Making light of college admissions: the rejection wall

April 9, 7:21 AMCollege Admissions ExaminerLauren Starkey

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“To All Esteemed Boards of Admission,

We have received your decision in regards to our academic futures and wish to thank you for your consideration of our applications. However, we regret to inform you that we are unable to accept your rejections at this time.”

Thus begins Danielle Edelman’s open letter, published in Gunn High School’s The Oracle. Edelman goes on to wax eloquent about the rich history of her school’s Rejection Wall, on which students post the disappointing letters received from schools to which they’d applied.

Gunn is not alone. Many other schools offer the wall as a way of meliorating students’ anxiety during the first weeks of April, when letters both fat (acceptances) and thin (rejections) arrive. Palo Alto High Schools’ wall is back after a three-year hiatus. “"It [the wall] helps bring people together through the rejections and helps people not take it so personally," said Senior Class Representative Jenna Lose. "It's a 'we're all in this together' kind of thing.”

Does your school have a rejection wall? Do you think posting rejection letters helps or hurts admissions anxiety? Proponents say it’s a fun way to deal with stress, while some opponents believe it places too much emphasis on the whole admissions process.