An International kid fetched a so-called full ride

 An International kid fetched a so-called full ride: Dealing with rejections, importance of interviews, applicant with less than 10k EFC, appeal for satisfying aid and what not

Dear beautiful B folks,

Some of you might recognize me from comment boxes for serving randomly unsought opinions ft. a f22 broken applicant who faced back to back rejections but still standing here to give a fair few constant chatters about the journey we all are here for :3

A little disclaimer : I'm neither an admission expert nor an adviser to put in my two cents. Just going to share my experience and let people like me know a bit of how it feels like going through the USA admission process. I'm not here to share my profile or anything related to bragging about but to talk about my self experiences from almost 2 years of hectic journey regarding some certain key factors you might not notice or bother to think of.

Before everything, a tiny introduction about me:

Hey guys, This is Tanzim. I have graduated from BAFSD- HSC'21 batch. Currently, I am planning to pursue my undergraduate study at Gettysburg College for the class of 2026 with $74k/yr financial aid that entails a Presidential Scholarship. Technically I was supposed to be on a gap year, thanks to COVID-19, it's counted as a late graduation haha. Even though I couldn’t apply for fall 21 due to my health issues, I didn’t let my research process go in vain and applied for the next fall session.

Caution: A pretty long piece of writing ahead. Skip parts that don't intrigue you at all.

I'm using bold lines for easier visualization.

DEALING WITH REJECTIONS:

Almost all brilliant people have already talked about this. However, I'm gonna share mine that's not highlighted elsewhere.

There is no applicant who doesn't face rejection from anywhere. You were hoping for better news, and while you were aware that thousands of students are rejected from their dream schools each year, you hoped it wouldn't be you.

And now you're heartbroken, unsure how to deal with your college rejection. However, know that this rejection is not a reflection of your greatness or what you have to offer.

Acknowledge how you feel

One of the reasons college rejections are so painful is you’ve likely invested a lot of time into the admissions process. You were intentional about what ECAs you did in high school. You spent hours writing your essays and preparing for the ACT or SAT.

You might have attended virtual sessions waking up night after night, and even if you didn’t, the idea of being a student at your dream school took up a lot of space in your mind.

Many folks spend time looking up the acceptance rates at top schools. But knowing these stats does little to lessen the sting.

The truth is it hurts. A lot. It’s okay to feel whatever complex emotions come up in the process. In fact, it’s necessary. Let go of it.

Give yourself a few days to wallow. Do what it takes to clear out the negative emotions attached with the notification. Avoid glossing over the hurt, insisting yourself to stay positive, or jumping right into other college options. I know it was hard for me or anyone else out there. At least, give it a try.

There is nothing wrong with you

College admissions appear to be personal—you pour your heart and soul into your essays. When you are rejected from your dream school, it is tempting to interpret your rejection as a judgement on you as a person and your worth.

Since top schools receive thousands of applications, there are an abundance of qualified candidates and few slots at the end of the day.

Begin accepting that it likely wasn’t something lacking in your application but a question of fit and who else was applying. Notice what those two factors have in common—they’re out of your control.

If you have received good news, even if it wasn’t your first choice, even if it’s not the exact program you wanted, these acceptances mean something. Celebrate! You have options, and they’re tangible.

Consider Taking a Gap Year

If you get rejected from all colleges, you don’t have to apply to more schools right away. Taking a break—or gap—from school can help you refocus and decide what you want to do with your life. Gap years are highly fulfilling if used correctly and give you a chance to do things you never could during high school. A lot of people who got into colleges had gap years so you're not alone. Give it a try and come back with your strength.

Finding source of enlightenment

It can be about anything that helps you recover your wounds from rejections. For me, Eminem’s "lose yourself" inspired me throughout my whole journey. Although it sounds weird, trust me it works.

Final thoughts

Know that many people who have done well in life were rejected from their dream school. This rejection was not an indicator of their ability to succeed in life or their likelihood of having an impact.

Cope with rejection by grieving, not assuming you caused the rejection, building resiliency, and remembering that everyone experiences rejection.

College application rejections are a tough pill to swallow. The pain of rejection is real, and you’re not alone, though it might seem like you’re only hearing about acceptances on social media.

Allow yourself some time to process the news. Then remember that who you will be and what you will do is not tied to a single school. You owe it to yourself to see it through.

INTERVIEWS

Although interviews are optional no one can deny the fact that interviews play a substantial role in your application. Nearly all of my acceptances had a huge impact because of interviews. Even a 0.1% push in your application makes a huge difference. Don't avoid interviews.

