Everyone hates rejection. Whether it comes from that long time crush, or from your dream university, being told you’re not good enough is never fun. The season of college decisions is upon us, so most seniors are starting to prepare themselves. Having been recently rejected from Georgia Tech, I’ve discovered a few tips on how to handle the disappointment.
Thankfully, I haven’t been rejected from too many colleges, so I don’t know how every university works. Tech, however, lets you down nicely with a, “Due to the competitiveness of this year’s applicant pool, we are unable to offer you admission for Fall 2017.” After reading this, several things ran through my head. Plans of joining the circus came to mind, along with estimations of how mad my parents would be if I just dropped out and became a nomad. Among these plans was the overarching thought that I just wasn’t good enough.
As I broke the news to my family, I heard the same phrase over and over again — “It’s so hard to get in; don’t even sweat it.” While this was comforting in some senses, no matter how many times my parents showed me the low Georgia Tech acceptance rate, I still felt an overall sense of doom.
This may seem over-dramatic, but it wasn’t the fact that I didn’t get into Tech that upset me; this decision seemed like it was going to determine the rest of my college acceptance decisions. This irrational thought that one decision could affect another pestered me. It wasn’t until a few days later that I could come to peace with the admissions officer’s decision.
Getting into or being rejected from different colleges is an emotional roller coaster. One thing that kept me grounded on this ride was the one thought that everything happens for a reason. I could get rejected from my dream school in a few months, and even though I would prefer for that not to happen, everything still happens for a reason.
Statistics and “college information” websites could all point in your favor, but you could still end up getting rejected. An admission officer may just not think you’re a good fit for the school or your SAT score could be just a few points too low. You never know when a lengthy rejection letter could be sent your way.
For anyone out there getting more rejections than acceptances, just remember that you’re not alone in this. Even though you might not end up going to your dream school, everything will eventually work out. I’m sure that one day you won’t even be able to fathom the idea of your life going down any path other than the one you wound up on, and you’ll be extremely grateful for it. So while you wait for that admission decision email, take a few breaths and know that everything will be fine.
