Did you feel like a failure after you were rejected from your first choice schools?

<p>It's really heartening to see this thread here; so many people and so many stories. Though, most of the stories are about top schools or schools which din't consider the candidate a fit, I did see people not being able to attend due to personal or financial reasons. Since, my situation is very much similar I do feel better after reading such posts. Thanks a lot guys! :)</p>

<p>I wouldn't know what that feels like, I got into my first choice. :)</p>

<p>But just say "their loss" and move on.</p>

<p>^</p>

<p>I say appeal, and if it doesn't work.
Then whatever, move on, you're too cool anyways.</p>

<p>If you don't get into a college then i guess its just not meant to be! I probably won't get into my first choice college, but i might. Northeastern is my reach, and my #1 choice. But if i don't get accepted, my little "pick me up" is that "Hey, If i got in, I couldn't go anyway because of how expensive it is." But, if it's not meant to be then its whatever. I just go with it! The juice is worth the squeeze any where you go because of the quality of education you receive. Even if you don't get into an awesome undergrad, you work your butt off for graduate school which is what truly matters in the long run! Good Luck to all!</p>

<p>that, there are many high school stories of feeling depression if a school rejects you. what about any transfer student stories? I myself am i and waiting for the results and to be honest, if I dont get into my first choice school, UCLA that is, everything is a failure. I will definetely consider thinking 2009 was one of the worst if not the worst year of the decade and I am even saying this even before I get accpeted or rejected. I just dont even want to imagine, I am a kind of a person that really takes things as an offense. a good example about this was this spanish literature AP exam i took like 3 years at my high school, "supposedly" I was considered one of the top 5 spanish students and we were sure I was going to get a 4 or 5 acccording to the professor because of how well i analyzed the stories, and was pretty good. well, I went on some vacations and on that same day I even remember that misreable night when I arrived from LAX it was soooo hot that even the wind was blowing with humid air, when I came home on that July 24, 2006 I obviously got excited because the college board had sent me the result and then I began to open to my biggest disapointment I had not passed the exam I got a 2 and I immediately started to cry like I hadnt ever cried in my life, I didnt even go to sleep and ripped off the paper into pieces because I didnt want to think about it. I had big nightmares and was saying to myself "oh my god oh my god please help me is this a bad dream or what is this? oh noooo I got a 2 and I was condemining those stupid proctors who LITERRALY RUINED my summer, I didnt even think about doing anything in fact, I didnt even start community college until january it took me like approximately 8 months to recover from that. It was painful specially after a flight and its something that I dont want it to happen to anyone its one of the worst experiences I ve ever had and this is in just an exam, I can kind of imagine a rejection from my top notch school. Like to make sure I applied to some good privates if I wouldnt get into UCLA insce privates a bit easier because in no way do I want a rejection to be the end of my life or at least feel like it. Because although I ve gotten good grades and safety schools would accept me I am the kind of a person that can consider quitting if there's the possibility of not being accepted. and now its a biger issue for me because in no way in hell do I want to leave my hometown NO WAY! I wouldnt leave and hopefully everything will be just fine. I cant see myself living in a university away from my family. let me know what you think of the story and good luck to everyone freshman and transfers!</p>

<p>It's very likely my son won't get into his first choices (Ivies) because of the incredible numbers applying. He has the credentials, but it's mostly a crapshoot, I think. </p>

<p>Ironically, it may be a blessing because the school he is already in (and has a great scholarship) is a much better fit. It is in the top 5 for both his majors and has a terrific honors program and really wants him. It's a good, well respected school. </p>

<p>But the lure of the Ivy League names sometimes blind kids to choosing the best fit NOT just the most prestigious name.</p>

<p>I think kids can be happy at most good colleges. I wish our society wasn't so status conscious. What good is an expensive, name-brand pair of shoes if it gives you blisters and your $5 flip flops are a better fit?</p>

<p>That was actually quite a good comparison, Jamiecakes :)</p>

<p>No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
And if you try sometime, you might find
You get what you need</p>

<p>
[quote]
It is in the top 5 for both his majors and has a terrific honors program and really wants him.

[/quote]

This is extremely important. Based on my experience in college, I overestimated the importance of having a school that is generally good. I'm not saying it isn't good thing, but many top schools are generally good, and one that is slightly less good generally but top in the major is much better. That's where most of your classes should be, and since it is your major it's the thing you should want to learn the most about, conduct research in, and so on.</p>

<p>I just got rejected from UCLA! I didn't cry! I feel calm and angry at the same time!!! I feel relieved but at the same time I don't want to try anymore. I don't want to do my homework; I don't want to be involved in clubs. I busted my butt to get a SAT score of 2050 and some friends whose scores are like 1600/1700 got in! Is something wrong with me? How would/ did you guys learn to deal?</p>

