By Whether itβs a job or a relationship, rejection is always heart breaking. The same goes for those dealing with rejection from their dream colleges too! Your hopes are high, youβve envisioned yourself attending your desired college (sometimes for years) and itβs time for your dreams to come true β but one rejection letter changes it all. The good news: there are ways to cope with it. If youβre experiencing rejection from your dream college, here are some ways you can handle it without being completely shattered.
Take Time To Process It
How you initially react to a rejection determines how you will proceed. The moment you read the rejection email or receive the letter, you may feel as though your whole world has come crashing down on you. Let us tell you, itβs totally normal to feel this way. You donβt have to put on a brave face. Expressing your emotions at the right time will keep you from grieving over it for a long time. Take your time to accept the reality but move on as soon as youβre ready.
Make A List
This may sound like a lot of work (especially when youβre feeling low), but trust us β it works. Just how you were advised to make a list of pros and cons before applying to your dream college, itβs now time to list down all the reasons why you think it wasnβt the perfect fit for you. At first you may think there are no reasons but as soon as you sit down to make a list, the reasons will come flowing down. This will help ease the pain of rejection and make you realise that everything happens for a reason.
Donβt Take It Personally
When a college rejects you, itβs not always because they donβt think youβre good enough, more often than not, they analyse various factors. Sure, itβs infuriating to know that you put in years of hard work in the pursuit of getting into that one college. But remember itβs not just your capability that decides whether or not you get the admission.
From the limited number of seats to the priority lists, the admission process is much more complex than you think. Therefore itβs important to understand that the rejection is not a reflection of how bright you are.
Shift Your Focus To Things You Can Do
Thinking about how you couldβve prepared for the test better or been more confident during the interviewβ¦these are some thoughts that may pop up in your head after being rejected. But remember, regret gets you nowhere. Instead of focusing on what couldβve been done, invest your time thinking about what can be done. Can you request the college to reconsider your application? Can you reapply next year? Can you go to some other college and transfer later? The options are endless.
Broaden Your Horizons
As much as you love that one college, the fact is that itβs not the only college. Itβs normal for students to get excited about their dream college and forget their other options. Consider the colleges that accepted your application. They may not be on your priority list, but thereβs a reason they made a place on it in the first place.
Take It As An Opportunity
Instead of thinking that the door has been closed forever, think of it as the opening of a new door. If you couldnβt make it this year, you now have one more year to work on your weaknesses and prepare better. Take a break, enrol yourself in extra classes that you couldnβt take because of limited time or maybe reconsider your future plans. Thereβs no deadline for achieving your dreams.
What do you think?