Itâs that time of year again â college admissions season. Whether youâre super excited or super nervous about heading off to college, there are some things to keep in perspective when youâre waiting to hear back from the schools you applied to. We talked to current collegiettes about what they wish they knew when they heard back from colleges. Be sure to keep these five things in mind when opening those long-awaited decision letters.
1. Dream schools arenât always realistic
Having a dream school can end up hurting you down the road. There’s nothing worse than disappointment.
Abby Piper, a junior at the University of Notre Dame, thinks the idea of âone perfect schoolâ is a little insane. âIt’s cool to have a dream school, but keep in mind that college is whatever you make of it,â she says. âWhere you are accepted [or] rejected really should not and cannot determine the fate of your college experience.â Sheâs so right!
Even if you do get accepted to your *dream school*, itâs important to remember that this doesnât always mean you can go there. Elizabeth Wolfe, a sophomore at Agnes Scott College, was thrilled when she got accepted to New York University, but then she âquickly realized that I would not be able to go because of the minute amount of financial aid I had received,â she says. âI think if I had been more realistic, I would not have been so devastated.â Keep in mind that dream schools donât always work out, and thatâs okay!
2. Rejection doesnât always mean you werenât qualified
Thereâs no denying it â getting a rejection letter hurts. But donât let those rejections discourage you. Colleges take a lot into consideration when accepting students!
âI wish someone had told me how much some schools take in-state/out-of-state status into account during their decision making process,â says Caitlin Barkley, a sophomore at Clemson University. âThat can become a major factor in some rejection letters, and it’s easy to get discouraged if you don’t realize that.â
Abby had a similar experience. She applied to a lot of top-tier schools and the rejection letters she got killed her confidence. âWhat I would advise to people applying to Ivy League or really competitive schools is that the admission process is actually pretty arbitrary,â she says. âNot getting in doesn’t necessarily mean you weren’t qualified, but at some point, so many applicants have all of the credentials [and] it boils down to the preference of the admissions people, which can be pretty subjective.â Had Abby realized this sooner, she may not have ended up so upset. Itâs all about perspective!
Related: 4 Tips for Surviving Second Semester of Senior Year
3. Apply for scholarships
While youâre waiting to hear back from schools, applying for scholarships is super important! There are tons of scholarships out there that can help cut down college costs.
Ashley Drayton, a 2015 graduate from Georgia State University, wishes she âapplied for scholarships, took them seriously, and actively looked for ones that would have helped with tuition.â Unfortunately, getting acceptances wonât be meaningful unless you can afford to go to the school. Check out websites like Fastweb and Scholarships.com.
4. Donât focus all your attention on college
Donât let worrying about college applications take over your senior year. Itâs your last year of high school, so you want to be enjoying it!
âTry to find a balance between submitting applications and talking about college-related things with enjoying senior year by going to sports games, doing activities in your home town, talking to your friends about things other than college and just generally staying present where you are!â says Molly Crum, a senior at James Madison University. This is your last year of high school. Donât let it pass you by!
5. Remember that everything will work itself out
Waiting to get acceptances (or rejections) may seem super daunting, but thereâs something you should remember: Everything turns out exactly how itâs supposed to.
Taylor Carson, a senior at Temple University, had always dreamed of going to college out of state. âAfter a lot of discussion with my mom about waiting to hear back from schools where I was waitlisted, I decided to stay in state and go to Temple on scholarship,â she says. âI don’t regret my decision for a single second. At the time, I remember wondering if I was settling, but I have since realized that it doesn’t matter where you go. What does matter is what you do with the opportunities in front of you when you get there â wherever âthereâ might be.â
We love this advice! No matter where you end up, itâs all about your attitude and taking advantage of whatâs in front of you.
Thereâs no denying that college admissions season is nerve-wracking, but thereâs no reason to stress â youâre going to end up exactly where youâre supposed to be. If you keep these things in mind, you wonât have any regrets later. Donât forget that college is all about what you make of it. Good luck, future collegiettes!