Not every student is right for every school, and not every school is right for every student. Perhaps the school’s curriculum doesn’t align properly with your previous school and finding appropriate classes for you will be a challenge. There are actually two versions of this letter that your son can compose. What is a Safety School in College Admissions? They want to make sure that you’re a great fit for them and that they can meet your needs so that you can be successful in school. Here is a sample letter for declining college admission: John M. Student 123 Acceptance Lane Why? Get ahead. Stay informed. Private schools strive to build strong, positive communities, and if they feared that you might not be a positive addition, then you may not be accepted. Advice on Declining Private School Place (14 Posts) Add message | Report. You invested a lot of effort into presenting your best side while the schools maintained the high position throughout. You hope things will look up very soon and when that time comes you plan to reapply as you and DC were just delighted with the school. Send your decision by Pony Express? How to Handle Academic Weaknesses in Your MBA Applications, How to Manage Multiple Offers From Law School Waitlists, How to Tactfully Turn Down an Offer of Admission. Having your admission revoked . This usually means you need to reapply the following year. If they haven't specified a method, it's fine to email them at their admissions office email address. My local comp is terrible. All of my other schools are fairly clear about where to send acceptance/declining letters, but this one has no clear information. If you can’t move on from your top choice, take the next year to improve your grades, get involved and prove that you are the ideal candidate for the school of your dreams. Missing any portion can result in a rejection letter coming your way and ruin your chances of joining the school of your dreams. If this was your dream school, you can always reapply the next year and work to improve the areas that may have affected your acceptance decision. Follow whatever instructions they give you. Stacy has professional experience working in private equity at Prudential Capital Group, launching Stryke Club, and evaluating businesses as a Resident Entrepreneur at idealab!. However, if no status form is offered, you may send a short letter. It’s important to remember that if you weren’t accepted, it is highly unlikely they will change their minds unless there is a significant change or error made. Graduate admissions consulting services are provided by Ivey Consulting, Inc. Deciding how to decline a job offer you've already accepted is a delicate task, and it can damage your professional reputation if you don't handle it the right way. Make your acceptance letter for school clear, concise and polite. Every school I've withdrawn from has sent me a reply email to confirm the message got through, and if not you can just call to double check. Read more admissions tips in The Ivey Guide to Law School Admissions, recently updated and available as an e-book. Whatever they say, that's what you'll do. Not every school will honor an appeal request, but for those that do, often the most likely reason for an admission decision to be overturned is if the student changes his or her application for a reclassification, which basically means repeating a year. Accepting private school place we may later decline (12 Posts) Add message | Report. Fill out a form and snail-mail it? Unfortunately, you won’t always know why you were rejected, but you are welcome to inquire. A standard notification of refusal of admission is available to graduate programs through eVision. Hopefully, you knew if a school was a stretch going into the admission process and the decision isn’t a complete surprise. Many schools that are not as selective will have openings that need to be filled even during the summertime, so all is not lost, and you may still have a chance to get accepted before classes start in the fall. The sooner you formally decline acceptance, the sooner the admissions office can make room for another applicant who may be waiting anxiously for confirmation. That means that admission is even more competitive at the higher grades, and reclassifying will put you in a position that is competing for one of many openings, instead of one of few openings. In some cases, being honest about your reasons may open up other options for you. School Acceptance Letter Sample. While the exact reason why you were rejected might not be clear, there are some common reasons for not being accepted to private schools include grades, school involvement, testing scores, behavior and discipline issues, and attendance. Tailored newsletters for you. Ivey Consulting, Inc. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Join now. Many schools are strict when it comes to meeting deadlines and completing the application process in full. During past economic downturns private schools nationwide saw a decline in enrollment, but during the pandemic private schools have allowed … It’s important to remember that just because a school isn’t as selective, it doesn’t mean that you won’t receive a great education. If you applied to a school known for its academic rigor and your grades were subpar, you can likely assume that your ability to thrive academically was in question. That goes for your ability to thrive there too. Copyright © 2006- Jagodowski, Stacy. Home : 415-555-0000 Cell: 415-555 … Click below to join now. More Oxbridge places go to a handful of private schools than 3,000 state schools put together. Otherwise, School X will have to wait until April 1 to learn that you have freed up your slot and that it is now available to be offered to another applicant. mrscardigan Sat 15-Feb-14 10:14:35. Colleges have different deadlines for when they expect you to accept or decline an offer. Here's a polite way to phrase your communication: It's totally up to you if you want to tell them where you'll be accepting; they will be curious and might even follow up to ask. For example, admissions staff typically will be more willing to work with you if you … and you should not have any hard feelings about it. Rejecting a college acceptance letter is pretty straightforward by following these 3 key steps: 1. Sometimes this will result in being waitlisted, but not always. 