<p>How about a bit of perspective on things?</p>

<p>Do you have a home to sleep in tonight?
Will you be fed a decent meal?
Will you still have family members around you who love you and who think you are great?
Will you be able to go to college next year?
Do you still have great friends to associate with?
Can you afford to go to a doctor if you are sick?</p>

<p>Right now there are 20,000 people a day losing their jobs in this country and close to 200,000 losing their jobs each day around the world.</p>

<p>Many of these people don't know where they will be sleeping in a week or a month--or even tonight.
Many don't know if they will have money to feed themselves and their families.
Many have no family or friends to associate with.
Many will never be able to afford to go to any college or send their children to college--regardless of their grades or test scores.
Many have no medical coverage in case of an emergency for themselves or their families.</p>

<p>Look, I'm sorry if this seems a bit harsh--especially since I know you are feeling depressed right now--but getting into UCLA or some other top school wouldn't have solved all your problems. Some of the people I'm describing above are UCLA graduates;--friends of mine who can't find any work in this economy and who are desperate to feed their families. I'm guessing the same applies to students who graduated from Ivy-league colleges and even Harvard grads. </p>

<p>Even I, a UCLA MBA graduate with 25 years of experience with multi-billion dollar companies, a CPA, and who made over $250,000 in one year just four years ago is now almost certain to be unemployed in less than a month since my company is likely to go bankrupt due to the lack of consumer spending. </p>

<p>The best thing you can do is make the best of the situation you are in--and not dwell on the past or how life is treating you. Just get tough and move on with your life--(that's what I'll be doing)--and realize that getting into a good college doesn't solve all your problems--so don't put so much importance on it.</p>

<p>No, actually. My mom freaked, but I ended up getting accepted to what I thought was a much nicer school in terms of campus features and layout. I originally wanted to go to NGCSU in northern GA since a friend was going to attend there, but the campus isn't that nice despite being in and near the mountains. Just recently that friend outcasted herself from everyone she knew and is now such a boring person that does nothing outgoing anymore. So you could say I'm pretty happy to be attending VSU in southern GA. Not to mention... it's way closer to the beach for Spring Break. >=D</p>

<p>I got rejected from GEORGIA TECH...WOOHOO. I didn't even cry. I haven't ripped up my admissions letter yet either, or t-shirts for that matter. I need to get on that!
I think I wanted to go there for the name, then actually the education. O well! Time to move on.</p>

<p>^^^I know where VSU is! I live 10 minutes away from campus! It's really nice. I would go, only if it wasn't in such a small town!</p>

<p>I got rejected from MIT (my #1) a little over a week ago. I was disappointed for about 1 second. </p>

<p>Instead of MIT, I'm going to one of my backups (Minnesota-Twin Cities), and I'm very excited. If I had been accepted to MIT, right now I'd be stressing over a ton of things: mainly, how am I going to pay for this? Will I fit in at all with workaholics such as those at that school? Will college even be enjoyable with a workload as huge and difficult as MIT's? </p>

<p>Instead, I get a more traditional, fun college experience with a more diverse student body, a MUCH closer ride to my home in Wisconsin, and very much reduced costs!</p>

<p>Practically everyone gets rejected at least once in their life. Even people who are utter geniuses can be rejected. Even if someone ended up going to an Ivy League for college could end up failing at their job later in life. Similarly, you could end up NOT going to an ivy league and being at the top of the world later in life. I'll give you an example that always keeps me from giving up. My uncle went to a pretty decent school in India when he was a kid. He was at the top of his class. When he applied for undergrad in India, every school rejected him for some insane reason so he ended up at a community college. Even at college, he remained at the top of his class. For graduate school, he decided to go to America. The only school that took him was Texas A&M. He excelled there and now he works at a very senior position in Microsoft earning more than many of his elite college-attending friends ever did. Failure teaches you some important lessons. Maybe it's a good thing you didn't get accepted into your first choice schools. I didn't get accepted into Johns Hopkins or the University of Chicago either. But it's not the end of the world. Work hard and you'll get somewhere, trust me. Rejection doesn't last forever.</p>

<p>Sorta. I got into several really good schools, Cornell and McGill included (my two favorites), but got waitlisted at WUSTL and rejected from Northwestern. It's a little bittersweet. I knew I wasn't going to go to either school anyway after getting into Cornell, but at the same time, it's still getting rejected.</p>

<p>But no, I don't feel like a failure. It took me about 10 minutes of thinking about Northwestern before I was like "ok, big deal, I'm going to Cornell." and it was over.</p>

<p>I got waitlisted at my #1 school. Instead of getting mad, I just congratulated my friends that did get in and was happy that one of the two schools where I was accepted gave me a full ride.</p>

<p>havent been rejected from my first choice YET, but that email should be coming sometime today…ahhh i seriously cant take any more rejections…</p>

<p>^^ epic fail.</p>

<p>HarvardBound2013</p>

<p>Wow. You’re on some kind of trip. Sounds like its going to be a lonely journey for you with that tude. Rots of Ruck!</p>