Daughter's reaction to rejections :)

Parents Forum
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The portal for UVA is kind of strange so I had to talk my daughter through accessing the decision yesterday. I heard her laughing so hard I thought she would drop her phone. She got rejected (her first rejection). Didn’t bother her at all. In VA, there’s this “gotta get into UVA” mindset. I visited UVA with my daughter and she did an internship there but just never felt that the school was a fit for her. Her preferences actually had UVA last; Richmond (accepted), JMU Honors (accepted; 1% of the over 20,000 applicants), William and Mary (waiting), Virginia Tech (accepted; waiting on Honors) then UVA, (still waiting on OOS). We probably should have withdrawn the application and she’s actually happy she didn’t either get accepted or eat a spot on the waitlist for someone else who may really want to attend.

Can’t help but feel that she dodged a bullet by not getting too wrapped up in UVA. I don’t work for the University but have worked with people there for 20 years. Take any ten random professors, two are great, three are ok, the other five you want to drag outside and bounce them off the concrete. Not you don’t get along with them, you have to muster all your self control to not knock their heads together like the three stooges. They are literally shocked, and make that clear, if they don’t feel people are showing them the proper deference and groveling. Worked out for the best.

22

@jcwjnw99 We have the same thing in Michigan, everyone has to go to University of Michigan. My D didn’t get in, she was unhappy but it really had more to do with the “everyone has to go to Michigan” than actually wanting to go there. She hated it when we visited. I tried to talk her out of applying, but everyone has to apply:-) Its been a week and she is perfectly fine with the rejection at this point. She has fantastic options and just needs to make a decision.

23

My D was very disappointed to have been waitlisted at the school her older brother attends. But last night, a few days later, she said not being accepted there was an “eye opening” experience, and maybe the school wasn’t so perfect for her after all (it was never clear it was her top choice anyway). It would always be easier to get accepted everywhere but having one’s eyes opened is usually a pretty good thing too.

24

Rejections are strange things. Going back two cycles, my D. was initially upset when she was rejected early by one of her supposed “good match” schools. She then got into two highly selective colleges RD. She found this funny and several of her classmates were in the same situation. Her explanation was that admissions were largely a “crapshoot”. Probably true.