The college admissions process is at its most competitive in human history. If you applied Early Decision to the University of Chicago and you were rejected, we want you to know that you’re still amazing. It’s not a reflection of who you are. And there are things you can do to move forward. We’ve put together a guide of what you should do next:
The Pause
First and foremost, just take a breather for a few days. Seriously. You’ve just been through a really exhausting period of life. Applying to college, taking AP courses, taking standardized tests, and generally just being a teenager isn’t always easy. On top of that, facing rejection from a school you really wanted to attend can be painful. It’s really important to let yourself just let go. Go for a walk. Spend a day curled up with a good book. Eat ice cream. Hang out with your dog. Cry if you need to cry. Once you let yourself take a break for a couple days (and don’t overindulge…) it will be time to make a plan.
The Plan
Before moving forward, it’s important to understand that you’re not about to start all over. Quite the contrary. You’ve already put in the vast majority of the work. We know you expected to be done and searching for a roommate by now, but you’ve just got a little bit further to go. Hopefully, you already created a college list with a mix of reaches, targets, and safeties. There should be about 3-4 reaches, 4 targets, and 2 safeties on your list. Take another lap around your list. Do a reassessment.
Just because you got rejected from U of Chicago doesn’t mean all schools with a single-digit acceptance rate (Chicago’s is 5%) are off-limits. But you should, perhaps, check out all of the schools, remind yourself where you fall in their range of average test scores and GPAs and decide if there’s any adjusting to be done. Maybe you’d like to apply Early Decision 2 to one of your reaches, or maybe you’d like to really focus on those target schools to feel more confident moving forward.
The Essay
We spend a ton of time working with our students on writing. Why? Well, schools like U of Chicago see many, many, many applications…stacks and stacks of them full of qualified candidates with excellent GPAs and shining test scores. We find that the way to set yourself apart is to demonstrate your personality. The way to do this is through your writing. We recommend our students tell stories that show a few characteristics that aren’t obvious elsewhere on their application. These should be lighthearted stories filled with personality and yes—fun! (We have several guides on our website!) The admissions counselors are sitting in a room, sometimes for weeks on end, looking at essays. Re-read your Common App. Is the writing fun? Does it show something about who you are? If not, re-write it. We often encourage our students to get creative and play with form. Feel free to write your essay as a scene from a play. Write a poem. Make it unique and make it you.
The Next Thing
You should have your eye on January deadlines and create a calendar for when to apply. If you feel like you might need some additional help with your next round of applications, reach out to us. We offer an “It’s Going to Be Okay” package for students who need a next step after Early Decision. We help kids get an iron-clad plan in place with a two-week, intensive boot camp to make sure everything is in tip-top shape.
Need help re-writing an essay? Call us. We’re experts at helping students stand out.