College Admission Help

Real College Admission Decisions Don’t Come in Envelopes or E-mails

I knew what Janet had come for. She hadn’t heard anything from her college, and wondered if I might call to see if a decision had been made. The receptionist at the college asked for Janet’s Social Security number, and after a clatter of computer keys, I had the answer I had expected.

As I hung up the phone, I pulled up Janet’s file out of a drawer. Over my shoulder, and in a voice that was too casual, I said “Congratulations, you’re in.” As I added some notes to her file, a quivering breath directed my attention to what truly mattered.

“R-really?”

I turned to find two wide tears rolling down Janet’s cheeks. For the first time in my young career, I knew what it looked like when a dream came true.

This scene will soon be repeated in counseling offices, classrooms, and mailboxes all over America. It’s one thing for students to think a college could be right for them, but when the admission letter says “you’re right”, it can be a bit of a surprise, and take some getting used to.

Of course, there will also be less wonderful surprises. A selective college is one where far more qualified students apply than the college could possibly admit— so students who would make the most out of everything that college has to offer won’t get the chance, simply because the college ran out of room well before they ran out of great applicants. This kind of surprise often brings tears of another kind, and understandably so.

My advice is the same to both those who are admitted to their dream schools and those who are not—do your very best to stay focused. If you are denied, remember that a college running out of room is a deficit of the college, not a deficit of your character. The wonderful talents you would have brought to one college will serve you just as well at another, and perhaps even better, if you are able to look past the disappointment and let the skills and qualities you have chiseled into your character shine brightly wherever September finds you.

Strangely enough, the caution to be alert may be more relevant to those whose dreams have come true. Getting admitted to a “hot” school can be a heady experience, and bring a feeling you have no choice but to go there; since you were one of the “lucky ones” to get admitted, you’d be a fool to say no. You’ve done enough research and visited enough campuses to know which one will give you the best blend of support and challenge, no matter what its name is or who else goes there— and the goal is to go the school that’s right for you, not to go to the “right” school. Until that clear sense shows up again, don’t do a thing.

Less informed sources who judge colleges by brand name may respond to your college news by saying “Anyone would jump at the chance” or “But nobody’s heard of that college.” This is the most crucial time to remember that you aren’t just anyone, that you certainly aren’t nobody, and that labels limit lives more than they enrich them. You’ve learned much about colleges in the past year, but you’ve learned even more about yourself and what you need to grow as a person. Listen to that voice, and the only thing on your face come May 1st will be a smile of sheer delight, knowing you have said yes to the one college that will be your best next home.


Real College Admission Decisions Don’t Come in Envelopes or E-mails