Accepted: Binghamton University Class of 2013!

Posted at January 21, 2009

If you couldn’t tell from my previous post, I applied to Binghamton University’s Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, with a declared major of Computer Science. Binghamton University is #5 on a list of most selective public universities in the United States, so when I applied with an 80.80% average from Bronx Science, I wasn’t too hopeful. I had recently been deferred by Stony Brook University, which is considered a “safety school” for virtually everyone at Bronx Science; my counselors and friends were stunned. When I let them know I planned on applying to Binghamton, they told me to make sure I applied to a city college (which I did) to ensure I had somewhere to go in the event I was denied admission. At the time of my application, it seemed like nothing was in my favor. I wasn’t even able to submit my online Early Action application until 12:14am on November 16 — 14 minutes after the 12:00am deadline.

As the days turned to weeks, I knew I really wanted to go to Binghamton. My friends labeled it an obsession, and my counselor advised that I find another way to occupy my time while I waited for a decision. As I continued to research Binghamton University, I realized I had a very slim chance (at best) of being admitted. They claimed to have received 50% more applications this year compared to last year, and last year the acceptance rate was a meager 37%. Compound this with the fact that Binghamton expects that more freshman who are admitted will enroll this year compared to last year (due to the economic disaster our country faces), and you can easily see that 37% figure being drastically reduced. It was at this point I decided something had to happen to give me an “edge” over other applicants. Something that would make the admissions committee at Binghamton think twice about denying me a spot. Something like.. a brochure?

Brochure Page 1

I realized that my application alone wouldn’t be enough to get me into a selective school like Binghamton. Sure, my SAT scores are fairly good (1300/1600; 1950/2400), but they are just barely above average for a Binghamton student. In addition to a good SAT score, I also had: 2 teacher recommendations, a counselor recommendation, a personal statement and various extracurricular activities. A very large portion of my extracurriculars are best viewed in a browser, but upon contacting the Binghamton admissions office, I learned they did not view websites while making decisions. It was suggested that I send them a faxed copy of my websites so they could have a tangible copy to review. Unfortunately, I did not learn of this until January 5. I decided it would be a GREAT idea to send them a “brochure” about myself, in addition to the paper copies of my websites. There was just one major problem: the deadline for all supplemental materials was December 1. When I realized this, I quickly contacted my local admissions counselor at Binghamton, who assured me it would be OK to send them something under the assumption they receive it immediately. Brochure Page 2Upon hanging up the phone, I rushed to Staples and bought brochure paper, glossy paper and a nice envelope to put it all in. The total was $70 on supplies, since brochure/glossy paper only comes in packages of 150 and above. I was up until 3AM working on the supplemental packet I planned to send. It included a three-page brochure entitled “MARK ZAKARIYA: Why Should Binghamton University Choose Him?”, approximately 10 high-gloss pages featuring screenshots of websites I’ve made (with descriptions of them on the back) and a brief letter thanking them for reviewing my application. The next day, I sent the entire package via USPS Express Mail Overnight in an envelope clearly marked to the attention of my local counselor. On January 7, I received an email stating that she found the packet “very interesting”, and that I “must have spent a lot of time on it.” She reminded me to expect an admissions decision “soon!”

I’m happy to say that all my perseverance paid off, because on Thursday, January 15, I received this in the mail:

binghamton-university-accep1Binghamton Acceptance Letter

I sent the $350 deposit the day I received the acceptance letter. I can’t wait until high school finally ends, and a new chapter at Binghamton University begins!

Of course, it wasn’t just my packet (or even my entire application) which helped earn my an acceptance letter. I also have these people to thank:

Oh, by the way, I received acceptance letters from St. John’s University ($13,000 scholarship) and Stony Brook University the very next day; this made absolutely no impact on my choice of Binghamton.

College

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