As an adult, looking back 40 years - it was way worse to be accepted and not be able to attend than to be rejected. That’s why I refused to allow my kids to apply to any schools that I couldn’t completely cover and which is why they all are attending or have attended SUNY or CUNY schools. I can still feel the empty ache in my heart as I had to tell all of my friends and my GC that I wasn’t going to be able to attend any of the wonderful schools I got into. When I applied to law school, I was rejected from a few, but I just chalked it up and moved on.