Skating off the ice at hockey practice, I was unprepared to see the email from my top school indicating that there had been an update to my application status. I was unable to contain my emotions as my teammates huddled around ready to watch me open what I was hoping to be good news. Unfortunately, I was greeted with words no one wants to read: “We appreciate your interest and are sorry that we will not be able to offer you admission.”

Rejection: the act of refusing to accept or consider something.

Rejection is tough. There is no sugar-coating the plain and simple reality that as soon as those words pop up on your screen your heart drops into your stomach and you feel like the whole world is about to end.

After the initial moment of shock, many negative thoughts ran rampant and I began devaluing my work in high school. I questioned if I actually worked hard enough.

Furthermore, the fact that I would have to tell people I got rejected or have them assume so based on the non-existent social media posts from my friends was just another added social frustration. I didn’t need my classmates assuming that I was not smart enough to get in.

After going through the college process myself, I realized that it is entirely random. However, that randomness and my subsequent rejection helped me realize that rejection truly is redirection. Now, I do not question my self worth, instead I decide how I can make the most of my experience elsewhere.

Although the feeling of rejection hit hard, by taking a more positive outlook after the fact, I was able to reflect on my current needs for a school. In fact, I started to understand I only wanted to attend that top school due to the
prestige around the particular program I wanted to be involved with. I see now that the school wasn’t ideal and it didn’t incorporate certain aspects of my current life that I wanted to take with me.

The following weeks then consisted of coming to the conclusion that my second choice school would be the perfect fit for me. I overlooked the many positive characteristics of it all because I was blinded by one feature my original top choice provided. Now, I couldn’t be happier for that rejection letter I opened a few weeks prior.

Although rejections are not what most students hope to receive, they open up a new perspective and insight to what you truly want for the next four years of your life.