College decisions do not define you. We know, we really just said that. 

The dreaded email weeks in advance,  finding out that decisions come out soon. Constant gossip  and rumors from other students about the day and time they will actually come out. The countdowns don’t help, especially when people post the clock ticking down. The ticking to what feels like impending doom.

Sure, we hear it every year, that the college application process is ever-changing and getting more and more intense. Not to take it personal when we get rejected from our dream schools because of the ever growing applicant pool. The application process is long and arduous and all-consuming. Are my grades good enough?  Should I take another standardized test? Do I have enough community service? When you’re submitting your proudest accomplishments from the past four years with a heart full of hope, it’s kind of hard to take the “we regret to inform you…” with a smile. 

All of these components of the awaiting days are ones that boost our anxiety like no other and we find ourselves the moment we may not have received the decision we’d hoped for, doubting our abilities, our work and effort. 

As devastating and draining as being rejected from a school that you didn’t think was out of reach or even a school you really hoped you would get into may feel, it’s still important to push through with your head on your shoulders. Drowning yourself in disappointment will help nothing and change nothing. It’s important to realize that the schools that accept us or don’t accept us do not define our worth.  

We will all get into college. It may not be the one you thought it would be but, maybe that’s a good thing. Life is full of unexpected adventures so we need embrace and make the most of our unique path.

Wherever you go will benefit you in ways you wouldn’t have imagined, let it be intellectually, spiritually, socially, or even emotionally. Take every opportunity that comes your way with a grateful heart and know that the plans ahead for you will not always be exactly what you pictured a couple months ago. They will help you grow into the person you never thought you’d become but certainly hoped to.

So, if things don’t go the way you initially planned it—it’s okay to mourn this loss, but eventually move toward a peace of mind knowing that you will end up exactly where you’re meant to be.