2 Reasons Colleges Reject Outstanding Applicants
ONE: Institutional Priorities
Rejection from your dream college may feel personal, but, trust me, it is not. It is about the college and what they are looking for (i.e., institutional priorities). While colleges know exactly what they want beyond a high GPA, strong test scores, extra-curricular activities, demonstrated leadership, quality essays, etc., you do not.
Do they want more students from rural communities, more humanities majors, diversity, a quarterback, first-generation, a VIP: who knows? Whatever it may be, if you can’t satisfy an institutional priority, that is not a reflection of the quality of your application, who you are as a person, or your potential for future success. It is a business decision to prioritize institutional priority above all else.
One thing is for sure: if your outstanding application was rejected, trying to figure out why is a waste of time and energy.
TWO: Supply and Demand
Highly selective colleges are reaping the rewards of increasing demand for their somewhat static supply (think of the money coming in from applications and beliefs about prestige). While demand is up, supply is not: highly selective colleges get way more qualified candidates than they can admit. Check out the most recent data from the Common Data Set on a handful of colleges to which our Class of 2023 clients applied and the admit rates for the Class of 2026 (where available).
8 Healthy Ways to Deal with Rejection
Without a doubt, rejection is painful. However, there are steps you can take to turn a negative into a positive.
ONE: Focus on possibility
TWO: Believe in yourself
THREE: Let go of what you can’t control
FOUR: Believe the data: where you go to college does not determine who you will become
FIVE: Revaluate your college list with a more informed understanding of what constitutes a good school (i.e., not only the most prestigious/rejective)
SIX: If you have a lot of reaches on your list, reevaluate—no matter how qualified you are—and don’t ignore the numbers
SEVEN: Make sure you have at least 2 “likelies” on your list
EIGHT: Nix the mind trash: Don’t let a college admissions team who never even met you define even a little bit of who you are and who you can become
For more information on why colleges are rejecting increasing numbers of phenomenal applicants and anything else regarding the college admissions process, please contact me at kathy@fineeducationalsolutions.com.
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