planned- but I had expected an outcome like this given my circumstances. One of the colleges I applied to Waitlisted me. I had applied ED and was deferred to RD, so you could say it’s been a long journey with them hahaha
You see, while many may see my predicament as a reason to be concerned, I’m actually very grateful and hopeful that that college still believes in me. This is precisely why I’ve been showing them my interest in attending. You name it, phone calls, emails, letters, interviews, stating I will unequivocally attend should I be given the privilege. I came to a point where I thought I had done everything I possibly could. But it hit me… Something I’ve always had the desire to do from the start but financial reasons prevented me from doing so. Visiting the campus!
I’d like to know, in your opinion, would that make my desperation (not going to even hide it hahah) TOO obvious? Would traveling through a few states(Florida to Virginia) to talk with an admissions counselor be too much? I recently started working, so any expenses related to trip can be modestly handled.
Any tips, suggestions or advice would be immensely appreciated. Thank you very much!
Thanks for the input everyone! It definitely is recommended to focus on the college(s) one has been accepted to. I could’ve done more in my case- applying to more colleges would’ve been wiser.
Unfortunately the only college I have been admitted to put me in the summer term- which I’ll barely be able to afford( let alone the subsequent fall term…)(EDIT: I’ve also contacted them but they weren’t able to switch my term). I’ve applied to an open admission college here in FL too, we’ll see.
I suppose this an all out effort, my Hail Mary, to appeal to the one last selective college on my “”“list”"". The one that started the journey and will ultimately end it, huh? I have to stress that it wont be of any inconvenience to me to do the travelling- I’m sure I’ll enjoy the trip itself!
Furthermore, the university is known to accept a very reasonable amount of students from its waitlist, but that’s just data.
OTOH, will you always wonder if a visit might have changed the final outcome? If you have never been to the school and have the time and money to visit, I cannot imagine it would adversely impact your chances…although the odds are against you.
I am no expert in admissions, but I encourage my kids to pursue their dreams wholeheartedly right up to the point where they become obviously impossible, and then it is time to let go, knowing they (my kids) did all they could and are comfortable letting go. It sounds to me like you are not quite at that point. Maybe you need to make this trip for you.
There is a fine line between showing enthusiasm and annoying the heck out of the admissions staff which leads them to rejecting you outright.
Visiting might lead to greater frustration by seeing what you can’t have.
You say that you aren’t sure you can afford the school that did accept you. Can you afford your dream school?
Perhaps a better option would be to take a gap year and apply to different and more wisely chosen schools. Take a couple of CC classes to prove you are capable of college work and to keep your academic skills/habits but not enough to lose your freshman entry status for scholarship consideration at the 4 year schools. Or earn an AA and transfer to keep costs down.
Some great advice here I asked a group of admitted students whether it’d be a good idea and they all favored it.
@KKmama . I took extra care in not pestering admissions. As a matter of fact, after a heartfelt email of mine, I received a very positive response from my admission counsellor. It really made my day hahaha The college in question meets full need for every admitted freshman- and waives tuition for low income students. No loans used. In terms of affordability, it is a very accessible college.
Hearing “gap year” gives me goosebumps. I’m a recent immigrant to the US and spent some of my post-highschool years working to help my household. Almost 22 now. Not old, I know I know, but… Another “gap year” might do more harm than good. Thank you for the comment
@dscottvb There is solace in knowing that you did everything you could, you’re absolutely right. If I were to go it would be during an informational session, and I’d advice them well in advance- just waltzing in would be strange. I’ll make the most of the trip, it’s a beautiful area over there. I appreciate your comment
You said you will have difficulty coming up with fees if you have to attend summer session. You’re going to jeopardize that with the Quixotic and almost 100% guaranteed non-effectual plan to visit these colleges? Many of which will CLOSE their WL by the end of June? That’s a simply AWFUL idea. “do everything you can” does not include doing foolhardy and flush-money-down-the-toilet things.
Save your money and use it for the college that’s accepted you.
I’m not sure that admitted students are so much more worldly and knowledgeable than the adults who are giving the alternative point of view. If you’ve made up your mind, fine, but be prepared for the eventual disappointment and the knowledge that scant resources were used on this quixotic voyage. Best of luck wherever you end up.
Instead of trusting the opinion of admitted students so say to go or parents (like myself) who say not to spend the money to visit a waitlist school, why don’t you contact that admission counselor and ask if a visit at this point would provide a huge boost in terms of your chances of getting admitted off of the waitlist.
I asked a group of admitted students whether it’d be a good idea and they all favored it.