The Top 5 Reasons Why Students Get Rejected In The Early Round
Selecting an ED school is tricky business. Rather than thinking about your chances of being admitted (which, of course, is a really important question), ask yourself: would I be happy and thrive as a scholar at this school? After all, ED is a binding agreement between you and the school. If you have a clear narrative, motivation, goals, and the grades to match, ED is a great option. But for some, these factors aren’t enough, and rejections happen. So, we sat down with former admissions officer, Dr Soneji, to find out the inside perspective on what causes ED rejections, and how students can better prepare themselves.
the top five reasons why students may be rejected from their ED school.
1. Academic Mismatch.
It's important to assess your academic fit honestly. Are you in range from the perspective of your SAT (or ACT) and GPA? Select an ED where you are, indeed, academically within range. While shooting your shot for an out-of-range school might seem like an appealing idea, the chances of rejection (and a wasted ED) can be high, so we suggest sticking to a realistic academic goal.
2. Oversubscribed Intended Major.
Colleges offer several dozen majors. That means they need students in each of these majors. Economics and biology are amazing disciplines. What are less common majors that fit your narrative and interests? Doing research into the more niche corners of your intended subject can lead you to finding some great new topics that perhaps you hadn’t even thought of! Making these small changes and narrowing down your major to something less subscribed can improve your chances of acceptance.
3. Weakly Developed Extra-Curriculars.
High school is an amazing time to explore your interests. Try extracurriculars that align with your intended major. Create something new and share your joys and passions with others. While we heavily encourage doing what you are truly passionate about, making yourself stand out within your EC is key to creating a polished and relevant EC list. Why not try out a leadership role? The key is to remember to demonstrate growth and impact in these extracurriculars, and this often stems from having a true interest in what you’re doing.
4. Weak or Bland Recommendation Letters.
Recommendation letters provide admission committees with a view of you as a student and scholar from a fellow academic (i.e., your teachers). Which teachers know you best? These may not necessarily be the classes you did best in. A strong recommendation letter may be one that describes how you struggled, sought additional help, asked lots of questions, and persevered.
5. Unconvincing 'Why this school' Essay.
Schools want to know you are sincerely interested in their programs, which they have spent years developing and improving. It's easy to see the 'why this school' essay as generic. Just write a vanilla essay and fill in the blanks? NO! This is an incredibly important essay. How do you see yourself contributing to the intellectual community of your ED school? What specific programs, classes, and professors are you most excited about? Name them! There's no doubt you will benefit from attending your ED school. The harder question to answer is what value will you bring? Why will your ED school benefit from your attendance?
Bonus Reason:
Deferral. Deferrals can be deflating. Take a few days. And then remember you're still in consideration. You were not rejected. The letter of continued interest is important. Your first semester grades are paramount. Continue leading clubs. Demonstrate your continued interest in your ED school and your value, too.
Applying ED isn’t right for everyone, and that’s ok, but for those prepped and ready to commit, giving ED a shot might just be worth it! But most importantly, remember, rejection isn’t the end.
