How to Write a Letter of Appeal for College (Examples)

Applying to colleges is a challenging but fulfilling process, especially when securing an admission slot in your dream school. However, there are instances where your college admission application request is declined. Getting a rejection letter lowers your morale, and you become emotionally drained. Luckily, many colleges have a window for admission appeal where students are allowed to convince the admission office that their application deserves another consideration. The best strategy that a student should use to appeal the rejection decision is to write an appeal letter for college admission.

A letter of college appeal is a formal letter written by either a parent or a student when the college admission office declines the college application of an individual.

Before you can start writing, it’s paramount to confirm that the college accepts appeal letters. Each college that accepts appeal letters has its own policies, and it’s important to understand them so that you can have certainty of what component to include and how the letter should be structured.

A good letter of appeal for college should have the following features:

• It must be addressed to the admission representative
• It must establish a solid ground for the appeal to be successful
• It should be brief and straight to the point
• It should be written in an official and polite tone

#01

#02

When Should Parents Write a Letter Of Appeal For College?

There are instances where it’s deemed fit for parents to write an appeal letter for college on behalf of their children. For the appeal to be successful, parents must provide compelling reasons why their child deserves a second consideration.

 Some of the common grounds that can make parents write a Letter Of Appeal For College include when a child:

Has a significant accomplishment

They include new non-academic honors or awards your child has accomplished after submitting their first application documents.

Achieves higher scores

If your child garners more than 2 points on the ACT or over 100 points on SAT assessments, then you should write an appeal letter for college.

Missed any necessary facts in an application

Suppose there was an omission of significant information about the student in their original college application. In that case, that may bring a new perspective to convince the admission committee to reconsider their application.

It’s important to note that not all colleges accept appeal letters. In addition, chances of a successful appeal are scarce. For colleges that accept appeals, it’s important to note that each has specific guidelines governing how the appeal process is undertaken. 

If you are still convinced that you have valid reasons for appeal, the following are various factors that you need to consider when preparing to make your appeal:

Understand the process clearly

Different colleges have different formal appeal processes, and some don’t accept appeals. However, most colleges that accept appeals have clear instructions either on their official website or as a segment in the regret documents that they send to you on how one can launch a formal appeal.  Do your research well to find out your college appeal policies and procedures. If the information is not readily available, contact a senior person in the college and enquire about the right appealing procedures.

Find out the addressee

An Letter Of Appeal For College should be addressed to the right admission department or office. If you don’t have their contact, enquire from other senior persons who clearly understand the department that oversees the appeals.

Make alternate plan

With the knowledge that successful appeals are extremely rare, it’s always advisable to have an alternative plan. When you establish alternative plans, you reduce the anxiety of waiting for unpredictable feedback. The best alternative plan is to review other colleges that have accepted your application and learn more about them. Also, you can look for other colleges that offer similar courses and try your luck if applications are still open.

An appeal letter for college admission rejection carries a lot of weight, and it should be drafted most professionally.

Here is a guide on how to write a Letter of appeal for college:

Greet the recipient

You should start your letter of appeal for college officially with a salutation. Common salutations that you can use include Dear Mr./Mrs./Miss or Dear Sir/Madam.

Represent yourself

A letter of appeal for college written by yourself carries more weight than the one that your parent or representative writes. Since you are the subject matter, the admission office would like to hear from you directly and compare your new ground for appeal with your academic scores and admission test.

In addition, when you take the initiative of representing yourself, the college admission office will see you as a more responsible student.

 Explain the situation in detail

A successful appeal can only be possible if you can provide crucial new information not included in the original application. When drafting a letter of appeal for college, prepare your ground for appeal in a detailed and convincing manner. If it was a case of error or omission in your original transcripts, you need to provide proof by attaching the correct transcripts and offering the proper references.

If you managed to achieve new accomplishments, such as new test scores or awards in co-curricular activities, include them and provide evidence by attaching the certificates.

Reveal your reality

Were there any exceptional circumstances that could have contributed to your application missing the selection criteria? Maybe it can be a sickness, the loss of a parent, or you have been living with a permanent disability. Use this opportunity to explain how the situation affected your academic and co-curriculum performance and how the situation would change if you were allowed to join the college.

For every reason that you mention, make sure you provide proper documentation so that the admission office committee can take your appeal seriously.

Describe the importance of college to you

It would be best if you convinced the admission office that you value the college and how it will contribute positively to your personal and career goals. You need to demonstrate how you will value the opportunity if accorded the chance by promising to attend all your classes and improve your grades.

If you are good in co-curricular activities, you also need to assure that you will continue excelling so that you can push the reputation of the college and your teachers even higher.

Thank the recipient

It’s good etiquette to show gratitude to the recipient of your letter of appeal for college. Once you thank the addressee, indicate that you are available for in-person interview if needed. At the end of the letter you should sign it.

Appeal Letter Samples

To increase the chances of your appeal getting favorable consideration, the following are some of the fundamentals that you need to get right:

Appeal quickly 

When appealing for an admission rejection, you need to write and submit your letter of college appeal immediately when you receive the rejection feedback. When you submit your appeal as soon as possible, you give the admission office committee ample time to review your grounds for appeal and make a new decision before the enrollment deadline is over.

In addition, the sooner you submit your appeal letter, the quicker you will receive feedback from the college admission office so that you can have enough time to execute your next alternative college before the enrollment window is closed.

Be kind and friendly

The tone or wording of your letter should not portray that you feel bitter about the rejection decision made by the admission office. Instead, your letter of appeal should focus more on bringing out the positives and any new information omitted during your original application.

When an appeal letter for college is written in a kind and professional manner, the admission office committee is encouraged to re-evaluate the appeal reasons and make a sound determination.

Avoid mentioning

• Any information that was initially submitted in your original application had already been considered.
• You are better as compare to other students that were admitted.
• You have another option for a prestigious college, and they should feel privileged to have you as their student.
• There was no fairness in the selection procedures since the process is vigorous and the admission office committee constitutes persons of high caliber.
• You had already submitted long-standing accomplishments in your initial application that the admission committee reviewed.

About This Article

Authored by:

Alexander Ruiz

Educational Consulting, Test Prep Tutoring, College Application Consulting

Alexander Ruiz stands as the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute in Claremont, California, a distinguished establishment offering tailored educational plans, specialized subject and test prep tutoring, and comprehensive college application consulting. With a rich experience spanning over a decade and a half in the education sector, Alexander's approach transcends traditional teaching. He empowers students not just academically, but also fosters self-awareness and emotional intelligence, essential tools for holistic development. Alexander's academic credentials, a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University, further enhance his ability to guide students towards their academic and personal aspirations.