Rejected: Now What?

What to Do When Colleges Say No

"We're sorry, but we won't be able to offer you a place in our first-year class. We had many qualified applicants this year...."

This is not how you wanted your college letter to read, but there it is. After all of the work you put into your application and the months of anticipation, it's understandable if you're upset about the outcome. However, it's important to keep rejection letters in perspective and to understand that you have options.

Rejection Is Not Always About You

Some students read rejection from a college as an indication that they don't have what it takes to succeed. However, admissions decisions are not a judgment from society. Colleges have many reasons for rejecting students, and there is always an aspect of randomness in the process.

Student merit is not the only factor in a school's decision. Schools also must address their own needs for a diverse population or for strength on sports teams or in specific degree programs. Neither you or your parents should treat rejection as a personal failure.

What Next?

Research shows that 9 out of 10 students get in to their first or second choice college. If you applied to a balanced mix of reach, good fit, and safety schools, you should have college options that you're happy with and that will suit your academic needs. Congratulations.

What to Do if You Aren't Accepted Anywhere

What if you haven't gotten into any of the schools to which you applied? This can occur when students apply only to very selective schools or too few schools, or if senior grades falter. This requires some reevaluation of your situation, but it's certainly not the end of the world. Here are some steps you can take:

Talk to your counselor.
She has been through this before with other students and knows what to do.
Apply to schools whose deadlines haven't yet passed.
Many colleges have late admissions policies or rolling admissions.
Apply to the same schools again.
Some schools will reconsider your application if you take the SAT® again and improve your scores or if your grades shot up dramatically at the end of your senior year. Contact the admissions office.
Ask for an explanation.
Was it your high school transcript? Your essay?
Consider transferring to the college.
If you spend a year at another school, you can prove to college admissions officers that you're motivated and ready for college-level work.

Appealing Admissions Decisions

You can try to appeal your rejection, but most students don't win. Contact the admissions office for details on its appeal process. Some colleges will allow you to provide new academic information that could improve your chances of getting in, such as updated grades. You may also be able to request a spot on its waiting list.

The Upside

There's an upside? Yes. Sometimes it actually helps to have a decision made for you. Maybe you had several colleges on your wish list, and wouldn't have had an easy time choosing just one. Plus, if you hadn't been turned down by at least one college, maybe you would always wonder if you should have set your sights higher.

Remember, there's no one perfect college. Any number of schools can be good fits and make you happy. Plus, you may not even realize how wonderful the college, curriculum, and your fellow classmates are until you're there—wherever "there" is.