Moving On: What to Do If You Don’t Get In

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Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we don’t get what we want. If you applied to the college of your dreams and didn’t get in this article is for you. Even though it may seem rough now, if you have the right perspective, you can move on with your education and goals and be quite happy with the outcome.

The hardest thing for many people about getting rejected from the school of their choice is the blow to the self esteem. I myself wanted to go to Stanford, and put a lot of work into my application. When I was rejected, I felt really terrible. Why didn’t they want me? Why wasn’t I good enough? I felt like there must be something terribly wrong with me. This brings us to my first tip:

1. Get Some Perspective

While I spend some time feeling that I must be some sort of idea, doomed to forever roam the streets in search of little bits of food and shelter because of my failure to get into Stanford, I quickly came to my senses. It turns out Stanford *is* a pretty selective school, and they reject many valedictorians every year. Driving this point home more, I began to meet other super smart, ambitious people who got rejected as well. Maybe my future wouldn’t be all working at Taco Bell after all.

Getting perspective like this is a great help in the “healing” process. Once you realize that you can still accomplish your goals and ambitions without the approval a certain school’s admission board, you will feel much better. Realize that many smart, hardworking people fail everyday, and what separates the winners from the losers is the ability to get back up and keep working for your goals. Which leads to the next tip:

2. Pick Your New Path

Now, if you’ve been approaching this process properly, you’ve applied to several other schools, including some that you’re pretty sure you can get into. When choosing among these secondary options, try to keep in mind what it was about your first choice that appealed to you so much, and what you wanted to get out of it. It my case, I wanted to be close to Stanford’s top notch research faculty. So, I choose as my second choice a school that also has a strong research presence, with excellent opportunities for student to participate. By finding whatever it is that appeal to you about your first choice in another school, you can still achieve your goals, just by taking a different path.

3. Embrace Your New Path

Now that you’re next pick school, don’t look back. Enjoy where you are, get involved, and make the best of your experience. You’ll begin to forget about your rejection, and learn to love what you’re doing at the moment. Remember, you and you alone are in charge of your own success, so if you work hard, try for new things, and are persistent, you will be able to achieve what you want even without that fancy degree.

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