Being rejected by a dream school is a serious punch to the gut. We know you’re smart, capable, and would thrive at Princeton. You got your application together to apply Early to and Ivy, after all. You were ahead of the pack, certain of your strongest path, and ready to move on to college and beyond. Princeton has kept their acceptance rate private in recent years, but it’s estimated to be between 4% and 6%. The Early acceptance rate is significantly higher, but not so high that Princeton can be treated as a target by, really, anyone. It’s a reach no matter how impressive you are. Unless you’re a recruited athlete (and really even then), there is no certainty with Princeton — as you’ve now experienced.
You’ve been thrown a curveball, and you need to get your head back in the game to turn things around. In this post, we’ll break down everything you need to know, and do, to take back control and ultimately get into a dream school.
Every year, we help students like you. Contact us for more information about how.
Step 1: Slow Down
The first thing you need to do is to do nothing. Yes, really. You worked really hard to apply to Princeton and you’ve been cranking to keep your grades up alongside everything else that is demanding your attention during senior year. So, us asking you to step back, put your computer down, and take a break from the grind may sound a little, well, crazy. And yet, that is what we advise. Taking a few days to be upset, eat some ice cream, watch a silly TV show, and commiserate with yourself is actually really important.
The world will not end if you lay off yourself for a sec, and your friends will definitely thank you. Get outside, and dream a little. You’ve got big things in your future, and reminding yourself of all the adventures to come is truly important for what will come next.
Step 2: Reevaluate Your College List
After you’ve taken a break for a few days, it’s time to rethink your strategy. A successful college application process must be grounded in a solid strategy, and the college list is the foundation of any college application strategy. If you put a lot of thought into your college list before submitting Early Decision, assembling a mix of targets, safeties, and reaches based on your unique applicant profile, there may not be a lot for you to do here. But if your college list started and ended with Princeton, or your current list isn’t well distributed, there’s some work to do.
Picking schools to apply to can be daunting. There are thousands of colleges and universities in the U.S., but it’s easy to rule most of those out using three categories of measure: academics, location, and culture (in that order).
There is no point in applying to a college that doesn’t offer what you want to study, so that is the most important metric. Next, if you’re a person who loves the seasons you really don’t want to be in Florida. If you refuse to wear long sleeves, a winter may be the end of you. Location really does matter, because being in a place that makes you feel good and powerful will set you up for success. And then there is culture. If you want to pledge a Greek organization, a school with no Greek life may be a no-go. If you care a lot about the environment, clubs and organizations that focus on conservation and getting outside may be key. Remember, though, that seasons are survivable, community can be found in many places other than those with Greek letters in their names, and founding a club can be a great way to make your mark on a school. In short, stay open. The only thing that really must exist at a school is your prospective academic program. If they don’t have your major, it shouldn’t be on your list.
As you’re searching for schools to add to your list, or reassessing a list you compiled before applying ED, you should seriously consider applying Early Decision II. Early Decision II is your most powerful tool at this point, and employing it strategically can be winning strategy. For most schools, ED2 applicants benefit from an acceptance rate comparable to ED1 — in both cases a significantly higher acceptance rate than Regular Decision. We advise our clients to plan for an ED2 strategy before even applying ED as part of a comprehensive application strategy.
Step 3: Essay Time
With your college list set, it’s time to start writing. You’ll likely have a number of supplements to write, and we like to start with the longest supplements. While this may sound daunting (why not start easy?), it means that you create writing that may be able to be reused or reworked for other supplements, saving you time down the line. Whichever one you start with, each supplement needs to be treated with care, even the 10-word “what’s your favorite snack” supplements that seem like you can just plop in an answer. No plopping in answers. Seriously. Each supplement is mini-essay, and should be treated as such no matter how short. Check out our college specific guides to help you through.
At the same time, you really need to look at your main essay, most often the Common App essay, with fresh eyes. Yes, you’ve already written one. We get that, and we hate to be the ‘bad guy’ by asking you to do more work that you don’t technically have to do, but we highly recommend going back to basics and starting over on your core essay. Every year, we see how a strong, distinctive, story-forward main essay can be a difference maker for an application — especially when applying to a reach.
Rewriting your core essay may sound painful with only a few weeks to go, but it will be worth it. Start by reading some examples of successful college essays we’ve helped students to write (and we can help you, too). You’ll notice that each essay is very different, but they have commonalities. Most notably, they are story-forward, they are hyper-specific to the applicant, and they are a little off-beat. Strong essays pull the application reader in, making them want to curl up with a cup of tea and read it a second time.
Step Four: Ask for Help
Writing an application in a vacuum rarely works out well. It’s very important to get feedback and, ideally, hands-on guidance. We offer an “It’s Going to be Okay,” package to help you get through this stressful time. To be honest, working with us is intense and you’ll be grateful that you took a few days off to relax, but we lead high-performing students to exceptional outcomes. Plus, we promise a few lighthearted laughs along the way. When you’re ready, we can help.
If you’re ready to get into a dream school in the regular decision or ED2 round, email us to learn more.