Your heart started beating when you saw the business-sized envelope with the college return address on it. Some people advise that one clue that a decision letter is a rejection letter is the sheer weight of it. Acceptance letters, they say, will be in a heavier, larger package, because they will include other information and forms that need to be completed. This is not necessarily true. Whatever the size of the envelope, open the letter slowly, and if the decision within it is less than favorable, heed the following advice.
Consider transferring to the school the next year. Don’t hate—motivate! Find out when, and if, you may transfer into the school, and what the requirements are for transfer students. You may end up a student at the school after all. Most colleges allow students to transfer in for the spring semester. You can wait four months! The first semester typically goes by very fast.
Keep your grades up. In the event that you do need to transfer, you want your intended school to know that they are not picking up a slacker—and that they made a mistake by not choosing you in the first place. Your first semester grades may not be available for your application if you are transferring mid-year, but they will definitely be considered if you are transferring after your first year of college. Getting good grades lets your prospective alma mater know that you can handle college-level work, and that you are persistent and consistent.
Keep in touch with the Admissions Office. Continue to attend prospective student events at your intended school. Colleges keep track of attendance. Most colleges do not release specific information—or any information at all—about the reason behind their decisions. Yet, asking what you can do to augment your application for the next time you apply is not a bad idea.
What to do if you’re put on a waiting list. Keep in touch with the school. Call the Admissions Office and ask what more you can do to make your qualifications and desire more apparent. Only call once, unless you are asked to follow up by telephone at a later time. Hopefully, the Admissions staff person you speak with will make a note in your file that you called.
During this call, ask if you may submit additional information to supplement your application. Only send additional material if you are told you can. You may choose to submit a supplementary statement that details your interest in a particular field of study, or tell how you plan to use resources that are specific to the school for which you are on the wait list. Check the school’s website, viewbook and any information they may have mailed to you. Follow your phone call up with a professionally drafted note that includes a statement of gratitude concerning the school’s consideration of you, and offer to provide more information if necessary. Did you, for instance, submit a resume with your application? Will another recommendation—from a teacher or supervisor—help?
What adults can do to soften experiences with rejection. When asking about students’ college application status, pose questions in a neutral manner. Ask open-ended questions that allow for ambiguity if the respondent is not comfortable giving details. For instance, ask: “So, how are things going with the college application process?” This allows the potential scholar to reply with a statement like, “It’s going okay,” instead of forcing the respondent to reply “yes” they have been accepted or “no” they have been rejected or wait listed.
Additionally, vary your conversation. Asking about the college application process each time you speak with an applicant can be daunting for a person, especially if they have not received favorable results. A college senior, for example, may prefer to talk about an upcoming prom, being on the yearbook committee, or how they will deal with losing close friends upon graduation.
Rejection and wait list letters do not signal the end of the world—although initially they may feel like it, especially in a society where so much rides on one’s ability to academically succeed. Keep your head up. Look at the bright side. And take steps to continue to pursue your dream.
