Getting rejected can be tough. Getting rejected Early Decision can be extra tough because it doesn’t come along at the same time as acceptance letters to all of the other schools you’re going to get into. But we want to make sure you don’t fret too much. Just because you’re rejected from Penn doesn’t mean you should cast aside any hope of getting into the others or similarly competitive top-tier schools. Penn is a really, really competitive school. In fact, the acceptance rate is just 7%. There are a ton of qualified candidates applying. So, don’t sweat this one too badly. We also want to offer some advice for what to do next:
Take a Beat
You’ve been working really, really hard. And you’ve just received some very difficult news. It’s okay (very normal actually) to feel sad. In order to keep going, you have to let yourself process that sadness and let your body rest. We recommend just doing nothing but hanging out for about two days. Feel sad. Cry if you need to. See some friends or just veg out alone on the couch. It’s important to process what’s happening so you can move forward.
First Thing’s First
Once you’ve taken a brief pause, we recommend starting by evaluating your college list. If you built the list following thorough research, then you may not need to do much except make some minor tweaks. We advise all of our students to spend a good amount of time understanding what it is they’re looking for in a school. This often comes from making college visits, taking tours, and diving deep into the academic offerings. From there, students should also take a look at schools’ average acceptance ranges for test scores and GPAs and build a list with a good mix of reach schools, targets, and safeties. If you did that the first time around, you should be in pretty good shape to plow ahead.
If you feel comfortable, you can proceed. If you’re seeking a bit more reassurance, you might want to move a few of those target schools to the “reach” category and consider adding another safety school.
The Essay
We spend a lot of time with our students on every piece of writing that goes into the application. The Common App essay is important. Remember, Penn’s acceptance rate is just 7%. That means admissions counselors are sifting through—sometimes thousands of applications and trying to decide who gets a smaller number of coveted spots. Writing is the best way to set yourself apart from all of the other qualified candidates who have equivalent scores, grades, and extracurriculars.
The goal of your Common App essay should be to showcase a few personality traits through a story that has a beginning, middle, and end. The goal of the essay isn’t to sound overly intellectual or academic. It’s about showing the person reading it that you’re a real person with a personality. So, take a look at your essay and make sure it’s as good as it can be. Does your personality come through? Are you charming or funny? If not, consider revising. The story can and should be simple and straightforward. It should not be grandiose, existential, or tragic. Sometimes, a story about an afternoon routine totally works. Feel free to get creative, too. Some of our students have had success by writing scenes or using other creative structures.
Getting a Second Opinion
Following a rejection, many students opt to seek help from a professional. We offer what we call the “It’s Going to Be Okay” package for students who’ve been rejected Early Decision. This is a two-week boot camp-style intensive to help students create a rock-solid plan after facing a setback in the Early Decision round. We help our clients create actionable game plans so they’re not left wondering what to do next.
Getting rejected can be really difficult, but you have to remember it’s not the end of the line by any means. You still stand to get into a great school that’s a perfect fit for you. And you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. In the vast majority of cases, you can just revert back about one step and move forward as planned with your other applications.
Need help with a college essay? Call us. We’re experts at helping students write standout essays.