Reason for ding

[jgruber]

When schools send out a rejection letter, do they ever indicate the reason for rejection?

[Aonghus]

I am under the impression that it is almost always...

'Due to a record number of applications, though we find you qualified, we just werent able to find room for everyone'

or some such thing.

[xrayspec]

No. It would just be an invitation for the rejected applicant to debate the point.

[r_poster]

As someone asked elsewhere in this forum, if you were competitive by numbers and you really want to know why you didn't get in, you can, in some cases, contact the adcoms in the summer and discuss your case.  Pointless for this year since they will not change their minds, but good to know if you reapply next year.

[bobfett33]

I don't think it would be an invitation for the rejected applicant to debate the point at all - only a moron would try to debate with the adcomms...

Imagine this:

Someone gets a letter that says, sorry, we're not taking you, and any one of the following reasons is listed:

A) one of your letters of recommendation was an "un-recommendation"
B) your GPA/LSAT just isn't high enough or we feel it indicates that you wouldn't be able to hack it at our school
C) your coursework in microwave cookery seems... well, lame.

What moron would write back with a whiny "No, it's not!"

[Aonghus]

Just a quick note... The minute LSchools discuss what is in LORs... candidness goes right out the window and the value of LOR is gone.

[xrayspec]

What moron would write back with a whiny "No, it's not!"

Many of them, I'm sure.

It's a basic sales principle: the customer puts up an objection, attempt to overcome it.

By keeping their reasoning opaque, adcoms cut that off at the pass.

[mailboxobsessed]

you can bet your bottom dollar i'd be whining!! 

[schoomp]

Possible you can find out next year why you were dinged - if there stats went way up, there you go.  If you are out of state, there you go.  If all of a sudden you get a restraining order from the person that wrote your LOR maybe you shouldn't of left the rabbit on the doorstep.

[falconred]

I happened to be sitting in a tier 1 admissions office when the phone rang and an administrator picked it up.  After a few seconds I heard him say to a admissions officer, "Do you want to talk to someone who was rejected?"  The admissions officer shook her head vigorously and said, "No!"  The administrator was stuck on the phone for 5 minutes, rolling his eyes and becoming frustrated, as the rejected applicant on the other end of the line went on about why they should have been admitted, etc.  I don't think they made a good impression.

So I would suggest either not calling the office to find out why you were dinged, or keep it short if you do.