As a senior it can be nerve racking and scary to apply for college and wait for the news on whether I was accepted or rejected.
I applied to Midwestern State University and Vernon College and was accepted to both. I was excited to get accepted into MSU and Vernon because they are the two places I want to attend in the fall of this year.
College acceptances can be exciting and thrilling; however, I know some who failed to get into their dream school or other colleges they applied to and it can be crushing, but it is important to know that other options are available.
Tips on how to deal with college rejection:
1. You can write an appeal letter. Students should take time to research to see if your school offers the option to write an appeal letter. The appeal process isn’t a guaranteed in, but you may just get lucky!
2. Know that you are not alone. Many students will get rejected from at least one of their colleges to which they applied. It is important to understand that there are other students just like you and you shouldn’t feel weird, ashamed or dumb.
3. It is not personal. You did not get rejected because admissions officers didn’t like you. For some students, you may have been rejected because they didn’t meet the academic qualifications or because they were not academically ready to do well at the college. At highly selective schools, only a small percentage of students get accepted and it is usually based on academics. Colleges only have a certain number of seats available for incoming students and most of the time, colleges receive many more applications than available seats.
4.Don’t dwell on the “what ifs.” “What if you had a higher GPA?” “What if you wrote a better essay?” These “what if” questions won’t change the admissions decisions, so don’t beat yourself up over the things you cannot change. Don’t change yourself for anyone, especially not a college.
5. Celebrate the acceptance letter. It is likely that you were accepted into at least one college, so don’t dwell on the rejections. It may not be your plan A, but it is probably still a good and safe backup option that you can look forward to. And who knows, the experience at your plan B school could be just as good or even better than the one you would have had at your dream school. There is no perfect school, so stay positive, celebrate your accomplishments and embrace the schools that did accept you.
Just remember to not let a rejection letter weigh you down. It is just a detour on your way to your ultimate goal. Celebrate your acceptances and move on from the rejections.