|
Today was the day. The University of Michigan released their decisions today for early action. I couldn't wait to get home and open up that email. Needless to say, I didn't focus in school at all this whole week. As soon as I received the email, I realized right away I was too anxious. I opened it just to read the letter I was dreading. I was deferred.
Sadness filled through me. I couldn't believe what I was reading, even though I knew it was true. This deferral wounded me more than I could have imagined while applying. It's like all of my hardwork is being pushed aside. This deferral was not the way I wanted to start winter break.
The phone rang, it was my mother.
"So have you heard anything from them yet?" She asked.
"Yeah..." All of a sudden, I broke down in tears. I couldn't speak so I just sat silently on the phone with her until I stopped. She said sorry and we hung up.
I know a deferral isn't necessarily a bad thing, students get deferred all the time. I keep telling myself my sadness is irrational and yet I still have it. I've always wanted to go to UofM since middle school and this deferral is one more obstacle of getting there. I guess I will just have to be patient for another few months and hope there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when I get there...
  
|
I sympathize with you. I'm not in your positions quite yet (I'm a junior and just got back my PSAT results) so I can only imagine how it must feel. I'm dreading the day that my college letters come back. I have really lofty goals and it's got to be so crushing having your heart set on a college and not getting exactly what you wanted.
Especially since college is so expensive nowadays. It's such a huge investment and getting a less than optimal response from your dream school must suck. Good luck on getting in though, there's always a chance. And worst case scenario, you could always transfer into UofM. So don't despair, where there's a will there's a way.
|
On December 21 2013 07:20 MtlGuitarist97 wrote:
I sympathize with you. I'm not in your positions quite yet (I'm a junior and just got back my PSAT results) so I can only imagine how it must feel. I'm dreading the day that my college letters come back. I have really lofty goals and it's got to be so crushing having your heart set on a college and not getting exactly what you wanted.
Especially since college is so expensive nowadays. It's such a huge investment and getting a less than optimal response from your dream school must suck. Good luck on getting in though, there's always a chance. And worst case scenario, you could always transfer into UofM. So don't despair, where there's a will there's a way.
That's going to be my plan if I don't make it in. I'll attend the University of Michigan - Dearborn and transfer in later.
|
United States23455 Posts
I believe I can lend you a little insight here because two short years ago I was in your exact situation!
I applied to a ton of schools early action, U of M being one of them. On the same day, I got deferred by Michigan and the University of Chicago. Not gonna lie, I was pretty upset about it. U Chicago was the school I really wanted to go to, and I was eventually rejected.
The University of Michigan accepted me eventually, but because I was out of state, I decided against it for cost reasons.
Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is to not sweat it. I wanted to be a Wolverine for years, and I was so upset when I was deferred, but it turned out for the best. I ended up getting a full ride to Temple University in Philadelphia and I couldn't be happier. Keep your head up, because you still might get accepted and fallback plans are always better than you imagine. Best of luck!
|
Seeker
Where dat snitch at?37124 Posts
It is always a very difficult thing in life when you are rejected from the school you wish to attend. I myself went through this heartbreaking experience personally about 3 years ago. In fact, I'm still going through some heartbreaking stuff. Just keep your chin up, never give up, and keep fighting for what you want. No one should allow one rejection letter to stop them from trying to achieve what they truly want.
|
I spent 2 weeks crying about college denials. I know what you've been / are going to go through. The system sucks, and I'm sorry about it. Hopefully you are lucky enough to get in off deferral. I got wait listed by two schools, one let me in, the other straight denied me, but for cost reasons I went to an entirely different college.
|
wow, american school system sucks really hard oO
too bad sir, keep ur head up!
|
Don't worry man. In around 4 years or so you'll be graduating from a university (U of M or not), and it will be the best experience you've ever had - and I guarantee you aren't going to care about this day even a little bit. It's just a piece of paper in the end 
|
On December 21 2013 10:01 docvoc wrote:
I spent 2 weeks crying about college denials. I know what you've been / are going to go through. The system sucks, and I'm sorry about it. Hopefully you are lucky enough to get in off deferral. I got wait listed by two schools, one let me in, the other straight denied me, but for cost reasons I went to an entirely different college.
Where'd you end up going?
I had the same experience as OP. Applied to 11 schools, Harvard EA and the rest regular. Got rejected by 7, waitlisted (and eventually rejected) from Middlebury and Richmond, accepted by my two safeties.
Ended up going to Franklin&Marshall in PA. Although I was super upset at the time, I'm very happy with how things worked out for me. Met a great girl, new friends, get to play college football, etc. Undergrad is what you make of it. It's easy to say in hindsight, but if you've done your research, you'll enjoy any school you applied to.
