College Admission Help

Dealing With College Admission Rejection

The college applications are in, and the “Big Wait” is in full swing. A generation of students who’ve grown up with near instant communication (not to mention gratification), must wait for the ultimate snail mail: the college admissions acceptance or rejection letter. Most students get at least one dreaded thin (ie rejection) envelope, so let’s consider the fallout. What happens if you get rejected by your top school or schools, or even by every school you’ve applied to?
First, give yourself some time. Rejection is never easy, but when you’ve missed the mark you aimed for for months, or even years, it’s particularly tough. If you’re feeling embarrassed, remember there is no need to reveal your situation to anyone. We all know people who like to brag about their successes and gleefully enjoy others’ failings; now is a good time to give them the brush off.
Once you’re over those initial blues, aim for perspective. Is the school that wants you really second-rate? Take a closer look, call to find out if there are alumni in your area who will speak with you, and schedule a visit even if you’ve been there before. You’ll see the place through different eyes when you’re not considering it a safety. Ask your parents about successful people they know who managed despite not getting in to their first choice college. (Here’s a start: William and Mary rejected me and I lived to tell the tale.)
Which brings us to point number three: if you are determined to go to one school, planning to reapply as a transfer student, it might not be a bad idea to ask why you were rejected. You might be surprised to find out how seemingly random the choice was; perhaps there were dozens of students with very similar transcripts and the ones whose parents didn’t go to college (a hot admissions decision factor right now) made the cut. You might on the other hand get some very useful information.
That’s what happened to Harlan Cohen, author of The Naked Roommate: And 100 Other Issues You Might Encounter in College. Cohen was rejected by his first choice, Indiana University. “It’s never a great feeling when someone says, ‘I don’t want you,’” he says, but he called to ask why. “Nine out of 10 times, they will tell you the reason.” Cohen applied as a transfer to Indiana University and was accepted.
If you’ve been rejected by every school, or just aren’t interested in attending where you were accepted, you need to do some homework. There are some amazing gap year programs that can help you get some experience or refocus your plans (check back soon for a column on gap year options), and there are schools with rolling admissions) that are still accepting applications. Get started researching your options—nothing feels better than being proactive when you’ve been dealt a setback.
Finally, make the most of your situation. As Dodge Johnson, Educational Consultant, noted in his Philadelphia Inquirer Column “Countdown to College,” “Whatever you do, learn from your setback and give your next step your best effort. If it's a job, do it well….If it's a college that wasn't what originally what you had in mind, give it your all - and shelve any thoughts of transfer for at least a year. Fairy tale dreams may come true because people wish for them. But real dreams come true mostly because people make them happen. That's not so bad when you think about it. After all, it puts your future where it belongs - in your hands.”


Dealing With College Admission Rejection