Raegan Birschbach opened her Stanford University portal on Dec. 13 to some disheartening news. Birschbach found that she had been rejected from the college that she had long wanted to go to.
For some students college decision season is quite joyous as they finally received the news about getting into the school they have long wanted to attend, for others this is not the case. For those students it leaves them with the difficult task of navigating the feelings of rejection.
According to Lavender and Rocks, (2018) the college application process can be a deeply emotional process for the many high school seniors who experience it.
The Common App reported that from the years of 2019-2020 and 2021-2022, a 21.3% increase was seen in the amount of applications sent out bu students. Additionally, schools like University of Wisconsin-Madison saw acceptance rates falling from 47.5% to 43.32%.
According to a 2023 article in Psychology Today, receiving a rejection letter from a college can cause students a host of emotions, most notably negative ones. However, after the initial negative emotions it often provides students with critical lessons in resilience and perseverance. These factors provide students with the experience that is college rejection that can enable them to face adversity head on, ultimately leading to the development of “fortitude.”
Senior Kaulie Ly found herself feeling overwhelmed after learning that she had not been accepted to her dream school, the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “I was so sad I cried. I had high expectations of getting in and had planned things I wanted to do at Madison. Seeing the denial kind of slapped me in the face,” Ly said.
Despite her initial heartache, at the rejection Ly decided to look at it a different way. She reflected on her experience and recognized the value of the rejection. “It taught me to be realistic,” Ly said.
Ly explained that this experience helped her in understanding that not all plans happen as expected. Ly’s experience didn’t just end with sadness; she saw it as an opportunity for personal growth and acquired valuable life lessons that would serve her in future endeavors.
In contrast, Birschbach had a markedly different reaction after receiving her rejection from Stanford University. Instead of letting the disappointment get to her, she felt an unexpected sense of calm. “Nothing at all, no reaction. I wasn’t really fazed by it at all,” Birschbach said.
Rather than hanging onto this setback, she chose to let go and focus on the future and the rest of her college applications. “I just moved on from it. Life goes on, and there are plenty of other schools out there that really want me to attend,” Birschbach said.
College and Career Counselor Erin Driesbach has given several Lane students advice on getting rejected from schools in her years at Lane. She acknowledges the range of emotions that the students experience receiving the news of college rejection.
“I think the hardest part is when students don’t get into a school they truly believed they should have. In those moments, talking to the adults in your life or taking time to relax can be really helpful.”
Whatever happens after receiving an acceptance is what’s meant to happen in the end and will be for the best, Driesbach said. “Unfortunately, as we progress through adulthood we experience more rejection. I haven’t always gotten the jobs I want, but I was redirected on a path that led me to the job of my dreams.”