Chin up. Who knows, you might get in off the waitlist! Fingers crossed.
|
Why do you want to go there so badly? Live in mich? They have a specific program you want to get into? I don't think it should be too difficult to get into, I'm sure if you do well at a non-Ann arbor campus you'll pretty much be guaranteed to get in as a transfer.
|
Blazinghand
United States25563 Posts
On December 21 2013 07:14 Rudolph wrote:
Today was the day. The University of Michigan released their decisions today for early action. I couldn't wait to get home and open up that email. Needless to say, I didn't focus in school at all this whole week. As soon as I received the email, I realized right away I was too anxious. I opened it just to read the letter I was dreading. I was deferred.
Sadness filled through me. I couldn't believe what I was reading, even though I knew it was true. This deferral wounded me more than I could have imagined while applying. It's like all of my hardwork is being pushed aside. This deferral was not the way I wanted to start winter break.
The phone rang, it was my mother.
"So have you heard anything from them yet?" She asked.
"Yeah..." All of a sudden, I broke down in tears. I couldn't speak so I just sat silently on the phone with her until I stopped. She said sorry and we hung up.
I know a deferral isn't necessarily a bad thing, students get deferred all the time. I keep telling myself my sadness is irrational and yet I still have it. I've always wanted to go to UofM since middle school and this deferral is one more obstacle of getting there. I guess I will just have to be patient for another few months and hope there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when I get there...
Deferral is still workable in terms of getting in as a freshman. Don't be patient though, fuck being patient. You didn't get in in the first round, you're not getting in in the next round unless you can do something awesome, have an additional edge, or get VERY lucky. Do whatever it takes to take your application to the top of the heap. Get an extra letter of recommendation. Send another essay / letter to them from yourself. The fact that you didn't get in isn't super dooper likely to change unless you CHANGE it. I'm not saying putting in the extra bit of effort will always get you in, but I know that I did when I got deferred, and it may have made the difference.
show them you're still interested. Show them you mean business
use the deferral as an excuse to do better.
|
Hey, I went through a very similar experience. I applied early to my top choice (Princeton) and was deferred. For a couple weeks my icon on AIM was the school's logo with a big red X through it.
It was especially bitter since I got a freaking Christmas card from the varsity sports team I was hoping to join there, saying something like "looking forward to seeing you next fall"; followed by a letter to the effect that "It has come to our attention that a recent holiday card may have inadvertently implied that you had been accepted, this was not our intention".
Anyways, I got another person to write a reference letter for me, then I wrote them a letter myself saying I was still interested, and "updating" them on my academics and extracurriculars and stuff. I ended up being accepted during the regular decision, while being rejected or waitlisted to every single other school (besides the safeties). So...keep up hope! You can definitely still get in!
|
I feel for what you are going through.
I do not know what this specific experience is like, as I've never had anything quite like it. But life throws lots of curve balls, and some of them hit you right in the heart, and those can be incredibly painful. I know what that's like.
I wish you the best.
|
TLADT24920 Posts
that's rough to hear. Don't take this as a bad thing. Take it as a challenge that you should just work harder, do better etc... Just keep looking forward and don't worry about it. As was mentioned, university experience is what you make of it so even if you don't end up at the university you wanted, another university could give you as good if not a better experience if you put in the effort for that
|
Hi,
What do you plan to study in the university? Personally i feel if you love the subject you will be taking do some work on it be it internships or self-study on relevant skill sets.
Honestly its just university. Sure it matters, but its a place for knowledge so you can add value to your work later in life
|
Lol. BE A MAN. Go out and do what you want to do. Let all your schools know about it (except templeton, that ain't that good a school). Say you're rescuing chipmunks from the biggest fire since 64 BC, tell your schools you're beefing up to be that guy that takes life seriously but with enough fun he ain't batman or the joker. Tell your schools you're a real guy, not some flaky 3.8+ candidate who got his parents to write his application for him. Tell your schools who you really are. Walk into the school like you ownz it, and say, "This is me, listen to me and accept me. There ain't no n'other way ('cept templeton 'cause they suck). Pull up a chair son, 'cause you gotta be confident the man ain't got a problem with youand you gotta let him know you ain't got a problem. But be subtle. Don't be a Romanian. Don't be all "swag yo!"
Be real, but be yourself. But tell them schools stuff! Otherwise they ain't gonna pay you no attention.
|
Thanks guys! This is has been really helpful for me to read. Two of my other close friends were also deferred, so we were mourning together. I'm for sure going to get some extra recommendation letters now and focus completely on my grades. (Ugh, no senioritis for me.)
Also, I want to get a dual major in computer science and political science.
|
I got deferred from my #1 choice about 5 years ago today. I was initially also crushed and it was even worse having to tell my family/friends about the result over the next few days. After the initial shock, though, I drafted a letter to admissions stating that I was still grateful they were still considering me and that it was still my #1 choice. I didn't know this at the time, but a few teachers I was close with had also sent a letter essentially stating that they were still firmly vouching for me. Long story short, having just graduated this year, I ended up getting accepted there and had the best 3.5 years of my life there. I don't know what affect, if any, those letters had on the decision, but it's worth considering if you really want to go there.
Good luck!
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
