myUface Blog

Following up on yesterday’s podcast, I wanted to share five thoughts with you that I hope will make you feel better if you ever are rejected by a U.S. university (or any other university for that matter).  Hopefully this will never happen!

1. Tons of the world’s most successful people were rejected many, many times before they became successful.  For example:  Edmund Hillary, the first person to successfully climb Mount Everest, was made fun of by his gym teacher in school because he was very small for his age.  How many times do you think that gym teacher made it to the summit of a Himalayan mountain?  If you guessed zero, you’re right.
2. The rejection might be a sign that you need a year off.  Often times U.S. universities want candidates to get some more experience before continuing their studies (this is especially true of students looking for a Master’s degree).  In another year you might be much more ready to go to the U.S.  Maybe the rejection did you a favor!
3. Rejection is a great opportunity to prove someone wrong.  Don’t focus on the negative, wondering why you were unfairly rejected.  Focus on showing the schools that rejected you that they made a mistake!

I’m not sure that these thoughts, or any others, will make you feel much better after being rejected by a university you really wanted to attend.  The bottom line is, rejection hurts. But do your best not to take it personally.

All that a university rejection means is that admissions staff don’t think your candidacy (NOT YOU yourself) is a fit for the university.  If you are really determined to get into the university, focus on improving your candidacy, and try again next year!