Rejection reason?

[ToxicBear]

Just received my first notice of rejection today. 1 down, 6 more to go. The question for the forum is this : is there any point in contacting the school to determine a more precise reason than " one of several factors?". I'd like to know, in case none of my schools accept me I can have targets to fix when/if I try again next year, but I'm not sure of the protocol (nor utility/futility) in doing so.

Thoughts out there?

[Karen Cabana]

I think you may contact the school to ask for further details. That would be your hint and your gateway to improve and be ready for your next application to other universities. Best luck!

[DBP]

When you send this inquiry, be specific.

I would kindly phrase the email like, "if I could receive feedback on (insert number between 1-3) areas in which I could improve my portfolio/profile/candidacy/etc I would highly appreciate it"

Key point is to ask for a CONCRETE reason and frame it in the email as improvement.

But also remember, sometimes it comes down to numbers of applicants, so they might give you a silly excuse.

I once got rejected from an on-campus job because I was "unapproachable", when I asked what actual indicators during the interview gave them this impression, I asked, "eye contact? attitude? posture? something I said?" they had no response. Clearly, a silly excuse if they couldn't back it up.

Best of luck!

[Eigen]

I think asking is fine, but I'd wait until March or April when things have cooled down a little bit- you'll be more likely to get better thought out replies.

I'd couch the question as "Can you suggest how I can best go about making myself a more competitive applicant next year?" Often, the committee won't have a distinct "reason" for rejecting you.