“now they only say congratulations” -posty heart eyes
it’s that time of year, again. seniors must suffer through the college decision process. & i feel their pain. some will get that early ‘congratulations’ from the school of their dreams, while others, like me, will have a long, grueling, nail-biting, anxiety-producing, roller coaster of an emotional ride to the finish line (whatever that finish line may be). i know what it’s like to be both deferred and waitlisted & maybe i can help those who find themselves in a similar position.
my advice:
- commiserate. ‘college confidential’ has a university-specific q&a for deferred and waitlisted students. it’s a good source of information, but it’s especially useful in showing you that you weren’t the only brilliant child that they tossed aside (at least, for the moment).
- back it up. if you didn’t make a back up plan during the application process, do it now. i had several: from taking a gap year to becoming a stripper (jk) to attending one of three other universities, and they each gave me some peace of mind.
- don’t go down without a fight. realize that, if at first you don’t succeed, you can transfer! if you want it bad enough, persistence will pay off. its weird tho because most dont end up applying for a transfer. maybe it’s because their other choice turned out to be not so bad.
- accept your fate. other than sending a LOCI, there really isn’t anything you can do. a big mistake is to badger the school. if something big happens (e.g. you discover the cure for restless leg syndrome), then, for sure, inform the university. but mom’s call to tell them how really, really, really smart you are won’t do the trick.
- know that you’ll be just fine. some of the most notable figures didn’t get into their dream schools (steven spielberg was rejected from usc and warren buffet didn’t get into harvard) and that didn’t stop them it won’t stop you!
the beauty of it all is that, whatever happens, you’ll find a way to roll with it. if you did get into your dream school, congratulations! if you didn’t, maybe that just wasn’t it, sis. you’ll make your mark somewhere else.
