Getting a rejection sucks. There is no way around it. But if you get rejected during early decisions, it's not over, even if it can feel like the end of the world. You might feel like the only one of your friends who didn’t get into their ED school, but not getting into an ED school is really common. And we wanted to give you some tips and tricks if you got rejected during ED.
Let yourself be sad but don’t freak out
We suggest giving yourself a day or two. Don’t push yourself to move on just yet. Taking a day to get your thoughts in order and process your emotions will let you come back ready and with fresh eyes. Do a little self-care, because, after a couple of days, you have to hit the ground running.
Look back at your list
You want to recheck your list of schools. Hopefully, you have one… Usually, students we work with apply to about 10 schools. This breaks down into about 3-4 reaches, 4-5 targets, and 2 safeties. You should take another look at your list and make sure you have a good amount of targets especially. It's easier to get into reach schools during ED. That doesn’t mean you have to delete them from your list for RD, in fact, you shouldn’t. But you should make sure you have a balanced list of schools with options at different levels.
If you aren’t sure what makes something a target or a reach or maybe you don’t have a complete list, reach out to us. Having a good list is really important and while it’s late to start one, it’s imperative that you have one.
Check-in with your common app
Are you sure you put your best foot forward? You should re-read your app. Pay close attention to your Common App essay and your activities section. While a lot of the Common App is factual, these can be pretty nuanced, especially your Common App essay. You can re-edit or even rewrite this essay. We have a lot of guides about how we approach the Common App essay and what makes a good Common App essay. We would suggest looking them over and then re-reading your Common App essay. If you didn’t let other people read it, this is also a good chance to get another set of eyes on it. Ask yourself, is my essay the strongest it could be? If the answer is no. Try to rework it. If you don’t know where to start, we can help with that.
Make a plan
We make contingency plans for our students constantly. It’s more than just having a balanced list, but it starts there. Once you have that, it’s time to think about ED 2 and what is the best school to use it for. Many schools have an ED 2 option and you may want to use it on a reach or even a target school on your list. If it’s more important for you to get into the best school possible, maybe ED 2 a reach. If this whole process has made you unsure and nervous, think about targets. Not all schools have ED 2, but many do. Use it to your advantage. Your plan should also extend past just ED 2. RD comes up faster than you think.
Write those supplements!
You should already have some supplements written. However, we work with students constantly, who put off their other apps until after ED. If this is you, January is going to come very fast. You need to start putting the work in. If you need to do a lot of them, make yourself a schedule. Plus, we have tons of guides on how to approach supplements on our blog. You’re welcome in advance.
Think about getting help.
Every year students come to us for what we call the “it’s going to be ok package.” If you are super nervous or behind or reeling from a rejection, we can help. It can be hard to do all of these steps in what boils down to about 2 months. It’s crunch time and if that feels scary to do alone, reach out! We will be happy to help.
The world isn’t ending and we promise with a little work and maybe a little help, you are going to get into a great school. Trust us, it’s kind of our whole job.
Need help? Contact us here.