College/Opportunity

Dear Friend,

Many of you reading this blog are from class of 2013, similar to the two of us. This given, you are most liken in the process of/have already applied to college. This is a huge deal, because college outlines the next four or more years of your life. The whole process can be exciting, sad, scary, numbing, the list goes on. It's different for everyone. Some of us can't wait to get out of out house and lives, while others of us would be perfectly happy staying in high school forever, thank you very much. As with everything in your life, college is what you make of it. College is a chance to start with a clean slate, reinvent yourself, or just stay the same and have more crazy adventures. Whatever you choose to do, go for it.

This post is going to talk a bit about acceptances/rejections. Many of us have top schools, some even have one that they are dead set on. If this is you, congratulations on knowing what you want and going for it! There is a problem however: rejection. Rejection is one of the strongest words in the English language because, simply put, it means that you are unwanted, which is harsh for anyone to hear. If a college that you were hoping to get in to rejects you, it will hurt, there's no doubt about that. Which is why we have devised an easy, 5 step plan.

KYLIE AND CATHERINE'S 5 STEP PLAN FOR COLLEGE REJECTION LETTERS:

1. Accept it. You didn't get in. There really is no use getting angry, or hoping it was a mistake, because 99.999999999% of the time, it was not a mistake. The first step is to take a deep breath, and realize that you did not get it.

2. Eat. Along with laughter, food is a universal language and can make anyone feel a little bit better after a disappointment. Go to the store and buy your favorite type of Ben and Jerry's, watch some ABC family show, and eat for a little bit. (this is only if you are feeling really terrible. If you're stable enough, skip this step and move on to step 3)

3. Think realistically. This college doesn't even know you. Even if you had an interview with them, they don;t know you like your parents do, or your friends, or even us. Even if we don't know you you are, we're sure that you are quite a legit person, simply because you read our blog. Good on you. Anyways, colleges only get to see a small snippet of your life. They see your academics, your GPA and test scores, and a short essay about a single topic. They don't have the opportunity to see what a funny and charming person you are, or how you are always supportive of your friends, etc...the things that really matter. You can do your best to portray these, but they won't always come across. So you have to realize that it's not that they don't want you, or even that they don't like you, the admissions team simply believes that their school wouldn't give you the opportunity that you need to learn and grow.

4. Think good thoughts. You didn't get in, you've eaten that ice cream, and you've realized that you are not a terrible person...so why don't they want you?? We aren't on any college boards, or part of any admission team, so we cannot give you a definite answer, but we can speculate. Colleges that accept you are good schools for you. They looked at your application, and accepted you because of everything you displayed. Let's say you have a lower GPA. Some colleges might put you in the automatic reject pile, which is why they will not be a good fit. Other colleges will look at your GPA, look at your class load, look at all of your extracurricular, see the passion behind your essay, and say "Gee, we really want this girl to come to our school because of all of this.". That's a good fit. Different colleges will accept and reject you for different reasons, but the ones that accept you truly want you. Colleges don't just settle for anyone. When viewing your application, there is always something that stands out that makes them want to send that "Congratulations!" letter and hey, if they reject you, then THEY don't deserve to have YOU at their school.

5. Look forward. What's done is done. You tried your hardest, and the outcome wasn't want you were hoping for, but you now realize that you just weren't what that college is looking for. You're stripes and they're polka dots. Neither is bad, in fact they are both quite adorable, but they don't go together well. Now all that's left to do is look forward. This is just a minor set back, but do not let it deter you. Try to be optimistic, and look forward to the next letter you will open (provided you applied to more than one college). If you don't get in to any college that you applied to, we're very sorry, but There is some college out there that is dying to have someone just like you on their campus, it's just a matter of finding them. If college doesn't work out, go off into the "real world" and razzle dazzle them. Resilience is one of the best qualities to have. We'll do another post on resilience later on.

So sorry if you aren't a student anymore and found this post boring, but it can actually apply to many situations: jobs, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. To Quote the Sound of Music, "When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window." Even if you aren't a religious person, there is still value in this quote. If you thought your exit plan from the room was a door, and suddenly that isn't an option anymore, your world is now open to many more opportunities, such as windows and trap doors and ceiling vents, that you didn't even know existed because you were so dead set on easily walking out the door. Handle yourself with grace, and you can achieve almost anything. You got this.

"A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success." -Bo Bennett

Yours truly,

Kylie and Catherine

PS. We ere both accepted to the University of Portland. College, here we come!