RESEARCH -

Max applicants go search for questions and practice them without any prior knowledge about the college - that's a mistake. Interviewers want to know you as a person justifying whether you have done enough research 'bout their uni or not.

Tip-off: Talk about sth unique unlike specific  clubs, programs, academics etc. For instance, in an interview at Sewanee, I mentioned "Cheston" lake and nearby internships to refer to my individual contribution in their community alongside other general factors that attract me towards the college.

There's an article from A2C reddit page that gives life-saving tips for interviews. I'll attach the link below this post. Don't worry about it.

The best advice I can share for interviews is that every answer you give should have three parts (technically every answer doesn't have to have the third, but it's a good goal):

1. The Answer. This is the actual response to the question. So if they ask for your favorite subject, you say

"Chemistry."

This is sort of bare minimum, but you already know how to do this.

2. The Evidence. This is something that supports your answer, makes it credible, reveals more about you, and cements it into the reviewer's memory.

"Chemistry, because I really admired my grandfather and he was a chemist."

Now you have a good response because it shows family is important to you and that you have a reason behind your answer.

3. The Interpretation. What does your answer mean? Why is it important to you? What core values, character attributes, strengths, or personal qualities does it demonstrate?

"Chemistry, because I really admired my grandfather and he was a chemist. Sometimes he would show me stuff and it always seemed like magic to me. I still feel that magic in the lab."

Now you have a great answer. It feels personal and expressive of who you are. It shows how you think and is fully believable. It sticks with the interviewer and makes you stand out. There's passion, character, honesty, and likability in there. This will wow the interviewer and leave a strong impression.

This doesn't mean you have to give an epic treatise or divide your answer into chapters. You can still keep it simple and to-the-point. Also, be wary of over-preparing or memorizing responses. You can have some ideas in mind or bullet points you'd like to share, but you don't want to come across as rehearsed or insincere. Keep one thing in mind- take an interview not as INTERVIEW but as a regular conversation. Once you start your convo you’ll find comfy to talk because of the so friendly environment provided to you. Interviews are fun.

Extra tips-

Capitalize on the right opportunity to showcase another creative part of yourself which didn't reflect anywhere else. For example, I was so friendly with my interviewer that I ended up giving a freestyle rap in one of my interviews eksdi. Build up a strong connection and find that scope if possible.

APPEAL FOR AID

This is the most crucial point. I myself witnessed this odd situation when I was getting acceptances with no sufficient aid met my need. It's heartbreaking but a harsh reality at the same time.

In most cases, appealing for need-based assistance entails writing a letter explaining how your situation has changed and providing documentation to back it up. You can find a lotta resources on writing an aid appeal letter.

But,

Things to keep in mind for better negotiation

Include your other acceptances in your appeal letter ONLY if you have decent offers from some of other schools. Example can be like- You've been accepted to a "X" University that met your need but that's not the school you wanna go to. On the other hand, you got accepted to your dream "Y" University, but they didn’t meet your need. What you can do is talk about colleges like your "X" college in your appeal letter for showing that you've other options available to you, but still considering because of the engrossing individuality the college holds. Make AOs realize that you are one of those only persons who will be adding values to their community.

I tried this approach and raised around 6k USD from two colleges.

Mistakes

1. Never attach your acceptance letters to your appeal letter unless any of those actually met your needs. Otherwise, your appeal will be denied.

2. Don't let them know that their college is the only option you opt for; if you do so, there is a high chance of not getting your desired aid.

Last of all, It's important to keep college-related thoughts from dominating your day and taking up too much mental space.

Maintain your routines as much as possible: daily routines, hobbies, social activities, clubs, and so on.

Remind yourself that you are more than just a college applicant. Keep the faith in yourself.

Resources I've mentioned -

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/ex9vq2/how_to_ace_your_college_interview_part_2_the/

https://talhachy.notion.site/e42ce4af56534a7b97ad1bc4fc41866b?v=66d15635495d42dfa023a7a655959cbc

https://youtube.com/c/TasfiqurRob

https://youtu.be/AXJ9_ISLUEo

https://www.transizion.com/how-to-deal-with-college-rejection/

My journey would never be possible without the resources and people who constantly inspired me to push back in the time when I needed the most. There were a few people whose contributions and resources supported me throughout my entire journey, but I cannot sign off without mentioning Samin Rahman vai, Rob vai, Talha vai, Mehreen Apu, Nawal Apu, Sajid kamal vai and everyone else.(AND OBVIOUSLY B!) 

Thanks y'all ❤️