You’ve Been Rejected from a College: Now What?
It’s officially spring, meaning it’s time for colleges to send out decision letters! We understand the feeling of waiting for the mail to arrive or consistently refreshing your inbox for the latest news.
The reality of college admissions is that sometimes you’re accepted and sometimes you’re waitlisted. But then there are going to the times when you’re rejected. The feeling can be overwhelming, especially knowing how hard you worked and the hurdles you had to overcome (especially in the middle of a pandemic!). First and foremost, we encourage students to take the time they need to evaluate their emotions after a rejection--your feelings are valid.
When you’re ready, here’s what to do next after being rejected from a college:
Understand the decision
Getting past the sentence of rejection can be difficult, but it is important to continue to read the full letter in case the school provided reasons why you were rejected. Additionally, it may be worth reaching out to the Admissions Office directly to ask what you can improve on to increase your chances of acceptance next time. Or, if you feel strongly, you can ask them to reconsider.
Evaluate other pending applications
Okay, you have a rejection. How many more schools did you apply too? What is the status?
Check deadlines for other schools
Maybe you only applied to one college--we get it! Check out other schools to see if there is still time to apply.
Talk to your network
Your school counselor, teachers, and other adults in your life want you to thrive. It’s worth scheduling some time with them to talk about other options, from applying to different colleges, to considering community college, to even a gap year.
Make a plan
What’s next? If your heart was set on a specific school, research when you can next apply and start bolstering your work and volunteerism to add to your next application. Don’t forget: You can still attend another college and reapply to your dream college as a transfer student.
Try not to dwell
Yes, this is probably the hardest point. The rejection wasn’t personal and in a time where the pandemic has completely upended higher education, the admissions process is admittedly wonky this year. Focus on acceptances you do have or make a plan to apply to colleges that are still accepting applications.
Cirkled In wishes everyone a safe and productive admissions season! Remember, our platform can help with your college search by providing virtual tours, one-click applying, and much more. We look forward to seeing what you will do next!