123 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94122. Some schools only have openings in one or two grades, so be sure to ask if it’s possible. Here's a polite way to phrase your communication: Dear Sir or Madam [if you have the person's name from the offer letter, that's even nicer to use; make sure to use the proper spelling and title]: Thank you so much for your kind offer to join the class of 20XX. My instinct is to send it to the Administrative Secretary to the Graduate Program, but she wasn't mentioned in any of my materials; I've just previously spoken with her during the application process. The letter should be brief, positive, and to the point. I must respectfully decline because I will be accepting an offer elsewhere [or: at School Z]. Writing a letter to the company to tactfully explain your position, at the earliest opportunity can salvage that relationship and minimize any hard feelings. And please include your full name and AMCAS ID#. If you do send an email, you just tell the you have decided on another college so you won’t be accepting the kind offer. Every school is different, and in select cases, you may be able to appeal to your rejection. Write a nice letter telling them how appreciative you are but your financial circumstances have changed and regretfully you need to decline the spot. What do they all have in common? Respond Promptly . Some schools may have specific instructions for how to decline admission. You may want to consider reclassification if it makes sense to you; students reclassify to improve their academics, perfect their athletic and artistic talents, and to gain another year of maturity before heading off to college. Customize this Letter. Declining is a simple matter of sending a letter to the admissions office. There is no need to call the school as you want to document your decision in writing. Some schools will allow you to transfer the following year, provided that you meet set criteria for acceptance. Last year my dd obtained a place at a local independent school. Reclassifying will give you another chance to improve your academic performance, gain better mastery, and better align with the progression of classes. You may be asked to return a response form via postal mail or update your status through an online student information system. Month-by-Month Senior Year College Application Deadlines, M.A., Communications and Information Management, Bay Path College, B.A., Journalism and Design, Mount Holyoke College. Explain that you are accepting an offer that better matches your needs or desires at this time. Stay informed. Get ahead. Hopefully, you were accepted at one of your other options and have a place to enroll, even if it’s not your top choice. How to Improve Your Medical School Application if It's Rejected, What You Need to Know About MBA Application Deadlines, 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Applying to Private School. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/rejected-at-private-school-4136919. Do they want you to email them? These letters are typically mailed in mid-March for schools which have a January 31 (or thereabouts) deadline for applications. Upon hearing that you're declining acceptance, these schools can open up that spot to other students. Jagodowski, Stacy. Former Dean of Admissions at the University of Chicago Law School and a recovering lawyer, Anna Ivey founded Ivey Consulting to help college, law school, and MBA applicants navigate the admissions process. It’s worth noting, however, that the law still protects students who are being harassed because they come from a place where a particular religion is dominant (such as a Muslim-majority nation or region). While many schools offer academic support for students who need a little extra help, not all do. Here’s the truth about rescinded college acceptances and how you can fight senioritis to make sure your acceptance letter isn’t followed by a warning one. Create a new form business letter in a word processing program. If you’re an athlete or an artist, it also means you have another year to hone your skills and talents, increasing your chances of getting into a better school down the road. There are many reasons why students are not offered admission at their top school choices, which may include academic qualifications, behavioral issues, social or emotional needs, and more. Choosing a variety of schools is important to ensure that you have options and aren’t left without a school for the coming year. ThoughtCo. Reclassification isn’t right for everyone, and some competitive athletes need to make sure that another year of high school varsity action won’t negatively impact eligibility requirements for college, so be sure to talk to the admission office and your coaches to get the full understanding of what is right for you. Yes, in most cases you can reapply for admission the following year, provided that the school is accepting applications for your grade that year. So private schools—including church schools—can