How to Handle College Rejection

A rejection is never easy — whether it comes from a friend, a potential employer, or your number one college choice. Here are some ideas to help you work through and overcome the disappointment of being rejected by your college of choice:

• Don't take it personally. You may have been rejected simply because the college had
  many similar applicants.
• Reaffirm your strengths. Remind yourself that you have many fine qualifications for
  college. An acceptance letter will come.
• Remember that you aren't alone. Almost everyone gets one (or more) rejection letter.
• Recognize that brand name doesn't equal success. There are many paths to a
  successful career, and no college leads to a sure thing in job placement.
• Don't spend a lot of time agonizing about the rejection. Instead, use the time and energy
  finding another school that you will like as much or more.
• Be positive about other institutions. You are sure to find several colleges where you could
  be happy and receive a great education.
• Consider that maybe the rejection isn't such a bad thing. Sometimes rejections end up
  being blessings in disguise, something you realize down the road. Maybe the admissions
  officer saw something that signaled the college would not be a good match for your skills,
  interests and dislikes, and thereby saved you from a disappointing experience.
• If at first you don't succeed . . . If you are dead set on a given school, start at another
  school and reapply later as a transfer student.

Adult life will deliver some bumps and bruises, such as getting rejected when applying for jobs or
being passed over for a promotion. If you can learn to handle rejection now, you'll be better
prepared for adult life. Just remember: college rejections happen, but they don't have to
define the rest of your life.

Source: ACT's News You Can Use
Posted: 3/10/2008