You excitedly skim the email that says your first choice college has released their admission decisions. You open a new tab, sign into the portal, click the link, and find:
Dear [Insert your name here],
We regret to inform you that you have not been offered admission to…
Your heart sinks, your emotions well up, and you immediately feel…. What? Shame? Regret? Defeat?
Bowdoin College
We get it -- but we also highly recommend you keep your chin up. If you were rejected from your first choice school, all is not lost. In fact, it may be a blessing in (a really upsetting) disguise. Most importantly, remember that getting rejected is not a reflection of your abilities. If you put in the effort, if you worked hard in school, if you did everything you feel you could and they still rejected you… then that school wasn’t right for you anyway. Brush it off - there are better schools for you out there where you’ll thrive.
So, here’s what we recommend doing next:
1. Throw yourself a rejection party.
Invite your family and best friend if safe, make a cake, order in, and celebrate that you know what’s NOT coming next. After all, it feels good to have an answer, right?
2. Take a day or two to shake it off, and then dive into your contingency plan.
You probably have 10 more schools on your list; go for those! Re-watch those virtual recorded information sessions, and re-fall in love with the rest of your schools.
3. Hone in on your new favorite school, and consider applying ED II or Regular Decision.
Sign up for an interview if they offer it. Ask your counselor to send your mid-year grades to your Regular Decision list. Write an email showing your investment in your next set of schools.
4. Keep working hard in your classes
Remember that your continued success in high school will help you immensely in this new round of college applications.
As you tackle all these - keep in mind that you’ve got this. Pat yourself on the back because you are resilient. You have so many other colleges to get excited about. Instead of shame or sadness, you can start feeling empowered and hopeful because you turned a tough situation into an exciting one (and you get to eat rejection cake in the process).