We know it doesn’t feel great to get rejected from your top-choice school. You spent a lot of time working to get in and really envisioned yourself there. Before we go any further, we want to make sure you know that it’s not personal. Like, really! College admissions are insanely competitive these days.
The acceptance rate for USC is around 12 percent. That’s extremely low! There are tons and tons and tons of qualified students who apply for only so many spots.
Step One
You worked really, really hard, not only on your USC application but also on everything else for the last several years: Tests, homework, APs, extracurriculars…
Before doing anything else, you really do need to rest for a minute (or a few days) and let yourself just veg and feel sad if you’re sad. It’s an important part of the process. You need to let yourself just take a little break. This is actually part of the process of getting to a point where you’re recharged enough to keep going. So, hang at home in your pajamas, see some friends, eat ice cream. Whatever you need to do to recoup a little.
Step Two
Now that you’re charged (at least somewhat!!), it’s time to get going again. Don’t freak out. You’re not starting from square one. Everything you’ve done until this point counts. You’re not reinventing the wheel. You’re just going to reassess and tweak.
The first thing you should do is take a look at your college list. Look at every school on there. Check out the average acceptance rates of test scores and GPAs and note where you fall for each. Write it down. Now, take a look at that list and see if you have a good enough balance of reaches, targets, and safety schools.
The next part is really just a comfort-level thing. You don’t need to cross off schools that are similarly competitive just because you didn’t get into USC. If you’re feeling confident, you might just want to proceed as planned with applying to your college list as is. Or, if you’re really feeling like you need some reassurance, adjust things a bit and consider adding another safety and another target. You can schedule a call with us to adjust your college list!
Step Three
Pull up your Common App. We typically recommend reworking the essay and making it stronger. We work with all of our clients to put together standout essays that really show their personality. You see, admissions counselors are spending days on end wading through stacks and stacks of essays and applications. It can get mundane. So, we advise all of our students to really jump off the page. Again, reach out to us if you need help!
Every university has a personality and they’re looking for students who might match that vibe to come on board. We recommend telling a story (with a beginning, middle, and end) that demonstrates a few of your personality traits. These stories should be simple—nothing majorly existential or tragic. They should also be quirky, fun, and when possible funny. Put yourself in the admissions committee’s shoes and think about what kind of essay you’d enjoy reading after having read hundreds, if not thousands before it. It’s not about showing how smart you can sound. It’s really about connecting with a human being reading your essay on the other side.
Bonus
Getting rejected Early can be tough. Not only is it upsetting, but it can also be a little challenging to formulate a new plan or get back into the swing of things.
A lot of students find it helpful to enlist a college consultant. We offer what’s called the “It’s Going to Be Okay” package for kids who didn’t get into their Early Decision school. It’s intensive. It’s basically a two-week-long boot camp to help students develop an impeccable plan and get organized following bad news in December.
College admissions is really, really hard. Much harder than it was a generation ago. If you were rejected Early Decision rejection, don’t start rethinking everything. There are plenty of things you can do to ensure you’re still a great candidate for an excellent list of schools.
Need help with a Common App essay? Call us. We’re experts at helping students submit standout essays and applications.