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Displaying articles for: 05-10-2009 - 05-16-2009

Accepting Rejection

by Gregg on 05-14-2009 08:37 PM

When it comes to college admission, most students tell me they are most afraid of "not getting in."  If students have done a thorough, careful college search they will have options, but the fear of rejection is daunting for everyone.  For example, take this article from The Boston Globe about Harvard graduates being turned down for jobs.  Many high-achieving Ivy League grads may not have experienced much rejection in their lives, and perhaps the job search is the first time it hits home for them.  For others of us, it happened long ago when we weren't selected first (or second, or third) for the popular dodgeball team or when we tried out for the school musical only to learn we were "tone deaf." 

 

No matter the reason, rejection hurts.  So should we avoid it?  Should students only apply to schools they are sure to be accepted to?  When my students get into every school they applied to, the inevitable question is, "Should I have reached higher?"  It seems we don't want rejection, but neither are we content with complete acceptance either.

 

And without sounding too cliché, we do learn something from rejection.  Maybe we learn who our true friends are-they'd pick us for that dodgeball team even if we don't move very fast.  Or perhaps as an alternative to the school musical we take a photography class and discover a new passion.  And maybe, just maybe, we end up at a college that is a better fit for us than the place that dazzled us with its tough admissions standards.  Maybe that place turns out to be a college where we can excel in the classroom, make a difference in campus life, and meet our lifelong friends.

 

When all is said and done, maybe rejection isn't so bad after all.

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