The reason it’s more effective for GC, rather than you, to call is that GC has more to lose if he is untruthful. GCs have to maintain relationships with colleges going forward. Colleges know that.
@brantly My GC won’t do it for me… and he told me he doesn’t do that for the rest of the seniors either.
In that case, send an email to your top choice, the adcom who’s your regional representative and tell him or her your high interest. Uou need to wait for updates - probably not grades since you’re probably p/f, maybe awards, schools are still giving out senior awards, so you have something else to write. good luck
@theloniusmonk so I just email him/her and basically write what I did in my LOCI?
I wouldn’t do that, as that could sound desperate. Wait a couple of weeks till after the enrollment deadline has passed (May 1’st unless they’ve delayed it due to covid19), then ask to see if they’ll be going to the waitlist and state your interest. If you can say anything about you’re dealing well with the situation in terms of remote learning, pass-fail, that could help.
Would you be able to consider applying to colleges from the NACAC list (ie., colleges that miscalculated yield… of which there’s bound to be a lot this year)?
Oh, sorry to hear that! Email your admissions rep yourself. You can cc your guidance counselor on the email. Simply say that you love the school, it is your first choice, and you will definitely enroll if admitted.
@MYOS1634 Where is the NACAC list?
@theloniusmonk @brantly will do! I like the idea of sending the email after the enrollment deposit deadline for the school
I wouldn’t wait, look at the other thread on the board about schools going to the waitlist early, like right now. I’d tell every school that you would attend if accepted, because if you get in off the waitlist, won’t you accept them over your current choice?
As stated above, ‘desperate’ is attractive to a college at this point, they want sure things.
@noready oh, thank you! And yes, I would accept them over my current choice any day.
hopefully that means that colleges would accept more people off their waitlists!
The NACAC list is historically published around May 5 or so, but this year will be different, as many schools have a June 1 deposit deadline. So, the list may not reach it’s peak until end of first week of June or so.
Many schools are still accepting applications right now, if you need recommendations let us know your stats and important factors in choosing a school, including budget.
Edited to add: I would not wait until after the deposit deadline to send a quick note to the AO at the #1 school that you are waitlisted at. What if they go to the waitlist before the deposit deadline? What school are we talking about?
1° I agree you should let your #1 school (and ONLY that one) that they’re #1. For #2-3 I’d send a message where you say they’re in your top 3. Update anything that’s changed (3rd quarter grades, academic or other awards, etc.)
2° please give your stats and your budget+ EFC (those are often very different). Are you willing to leave California? Do you have any relevant EC, work experience, interesting factor (first generation in college, rural district…?)
@Mwfan1921 Okay, I’ll send an email ASAP to the admission counselor in my area. I’m really sorry, but I’d like to keep the name of the school private!
@MYOS1634 but do you think it’s a good idea to tell the #2 and #3 ranked waitlisted schools that they are not my #1? I feel like it may be best to just contact my admissions counselor in my area for my #1, but I could be wrong.
I have sent all my waitlisted schools LOCIs. I feel like if I say that I am reiterating what was mentioned in my LOCIs.
My grades are the same as they was last semester, with the exception of an A moving up to an A+… In my school, an A+ has the same weight as an A-.
You can wait till you hear back from #1 to contact#2-3.
But you’re not answering 2° and your best bet is to apply to colleges that still have openings, so to suggest the right ones we need that information.
Tell #2 and #3 “I love [name of school] because of [add specific things you like]. [Name of school] is a TOP choice for me.” This would all be truthful.
great idea. Yes it is truthful
Do you have any acceptances at all? Or just waitlist offers?
If you don’t have an acceptance- even to a safety school - then (and only then) would I go to your GC’s supervisor and ask for their help. Don’t put down or trash-talk your GC, just explain your predicament.
It’s odd that yours wouldn’t advocate for you. Our school is a huge public and our GCs still go to bat for its students. Why wouldn’t they? When kids get into renowned colleges, it makes the school look really good, gives them something to brag about, and makes the guidance counselor look extremely competent too.
I would be less likely to escalate, however, if you already have a solid choice, even if it isn’t your first choice. There’s a difference between being in a pinch and being hard-to-please.
If you have a solid backup, just follow up as earlier posters suggested. It’s okay to say to ONE school, “You’re my #1 and I’ll definitely attend, but I need $X in financial aid” and say to the others, " I am very interested and hopeful in getting accepted off your waitlist". Be patient. This is going to be a year like no other.
You are not required to give your personal ranking of the school in your email. Your purpose in this is to give a friendly reminder that you are still actively hoping to get in to ALL of the schools that you would rather attend than the one you are in. You could have sent the LOCI weeks or months ago. What if your number one doesn’t ever go to the waitlist? Or numbers 1 and 2? Why would you wait to hear back until June or July that the waitlist is closed, before telling #2 again that you still want to go there too?
I like the ‘school x, I love your school because of y, and if admitted off your waitlist I would be thrilled to be a (insert mascot’), or ‘I will attend school x in the fall’. I absolutely would not put a qualifier of financial aid on it. You want them to pick you, not to have a reason not to pick you. If the financial aid doesn’t match your EFC it doesn’t, which is a reason to not commit, much like during ED.
You want your eggs in as many baskets as possible at this point!