The Learning Network Blog

Every college has it's arch.

UPDATE below

Read part 1 and part 2 before this if you have not already.

Now, I will give my overall experience. This was a stressful process. Combined with 6 AP classes, sports, and clubs, I was ridiculously stressed at points.

I remember being up till 1-2 in the morning consistently. However, when I was done, I felt great about myself. I knew that how I completed this process would affect the rest of my life so I made sure that I made my applications the best that they could be. In hindsight, I wish I was much more organized. I realize that I was very lucky to have an older and wise sister (Love you!) to guide me through this process. It’s hard to remember all the details and emotions of how I felt since I’m doing this in hindsight. But, at the time, I had so much to do that I couldn’t update this series. So, I apologize.

My first admissions decision came on December 9th. It was from my dream school, Columbia University. I kept trying to prepare myself for rejection so I wouldn’t be devastated by it if it occurred. I came home from wrestling practice and immediately did my homework while I still had motivation. Then, after eating dinner, I sat down with my parents and logged into my account on Columbia’s website.

I opened my decision. I kind of had this feeling that I would get accepted and be completely surprised. I felt like I was due for something great to happen. Unfortunately, I read a rejection a letter. The words “We had many talented applicants, and we’re sorry to inform you that we cannot offer you a spot” were devastating.

20 minutes from Chicago? #Bucketz

You could say I was depressed for a little while after. It killed me to realize that I did not achieve what I had worked so hard for in high school. I had experienced failure before, but this was something new. My family tried to console me, but it, initially, did not work. I had no motivation for awhile. My self-esteem was at a low point. It didn’t help that I was hearing about other people getting accepted into colleges.

Now, I realize that this self-pity was a complete waste of time. After about 3 days, I realized that I did the best that I could, and that was all that I could ask for. I looked at the websites of other colleges I was interested in to take my mind off Columbia. This experience probably made me a stronger person. I had never had a rejection as big as this (unless you count Homecoming of Sophomore year). Moral of the story: DON’T LET REJECTION GET YOU DOWN. LIFE GOES ON, AND IT’S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD.

A few weeks later, I received my first acceptance letter from the University of Michigan. I don’t know why it felt so great. I kept thinking, “I’m going to college!”, and that is a great feeling.

I hope you’ve learned from my experiences. It’s been one stressful hell of a ride. The college admissions process is important and will affect the rest of your life. So, don’t half-ass it.