College Focus: College Rejection Letters [ArticleImageHyperLink] Advertising Friday, April 27, 2012 By Travis Hong “Thank you for applying to California State University, Long Beach. Your application for admission has been carefully reviewed, and I am sorry to inform you that we are not able to offer you admission.”    If you are as unfortunate as I to receive a letter like this, then you probably already know that being rejected from college is possibly one of the most terrible events of your life. It pains both you and your parents to know that your rejection is the culmination of your entire high school life. Everything you did for the past four years, whether it was a six-hour calculus study session, a nasty world history time line project, or another all-nighter to finishing your English essay, was rendered meaningless with one electronic letter. You wish you didn’t slack off in your sophomore year. You wish you studied harder in Algebra 2. Yet no matter how much you will your desires to manifest, you know it is too late.    It is truly demoralizing to reach this conclusion and makes one question whether or not you should even continue to try in high school when you will end up in the community college that anyone can enter regardless of their past accomplishments. It makes you wonder why you didn’t get into your dream college? What you did wrong? And what you should do now?    First of all, do not take it personally. If you think about it, you were not rejected; your application was. Maybe your application did not reflect your capabilities as well as you thought they did.    No college wants to deny you admission; no one wishes to refuse any qualified applicant, but they must. The truth is that uncontrollable factors such as smaller budgets, limited spacing, and an overabundance of applicants force universities to refuse many students. In a sense, it is not entirely the student’s fault; it is also the school’s.    High schools condition students to seek out high tier universities. They are brainwashed to reach for the stars when gravity is destined to pull them down. You do not have to attend those overrated brand name universities. In fact, there are over 2,000 colleges and universities in the United States, each ripe with opportunity.    Save some money and go to a community college. Many respectable people take the community college path to eventually receive a degree with the same worth as any other high tier school’s degree.    Stay proactive. See how Senior Jefferson Luu deals with his rejection by rejecting the rejection letter: “This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals. Each rejection is unique and each presents wonderful attributes and potential. My work is extraordinarily difficult: I thoroughly review each letter and carefully balance the pros and cons of accepting each refusal.  Every rejection letter is read at least twice. Ultimately, no single attribute guarantees my acceptance. There are simply too many letters-more than I can accommodate.”    Make the best of high school while you can. High school is more than just a pathway to college. It is a foundation to build your character and to develop important life skills. Channel your efforts in high school for your own benefit. Quick! Learn all you can from your physics class while it is still free. Pass your AP exams for college credit. Enjoy the company of your lifetime friends, because when you finally graduate, you may never have these opportunities again.    Put the rejection letter down. Dry off your tears, wash your face clean, and prove them wrong.

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