restrict enrollment or charge higher fees based on the students’ religion, even if the school receives federal funds. However, if you are 100% certain that you will be declining an offer from School X, you'll be doing your fellow applicants a favor by letting School X know sooner rather than later. Private school vacancies are available late in the summer if you find the right school. Consider this; perhaps you applied as a sophomore or junior for the coming fall and were denied. If you didn’t apply to more than one school or if you were rejected by every private school you applied to, believe it or not, there’s still time to find another school for the fall. Some lesser-known schools have amazing programs that can help you achieve more than you ever imagined possible. My D withdrew from some schools after being accepted to her first choice ED and her school had her send a postcard. If your three schools all accept 15 percent of their applicants or less, then not making the cut also shouldn’t be a surprise. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/rejected-at-private-school-4136919. The following samples are provided for graduate programs wishing to send decline letters through other means. If you applied to all schools with highly rigorous academics and your grades are subpar, then you’re not applying to the right school for you; in reality, it shouldn’t be a surprise that you didn’t get offered a letter of acceptance. Tailored newsletters just for you. After considering this opportunity carefully, I have made a difficult decision not to accept your offer. Check the guidelines for rejecting an offer by the school. You can use this same letter for each of the schools to which you send a letter declining admission. Hello, Our DS has been accepted at an independent fee paying school. The first thing to do is look at the schools that denied your admission. Ivey Consulting leverages our years of experience as former admissions officers to offer admissions coaching and advice that is tailored to you. And it can be; for some students, that rejection letter is devastating. If you've been accepted at other schools, though, you still need to notify them of your decision not to attend. I am currently applying for a mid-range private school that teaches the career I want primarily (software engineering) and a prestigious public school for computer science (it doesn't have software engineering). Confirm each school’s guidelines for rejecting an offer. While public schools often view reclassification, often referred to as being held back, as a negative, many private schools look favorably on a student who is willing to reclassify to better himself or herself. While the exact reason why you were rejected might not be clear, there are some common reasons for not being accepted to private schools include grades, school involvement, testing scores, behavior and discipline issues, and attendance. The acceptance letter for school admission is an important element of your college application, which will also become part of your school record. www.fetaweb.com APPENDIX I: Sample Letters to the School 337 #6. You can decline acceptance to college professionally and tactfully by knowing the school's deadlines and policies and writing a graceful, positive letter. In some ways, yes. Being Rejected by Every School I Applied To. I thought this was a vane hope but we have managed to obtain a place there. Rejected at Private School: Now What? Give admissions staff a reason why you're declining admission to the school after you've already accepted, and be honest about that reason. "I would like to withdraw my application" or "I would like to decline the acceptance offer." Did you only apply to schools with low acceptance rates? I was relieved as it was a great alternative. (2020, August 27). Declining an offer is your good right (you are the customer!) Sometimes, you will be rejected simply because you didn’t complete all portions of your application on time. Ideally, you chose more than one school to apply to this year, in varying levels of competitiveness for admission. These can include sending an email to an admissions representative or filling out a form … Yes, it can be disappointing, but it shouldn’t be unexpected. East City Schools 1436 Eastman Avenue East, NY 13688 Dear Ms. Becker: Thank you very much for offering me the position of Special Education Teacher in your school district. Is being counseled out the same as being rejected? She earned a BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. What Do Private School Admissions Committees Look For? The process to reapply to some private schools can also be different from your initial go-around, so make sure you ask what is expected of you and meet all the necessary criteria and deadlines. Ok2Panic Resident. Which brings us to the second half of that question. It's our insurance school in case we don't get our first choice of local state school. [Date] [Title] [Firstname] [Lastname] [Street Address] … If you were denied admission as a sophomore, consider applying as a freshman. Private schools strive to build strong, positive communities, and if they feared that you might not be a positive addition, then you may not be accepted. The Private School Waitlist: What to Do Now, Application Deadlines for Top Colleges and Universities. Always think about private schools, and college for that matter, in the sense of three levels of difficulty for acceptance: your reach school, where admission isn’t guaranteed or perhaps is not even likely; your likely school, where admission is likely; and your comfortable school or safety school, where it is highly likely you will be accepted. Schools might have