Students in their senior year can definitely relate to turning college decisions into something that feels way bigger than the actual meaning of it. When trying to process an acceptance, a rejection, or the confusing, waitlist decision decisions, it is easy to let your emotions feel overwhelming, but it is important to remember that this moment doesn’t define your future the way it might feel.
Psychologically, college decisions, in validation, and after working all those years to prepare your grades, extracurriculars, and community service hours in order to make the perfect application, it can feel like all that work was for nothing because of one small rejection. Your brain is wired to interpret acceptance as belonging and rejection as the opposite. Especially when colleges are highly selected, and only admit a few students, it can seem much more valuable. So, when you are in rejected, it can feel like you lost something special. But the reality is that the value of your college experience isn’t determined by how competitive a school is. Karina Shah (A), a Yorba Linda High School alumnus, states, “I’m really happy with where I decided to go to college even though it wasn’t my first choice because of my major.”
One of the best ways is to reframe this thought to the idea that rejection is redirection. Every college has its own environment, campus, culture, and opportunities. If a school doesn’t accept you, it doesn’t mean that you are not good enough, it means that isn’t the right fit for you, but another school could be. Waitlist can keep you in the constant state of questioning whether you think you will get off of it or not. The best advice is to commit to a school that accepted you, and if the waitlist turns into an acceptance, you can revisit that decision. Delaney Borquez (A) says, “When I got waitlisted, I felt really confused, but I’m still very happy that I got accepted into other schools.”
Sometimes the school that you get into isn’t one that you pictured yourself going to. Although it might not have been your dream school, it can become the perfect school for you. College is more about showing up and creating a good experience for yourself through your mindset and engagement with the campus and its opportunities. This will shape your experience more than how hard it was to get into the school or comparing yourself to others. Instead of focusing on what that school lacks, you should focus on what it has to offer and the opportunities that you see yourself taking advantage of.
It’s very important to understand that there is no correct college. People succeed, grow, and find happy happiness at all kinds of different schools because they take advantage of opportunities, build relationships, and push themselves to go outside of their comfort zone in order to make those connections. By living through these moments and having them challenge you to grow, you will eventually find your people and end up right where you need to be.
