I remember I was pretty much expecting a denial from my top, but it hurt like hell to actually read the letter anyways. My mind was quite blank at first; I wasn’t apathetic, necessarily, but more of “well, it’s not like it’s a shock”. Then when I went downstairs, I woke my mom up from her nap to tell her I didn’t get in and just burst out crying. I cried for a good while, got all of the tears out of my system, and eventually calmed down. I haven’t full on cried about it since, but I feel sort of a bitter feeling whenever someone mentions the school or I hear about someone who got in. What’s kind of worse is that on of my closest friends got in and she was not expecting to get in either, so I couldn’t help but be really jealous.
It does help, though, that some other really well qualified people were either waitlisted or denied. So I’m not alone.
It still hurts a little, but I’ve accepted that I’m going to a good school with some honestly awesome programs (including one that’s best in the country) and the people there seem really nice, too. I’m looking forward to it and accepting the fact that “you win some, you lose some”. I’m also keeping in mind that if I really want to, I can try and transfer or apply to grad school there.
It hurt. A lot. It was my first and only rejection, and my #2 choice (I doubted I would get into my first, but I did <3). It was probably the first university I learned about, and after so long I was ecstatic to realize that it was a match for me–not even a reach. I think I cried for three hours that day because I loved that school so much and had put so much time and effort into my application.
Of course, what made it better was getting into my dream school, but every day I wonder how I would have dealt with it had I not gotten into Brown. The rejection still stings, though–haha, I can’t even bring myself to say the school’s name. When the rejection letter came in the mail, I really, really wanted to burn it
It hurt less than I expected at the time, but now I find myself wondering, “Why?” Not because I’m not thrilled with my final choice–and may have very well picked it over the rejection school anyway–but because I was so fond of the other school for so long…and suddenly, it wasn’t an option.
It was also a school with a very specific spirit (Brown), so it makes me wonder what made them think their environment wasn’t a fit for me. There’s definitely pride thing there.
Quite frankly I had gotten into Stanford the day before I got rejected from HYP, so I didn’t really care. But, like glasses, I am pretty curious as to why I got rejected. My best guess is that it was my essay, because I think you either love it or really dislike it. But of course I can’t be sure, and I keep wondering… not that I would have even picked one of those schools over Stanford; I just would like to know.
Yeah, I got cut from the soccer team freshman year. At the time I was incredibly disappointed, but I now realize that had I played soccer it would have prevented me from doing so many activities which I love.
Sophomore year, I made 21st chair at All-Region choir–after having been 2nd and 1st for my entire life, as well as attending two national honor choirs. It was a huge blow. I think I cried for a whole weekend; I felt like I couldn’t show my face in choir afterwards because everyone had expected me to land a top 5 chair at the least.
I quit choir in junior year (although I kept up with voice lessons), largely because I’d lost confidence in my singing. I took AP Stat instead, and considering how I now plan to major in stat, I think I made the right choice. I also think, though, that I was right to re-join choir this year. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter whether or not you’re good at something. It’s just too integral a part of your life.
As for actual college rejections…Princeton. I think I was okay with it, though, because I’d expected Princeton to be a stretch, even more of one than Harvard and Yale, since I’d really messed up my Princeton application essays. It also helped that I’d already received several other acceptances by the time I opened Princeton’s letter.
Hmmm…got rejected like none other from Juilliard Pre-College as a sixth grader, and d-mn if that rejection letter isn’t one of the most tersely worded ones I’ve ever read. I ended up auditioning for and eventually becoming the concertmaster of a pretty prestigious local youth orchestra, and that entire experience has also turned into a great vector for community service and leadership, so that worked out well.
I didn’t even make the first round of cuts for RSI this year either. I had done some research the summer previous (that I’m actually presenting at a professional conference in about two weeks), and I really, really wanted that sort of experience again. Alas, my non-participation in olympiads killed my application. And barely two days after my RSI rejection, my TASP interview notice came in, and I got accepted there for this summer. You win some, you lose some. I realized that I truly wanted to broaden my horizons this summer, and TASP is the perfect fit for me.
I was rejected initially by Columbia University ED. To be honest, I wasn’t too upset at the rejection, and was more frustrated by the fact that because of it I had to spend my Christmas Break writing a whole lot of college essays.
Coping with rejection wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I made the mistake of applying to Smith ED, which wound up being my first rejection. Right before the letter came, I spent hours crying in the girls’ locker room because I didn’t know what would be worse: getting in and being bound to a school that I applied to for the wrong reasons or getting rejected. Thankfully, the latter happened, and I laughed it off with my then-boyfriend.
My second (and only other) rejection came right after I had my tonsils yanked. Between the infection I got from the surgery, the subsequent fever, and the pain meds, the rejection looked really funny. I kept waving my Vassar rejection letter while giggling and saying “Shun the nonbeliever!”
Though I don’t recommend getting surgery and a massive infection as a means of coping with rejection, they did help put things into perspective. When compared to both situations, getting rejected from a college was the most minuscule thing that could have happened, especially considering that the infection put me in the hospital. Both rejections taught me that A. If you don’t get in to a certain school, you’ll eventually thank your lucky stars for that rejection and B. Rejection really is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Hey, if it was a choice between that or a hospital stay and further surgery, I’d take the rejection.
I haven’t applied to any colleges yet, but I was rejected last year by a camp I really thought I was going to get into. I was very confident about it, and had that fake “oh I won’t get in, but really I’m just saying that” thing going on. Well, I didn’t get in. I tried to blow it off, but I just laid in my bed and cried. It wasn’t even that big, too.
I didn’t even make it to the interview round of United World College admissions. I remember reading the email and just feeling numb. I’m not a crier, but I do remember wanting to throw my phone at a wall.
Now, I’m going to work my butt off and give my last shot everything I have - and not procrastinate with the application like I did last year. And if that still fails, I’ll continue working my butt off for actual college…
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter whether or not you’re good at something. It’s just too integral a part of your life.