Experiencing the disappointment of a rejection letter from your dream school can be disheartening. You’ve put your heart and soul into getting into Cornell Early Decision. It can be crushing not to get what you want. But it’s really important to remember that this outcome doesn’t define your worth, your potential, or your future. There are still bright things on the horizon for you despite this setback. College admissions have undeniably become exceptionally competitive. In fact, Cornell’s acceptance rate is only 7%! And by the way, a rejection from Cornell doesn’t mean you can’t apply to other Ivies regular decision, either.
Facing a Setback
Take a moment before you get to your next steps. It’s really important to allow yourself, not only a well-deserved break, but also some time to process your feelings. You’ve poured in tremendous effort on your application, your classes, your exams, etc. Give yourself a couple of days to reset. Recharge. Relax with friends. Be sad on the couch. Veg. Do whatever you need to do to grieve for a few days and really do nothing.
A Slight Reassessment
Once you’ve taken a little break (and really, don’t overdue it. Just a couple days…) shift your focus towards regrouping. Remember, you’re not starting from zero. Your past accomplishments are still really valuable. Everything you’ve done thus far counts. So, you’re not going back to the drawing board, you’re revisiting the last step you made and seeing what adjustments might be needed.
First, we recommend taking a look at your college list. Make sure you have a solid balance between reaches, targets, and safety schools. Revisit the average ranges of scores and GPAs for accepted students and mark down where you fall for each. If you’re feeling really confident, proceed with your current list. Or, see if you want to adjust a little bit and move some targets to the “reach” category. In most cases, we don’t recommend a complete overhaul. As long as you really did your research the first time around, you should be mostly okay with a few adjustments.
Polish Your Common App
Next, take a look at your Common App essay. Give it a few reads through and see about how you can improve it. We advise our students to create really stand-out essays that allow their unique personality traits to shine through.
Take a moment to put yourself in the admissions counselor’s shoes. This person has been sifting through thousands of stacks of applications, probably for weeks on end. Think about what’s going to captivate them. Make sure you’ve crafted a compelling narrative with a beginning, middle, and end that showcases who you are. The goal here isn’t to sound like a genius. It’s actually to show that you’re a 3-dimensional human being who’s a leader, a good listener, a creative person, or someone with an excellent sense of humor, for example. If you haven’t done that in your essay already, think of a story that might showcase some of your own traits. This shouldn’t be a tragic, grandiose, or overly-existential story, by the way. It can be as simple as your morning routine.
Seek Some Guidance
Getting rejected early decision can be very challenging. It’s normal to feel lost or uncertain about your next steps. Many students find it helpful to seek guidance from a college consultant. We offer a specialized “It’s Going to Be Okay” package tailored for students who have received bad news during the Early Decision round. This intensive two-week program is designed to help you formulate a solid plan and get back on the horse after a rejection.
In a landscape where college admissions have grown increasingly competitive, remember that Early Decision setback is not the end of your journey. There are actionable steps you can take to maintain your status as a strong candidate for other outstanding schools. Your future remains very bright!
Need help with a Common App essay? Call us. We’re experts at helping students write excellent essays.