Getting a rejection from your Early Decision school can be crushing. You’ve worked very hard. You’ve not only put in the sweat equity, but you’ve invested emotionally and envisioned yourself at a particular school, otherwise, you wouldn’t have applied to a binding opportunity. We understand it’s a tough blow. But we also want you to keep in mind that college admissions are incredibly competitive. The acceptance rate for Brown is just 5%. So, the fact that you didn’t get into Brown ED does not mean you should rule out all of the other Ivies or other similarly competitive schools. We like to have our students consider it to be a minor setback, as opposed to a failure. Here are some steps you can take to help you get back on the horse after a setback:
What To Do First
It might seem counterintuitive, but before you do anything else, we recommend you hurry up and…do nothing. At least for a couple of days. As we said above, applying to college is an investment of both time and energy. You’ve put in a lot of work and to say you’ve got some skin in the game would be an understatement. It’s okay to be sad, stressed, anxious, or anything else you might be feeling. You really need to take the time to process some of those emotions and just give yourself a little rest before jumping right into the next thing. Take that seriously. For two or three days, just hang out. Veg. Watch rom coms. Eat ice cream. Do what you need to in order to reset, because after that, it’s right back to it.
Now That You’ve Taken a Pause…
Getting rejected Early Decision can also feel scary because it might seem like all of the work you’ve done was for nothing. We’re here to tell you that’s not the case at all. You’re not starting over again. You’re really just taking one small step back. All of the work you’ve done until this point counts. The rest is just minor tweaking and refinement.
Before you do anything else, take a look at your college list. Hopefully, you put energy into this. We recommend all of our students do a lot of research to find out what kind of school is right for them. It’s not just about academics, it’s about vibe too. The size of the school. The location. The social scene. Not every student is right for every school and vice versa. So, check out the schools on your list and make sure you have a balance between reaches, targets, and safeties. Refresh your memory about every school’s average acceptance ranges for GPAs and test scores. Where do you fall? The next step is really up to your comfort level. Check in with yourself. If you really just need to know that you’re into some great schools, consider adding more safeties or moving some targets to the reach column. If you’re feeling confident, you might not need much tweaking. Either way, we do not recommend a total overhaul.
The Essay
Your Common App essay is important. At Ivy League schools, thousands of really qualified students apply. Consider that all of them have impressive test scores, excellent GPAs, and great extracurriculars. The writing you submit is what’s going to set you apart from equally-qualified candidates. The goal here might seem odd, but it’s really to show your school(s) of choice that you’re a real, 3-dimensional person with unique personality traits. So, revisit your Common App essay. Does it accomplish that? Do you come off as charismatic or funny? If not, consider a rewrite.
We recommend landing on 2-3 personality traits. If you are having a hard time identifying those, ask some friends to describe you in a few adjectives. Now, consider a story with a beginning, middle, and end that demonstrates those personality traits. This can be really simple and straightforward. In fact, it should not be something existential or tragic. If you need to talk about an extenuating circumstance (like a death in the family or a health issue) that interfered with your schoolwork, you should write about that in the additional information section. But for the purposes of the essay, pick a light story. It could even be the tale of your morning routine. You should also feel free to get creative with form and wherever possible, be funny!
Recruiting a College Counselor
Following an Early Decision rejection, many students opt to get help from a professional college counselor. We understand that your confidence might be shaken. We offer what we call the “It’s Going to Be Okay” package specifically for students who’ve received a rejection in the Early Decision round. It’s an intensive, two-week boot camp in which students leave with a rigorous, actionable plan on what to do next.
Getting rejected Early Decision can be scary. But it’s really just the beginning of your college acceptance journey, not the end! There are plenty of options out there for qualified candidates, so we really recommend students try not to get discouraged if they’ve faced a rejection. It can be easier said than done, and that’s why we work with students on creating plans so they’re not left alone in the ether wondering what to do next.
Need help with a college essay? Call us. We’re experts at helping students craft standout writing.