<p>When</a> Success Follows the College Rejection Letter - WSJ.com </p>
<p>Food for thought this week and next.</p>
<p>That is a GREAT article. Thanks for posting it.</p>
<p>Excellent article. It reinforces the idea that rejection from top 20 schools is not the end of the world and ivy/top 20 doesn’t = guaranteed success. Very Refreshing article.</p>
<p>To chime in with Buffet, Vieria et al., Columbia wouldn’t have been a good fit for me since my high school didn’t prepare me well enough for their academics. Glad I’m at a different school that I love.</p>
<p>I enjoyed the article. Thank you.</p>
<p>My nephew was rejected by all his favorite colleges. He still had good choices (he’s about to graduate from Rice.) What a difference four years make - he got into every graduate program he applied to, and is off to MIT, his first choice four years ago.</p>
<p>Thank you for sharing. Great article.</p>
<p>LOVE this article. There are a lot of kids (and parents!) out there right now who will benefit from the wisdom of experience, including my daughter who just got waitlisted by her top 2 picks. Thanks for sharing the timely reality check. Things may not always turn out the way you want, but life really does go on.</p>
<p>So not going to a top 20 college isn’t a life sentence to mediocrity? Gee, I would have never known prior to reading this article.</p>
<p>CC, sometimes you do make me chuckle.</p>
<p>great article…I think we need to show this to some kids BEFORE they even apply, that way they can find lesser schools to love</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind though: just because acceptance into a top school now doesn’t dictate the rest of your life doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fix your faults now. Given how many top schools there are, fit can’t always be the reason. It isn’t good to be dejected but also realize that if things working out, it might be time to try something new or put more effort into it! :D</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that these people may have been rejected by some ‘top schools’ but accepted to others <em>cough</em> buffett <em>cough</em></p>
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<p>pandem, I don’t see the message of the article as being if you don’t get into a top 20, you won’t be destined to a life of mediocrity. </p>
<p>Rather, what I infer from the article (though this is not novel of course) is that in the midst of the college admissions decision season, one can get caught up on how important each college result is and get so disappointed to not get into their favorite or dream schools, but if one rides it out…they will often find that they are very happy at the school where they land, and the rejection fades away. Also, the article emphasizes that many who are successful have come upon obstacles along the way but persevered and those obstacles (or rejections) did not stand in their way and in some instances, afforded them new opportunities that they would otherwise not have had.</p>
<p>There was a thread earlier this year where a very proud parent noted his child’s post graduate success after a rejection from a first choice, top level undergraduate school.</p>
<p>A number of posters jumped on that OP for indicating the successes were a form of retribution for the earlier rejection.</p>
<p>I agree with the intended sentiment of that earlier thread, and with the sentiment in this article.</p>
<p>We all know that not everyone going to their 2nd or 3rd choice school will become Warren Buffet or Ted Turner (who, by the way, did not attend particulary lowly 2nd and 3rd choice schools). And, when a student does well, it isn’t retribution to the school that didn’t accept them. </p>
<p>But, this article illustrates that people are resiliant and can make the best of what isn’t their “dream” situation.</p>
<p>The best message from this article is that it is up to the individual to become successful, not the school. The school can provide the tools necessary to succeed but it ultimately comes down to the person. Good read.</p>
<p>What’s funny is that most of these people didn’t go to Harvard but ended up in other pretty awesome schools. Also, it appears that each of them got rejected from Harvard lol…</p>
<p>All of the people in the article still went to a top 20 school after being rejected from their first choices.</p>
<p>I’ve seen students just as devastated by a rejection from UTexas as from Harvard. The point is that a rejection from your “dream school” doesn’t mean you are doomed to a life of flipping burgers or attending classes with sub-par students.</p>
<p>How sad. Rejected from Harvard and had to settle with Columbia …</p>
<p>It is my belief that a student can be happy at more than one school, and in fact, at many schools. My observation is that some students get fixated on certain colleges as “must haves” or “dreams” and get devastated if that school doesn’t come through. And I realize in the midst of college admissions decision frenzy, this takes on significant importance. But once this period of time passes and the student is immersed at another college, none of the rejections are going to matter and they’ll usually be happy at the school where they land and in fact, come across opportunities that may not have happened had they gone elsewhere. I really hope that applicants can see the forest from the trees. It is not all about X or Y college. Build a college list of many schools that fit you and you will land some place where you can be happy and it doesn’t all ride on the outcome at one or two dream schools at all. </p>
<p>I say this no matter where the kid applies…Harvard or Podunk. Same thought.</p>
<p>This is a terrible article. It’s not like these people had to end up at community college. They all got into top state schools or ivy leagues or the sort!!</p>
<p>Big frickin deal they got accepted at Columbia and not Harvard. Honestly I’d rather go to Columbia grad over Harvard</p>
<p>I do think a better article would highlight famously successful individuals who attended non-Ivy schools, specifically public state schools. Studies show there are plenty of these types to go around.</p>
<p>Guys guess what…I couldn’t buy a Ferrari today. it was so devastating…so I bought an Aston Martin instead</p>