College rejections are inevitable for most students. Whether students like it or not, it’s unlikely that they will be accepted into all of the colleges they apply to. Although it may be a difficult concept to deal with, rejections are just a part of the college process. The question is, how can students deal with them?

Senior Shaelee Comettant, one of many WHS students who experienced college rejections, was assured by friends and family that she was a perfect fit for her dream college. When the day of her dreams finally arrived, Comettant came up short.  

“When I opened [the letter], I was really shocked and confused about what I did and what part of my application was wrong,” Comettant said.

On the other hand, senior Elijah Etienne was accepted to the first college he heard back from, which also happened to be one of his top choices. Etienne was not affected drastically by following rejections but suggests other students keep steady and stay positive following rejection because they still have other options.

If students follow the same guideline as Etienne, they should have a handful of schools to fall back on. According to Etienne’s advisers, students should apply to about three safety schools (schools in which the student has a high chance of getting in to), a few match schools (schools in which the student has a moderate chance of being accepted to) and a maximum of three reach schools (schools in which the student has a moderately low chance of being accepted.)

Comettant understands that acceptance to dream colleges doesn’t always come true.

“Keep your options open. Try your best to not mentally commit to a school because it’s never guaranteed, even if you think it’s your safety or if you think you’re perfect for that school,” Comettant said.

Besides being realistic with themselves, students should try their best to look forward.

“If you don’t get something that you want, then it’s not meant for you,” Etienne said. “It could be a blessing in disguise. There could be something there that’s just not for you.”

Another suggestion to dealing with rejections is for students to not be too hard on themselves.

“I make a lot of jokes about [my rejections] and then I also try to get excited about other options, which is how I really got over it. When I committed to my school and started talking to people about [my rejections], it helped me get over it,” Comettant said.

In the long run, dealing with college rejections is temporary. When students get accepted to a college and begin to feel the excitement of the years to come, all of the worries and stress usually go away.

“Talk about it with friends, parents and teachers if you feel comfortable because there are other people who are going through what you’re going through,” Comettant said.