How to Approach Letters of Appeal for CSUs and UCs - Green Ivy (2024)

How to Approach Letters of Appeal for CSUs and UCs - Green Ivy (1)In the event that you are denied admission to a Cal State University (CSU) or University of California (UC), don’t panic! You can try to persuade the admissions office to reconsider your application by writing a letter of appeal.

Each of the UC and CSU campuses offer their own appeals process. You can find exact guidelines on their respective websites.

For the UCs and CSUs, a student will need to present “a new, serious, and compelling” reason to be considered for appeals. Of course, this definition is subjective for every committee, so you want to make sure that you do have something to share that has been truly impactful since you applied. This also means that the information you disclose should not have been previously mentioned anywhere in your application already.

A great example of what is considered “a new, serious, and compelling” reason is an extraordinary hardship/circ*mstance or exceptional talent previously unmentioned in your application. You want to describe, in detail, how the hardship prevented you from performing to your full academic potential, or how the previously unrevealed talent makes you a strong candidate for admission. You need to describe not only why you are a good candidate but also, and more importantly, how you plan to succeed in college, and what resources you will take advantage of to achieve that success. High grades in senior year, recent awards, or new extracurriculars are typically not sufficient reasons to write a letter of appeal, as decisions are based on academic information that was provided by the time of the application.

Examples of good reasons to write a letter of appeal:

  • Personal or family struggle/tragedy (and how you have responded to said struggle)
  • New caretaking responsibilities
  • A skill or commitment that you omitted from your original application (example: experience with coding, or coaching youth athletics, etc.)

How to Approach Letters of Appeal for CSUs and UCs - Green Ivy (2)In your letter, we suggest including a paragraph that vividly describes your passion for the school and underscores why you would accept a spot at the institution if admitted. Be honest, but composed. Focus on communicating your authentic hopes and feelings in a respectful, confident tone. After drafting your letter, scan the language for anything that sounds too demanding or desperate.

Steps for most UC/CSU appeals:

  1. Appeal within 15 days of admissions decision (typically April 15 is the last day)
  2. Prepare documentation
    • Fill out any Appeal forms the school might provide
    • Write your letter of appeal
    • Supporting documents (to support your appeal)
  3. Submit the appeal
    • Locate the correct email address to send the documents to
  4. Allow time for processing
  5. Receive the decision by email

Also, keep in mind that a letter of appeal is not going to seal your fate. There are many roads to the UCs and CSUs, and this year was especially tough because of enormous increases in the number of UC applicants.

If a university chooses to uphold its decision to deny admission, you can apply later as a transfer student after completing credits at a community college. In fact, for many UCs, transferring from a community college tends to be easier than applying as a first-year student out of high school. For example, UCLA admitted 24% of its transfer applicants in 2020, compared to just 14.4% of its first-year applicants. Similarly, UC Santa Barbara admitted 59% of transfer applicants, compared to just 36.9% of first-year candidates. Those statistics are part of a larger reality: applying as a transfer student is a completely valid, practical, and effective way of gaining admission to a UC or CSU.

This all goes to show that there are many potential routes to an amazing college education in California, and no single admissions decision can prevent you from pursuing your dreams.

As always, we welcome your questions and comments, and you can contact us here.

How to Approach Letters of Appeal for CSUs and UCs - Green Ivy (2024)

FAQs

How to Approach Letters of Appeal for CSUs and UCs - Green Ivy? ›

Be honest, but composed. Focus on communicating your authentic hopes and feelings in a respectful, confident tone. After drafting your letter, scan the language for anything that sounds too demanding or desperate. Also, keep in mind that a letter of appeal is not going to seal your fate.

How do I appeal a decision from CSU? ›

An appeal must be submitted online within ten (10) business days after the Hearing Officer's decision is sent to the involved parties. A Hearing Officer's decision is considered final if an appeal is not submitted within the specified time.

How to write a good appeal letter for college? ›

Writing an Effective Appeal Letter
  1. Don't rush. Far too often students do not take the time to write a proper appeal. ...
  2. Opening statement. ...
  3. Be factual. ...
  4. Be specific. ...
  5. Documentation. ...
  6. Stick to the point. ...
  7. Do not try to manipulate the reader. ...
  8. How to talk about feelings.

Do UCs accept appeal letters? ›

Each UC campus offers a set of instructions on how to submit an appeal. You MUST follow the instructions to ensure proper and expedited processing of your appeal submission.

What are good reasons to appeal college rejection? ›

Turning to more legit reasons to appeal an admissions decision, here are the most common:
  • You have a previously undisclosed health condition or personal issue that could change the way your application is viewed. ...
  • Your grades or test scores were reported incorrectly on the application.
Jan 31, 2023

How do I write an appeal letter for reconsideration of admission? ›

Use professional language, proper grammar, and maintain a respectful tone throughout the letter. Be Concise and Clear: Keep your appeal letter concise and focused. Clearly state the purpose of the letter, briefly summarize the initial decision, and present your case for reconsideration.

How do I write an appeal letter against a decision? ›

How to write a letter of appeal
  1. Review your company's policy guide. ...
  2. Begin by addressing the recipient. ...
  3. Write it formally. ...
  4. Stick to the facts and include all information. ...
  5. State what you want to happen. ...
  6. Admit any mistakes on your behalf. ...
  7. Keep it brief. ...
  8. Follow up.
Aug 16, 2024

How to write a successful UC appeal? ›

Describe the circ*mstances that affected your studies (e.g. family or life hardships, health, disability, etc.). Address what you have done/will do to improve your performance for future studies. While the appearance of a letter is important, the content and tone will determine the effectiveness of your letter.

What is the success rate of UC appeals? ›

The success rate for successfully appealing a UC Irvine admission decision is 4 percent.

Is it worth writing an appeal letter for college? ›

When you receive a rejection, it can be tempting to wonder whether there's anything you can do to change it. Unfortunately, we do not recommend that you write an appeal letter if you are rejected from a college. Your time is valuable, and it's vanishingly rare for a school to reverse an outright rejection.

How do I ask a college to reconsider? ›

You may choose to write an appeal letter if you want to ask a college to reconsider an admissions decision. You can write an appeal letter if you have been rejected from a college, but bear in mind that the odds of succeeding are slim as most rejections are final.

Can you appeal an ivy? ›

Admissions Decision Appeal

Most private colleges will not even entertain this type of appeal. When I worked in the admissions office at an Ivy League university we were instructed to tell anyone who asked that the admissions decision was final.

Can you try again for college after being rejected? ›

Yes. While students certainly can ask a university to reconsider, these are rarely, if ever, successful in changing an admission decision. Many counselors only recommend that students appeal their decision if an important piece of information was missing from their application.

How do I appeal against a decision? ›

In most cases, you will have to ask a judge's permission to appeal (unless you were already granted permission at your hearing). The judge will only grant this permission if they think the appeal has a real chance of succeeding. Once the court has made its decision, you have a limited time in which to appeal.

Is it possible to appeal an admissions decision? ›

Many colleges have an appeals process for admissions, where students can appeal decisions and provide additional information for consideration by the school. Writing an appeal letter for college is one of the possible ways to request an appeal when you are initially not accepted into a university.

Can I change my CSU application after submitting? ›

Once you submit your application, most sections are locked to prevent edits. Updates you can make include: Editing your contact information. Editing your profile information (username, password, etc.).

Can you reapply to CSU? ›

Apply as a returning student if: 1) You previously attended CSU as a degree-seeking student and you left for at least one fall or spring semester while your degree was in progress OR you completed a degree at CSU AND 2) You want to return as an admitted, degree-seeking student to finish a degree in progress OR to begin ...

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