College decision day: a day high school seniors anticipate. They check the clock and sweat with anxiety, waiting to find out whether they have been accepted to their dream school or not. The day has been marked on calendars for days, weeks, or even months in advance with the hopes of hearing exciting news. In some cases though, this highly anticipated day doesn’t bring good news to tell friends and family. Instead, it brings news that can make a student question themselves as well as their future. Being rejected by a college can be depressing, especially when it’s from a school that has been one’s goal or obsession for a long time.

“When I got rejected from my top school it was really upsetting because I really thought I could see myself there for the next four years,” senior Annie Freeman said. “In the end though, I found a school that is right for me and I’m excited to spend the next four years somewhere where I am happy.”

Having a dream school is common among high school students. Not only is it a dream to attend that school, but it is a long term goal that students have worked towards for up to 4 years. Unfortunately, sometimes even when one works their hardest, gets the best grades, is involved and writes the perfect admission essay isn’t good enough for some schools.

“When I heard back from UIUC I felt a little bit of sadness,” senior Gabrielle Good said. “I knew it was a competitive school to get into but nobody wants to feel rejected, but I knew there were other opportunities out there for me. So I bounced back from the little sadness that I had and found a school where I belong.”

Even though a student is rejected from their dream school, it is not the end of the world for them. Being accepted or denied is often seen as a sign of whether attending a certain school was meant to be or not. This experience, more often than not, can broaden students’ perspectives of other schools and help them discover a place they’re just as happy to attend.

“I wasn’t rejected, but I was deferred from UIUC which was frustrating because it meant a longer time waiting for a decision,” senior Sandra Coleman said. “With that time though, I looked into other schools and opened more options for myself and I think I’ll be much happier now that I found a school that was perfect for me instead of a big name in state school that I heard was good.”

Overall, being rejected or deferred from a school does not necessarily mean one is a terrible student. It does not mean they’re not good enough to attend college. Sometimes, it is the smallest aspect of an application that can determine whether a student is accepted or not, and some of those factors are ones that students can’t help. An experience like this is often a learning lesson and results in maturation for a student. Ultimately, getting rejected makes them ready for whatever comes their way in the future.