College Rejection

“ABC News” has some advice for those students who face college rejection.

There is an article on “ABC News'” website today that suggests pointers for students denied by their top college choices. Here is a breakdown of the advice of the psychologists whom “ABC News” interviewed:

– “Be realistic.” You weren’t the only person who got rejected. Tons were rejected. It happens to many.

– “A lot of it is the luck of the draw.” We at Ivy Coach strongly disagree with this pointer. College admissions is not a game of luck. There is a surefire way to get into top colleges. Luck has very, very little to do with it. If you happen to run into your regional admissions officer at the grocery store and develop a friendship, then that’s luck. But you can develop a relationship with a regional admissions officer without running into him/her at the grocery store. College admissions is more a precise science than luck.

– “Celebrate the accomplishment of admission for the schools you do get into.” We couldn’t agree more. Often, students get into some of the most prestigious colleges in the country and yet they’re disappointed because they got waitlisted at their top college choice. You got rejected by Harvard but you got into Yale and Brown? Go to admitted students weekend at the colleges to which you were accepted. Check out Yale and Brown. If you have to miss a few days of school to do this, then miss a few days of school. It’s important that you choose a college that you will love to be at for four years.

– “Research shows that there’s very little connection between where one goes to college and success in the workplace later on.” Research indicates that students rejected by Ivy League colleges make the same amount of money in their lifetime as students who gain admission to Ivy League colleges because these students had the confidence to apply to such top universities. But there is also research that speaks of the value of connections that are made at top colleges such as those in the Ivy League. We have examined a great of that research in previous blog posts: Ivy League Rejection, There is Life After Being Rejected, and Ivy League Workers.

– “Don’t blame yourself.” If you have tried your very best throughout your high school years and have submitted the strongest application to the colleges of your choice, then don’t second guess yourself and be happy with the college that you will one day call your alma mater.

Check out the “ABC News” article “College Acceptances: Coping with College Rejection Letters” here.