specific steps for your to follow including writing a letter, sending a postcard, or going on the website to fill out the response form. The final step in the process of choosing a private school is dealing with the acceptance letter. Most schools have typical “entry years” for students. It is definitely disappointing to discover that you weren’t accepted at your top choice school, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your private school journey. In that case no email is necessary. Keep the door open for future associations with the firm. "Rejected at Private School: Now What?" If the school has rolling admissions, you will receive your acceptance letter or an offer of a place at the school once your admissions file is completed and a … Jagodowski, Stacy. School Counselor Recommendation Letter Sample; Second Interview Letter; Secretary Termination Letter; Security Guard Recommendation Letter Sample; Security Officer Resignation Letter; Want to use this letter? But the fact is, many students get denied or counseled out at the private schools they want to attend because there just isn’t enough room for everyone. uggmum Sun 07-Mar-10 09:08:40. 15+ Year Member. First check the language of that school's offer letter. Admissions staff will be more willing to work with you if you're straightforward with them. Remember how, when you were applying to private school, you looked at different schools and selected the best ones for you? For undergraduate admissions, there is usually a place to decline on your portal. Start by reaching out to the admission office and asking what their policy is on appealing. Many job seekers feel lucky to receive any job offer, especially when unemployment levels are high. While some students are happily celebrating their acceptance to their top private schools, others are dealing with less than stellar news. https://www.thoughtco.com/rejected-at-private-school-4136919 (accessed February 14, 2021). If you have been denied and don’t have another option for the private school, it often makes sense to just wait a year and reapply in the fall. School Acceptance Letter Sample. Schools send out acceptance and rejection letters immediately before spring break, so admissions directors are on vacation when parents call to thank, cajole or beg. However, I also applied for a place at a good Catholic School. When a school counsels you out of the admission process, it’s their way of telling you that the likelihood of you being accepted is low, and there is another school out there that will be a better fit. Declining or Reneging on an Offer. Some schools work hard to counsel out students who won’t be the right fit to admit because they believe that receiving a letter that denies admission to a school can be a difficult thing for a young student to accept. Perhaps your grades were good, you were involved, and you were a good citizen of your school; but, when the admission committee compared you to other applicants, there were students who stood out as a better fit for the community and who were more likely to succeed. Thank you for joining our list We look forward to sharing news and insights with you. Even though you’ve already secured a spot in college, your school can still take back your acceptance if you start slacking. For example, if a portion of your application wasn’t completed, ask if you can complete it now and be considered again. Most schools don’t want to accept students who they don’t feel will excel with the academic rigors, because they truly want these students to succeed. For example, in high school, there are fewer spaces in grades ten, eleven and twelve, than there are in the ninth grade. Schools usually tell students they aren’t the right fit for the school but don’t typically go into detail. Understanding admission decisions, including a rejection, can help you regroup and move forward. How Do You Deal with a Grad School Rejection? Well, schools do the same with all students who apply. Can I transfer to my top school next year or reapply next year? Mary Reed . In some cases, reclassifying can help you increase your chances of being accepted at that top private school you have your eye on. Now it’s your turn. I would either send an email or postcard to admissions of the schools you aren't going to-- unless you have a personal connection with a person (ex. Admission decision day doesn’t always yield exactly what every student and family hoped for. Undergraduate admissions consulting services are provided by Ivey College Consulting, Inc. Dear Sir or Madam [if you have the person's name from the offer letter, that's even nicer to use; make sure to use the proper spelling and title]: Thank you so much for your kind offer to join the class of 20XX. Reply. Thank the employer for extending you an offer. "Rejected at Private School: Now What?" If you're OCD follow up with a phone call to make sure they got the letter, express that you wanted to let them … Address your letter to the specific college department, graduate program or individual who signed your college acceptance letter. Stacy Jagodowski has over 15 years of experience in admissions, teaching, and marketing and communications for private schools. Follow Anna on Twitter (@annaivey), or come introduce yourself and join the conversation on Facebook. You may also have been rejected because you just weren’t as strong as other candidates. Thank you for joining our list We look forward to sharing news and insights with you. The first one is very short and sweet: Dear [NAME OF COLLEGE] Admission Office: [Or, if your son has had contact with a specific admission official, you can write directly to him or her]: Thank you for your offer of admission.