March is an especially stressful time for high school seniors for a number of reasons, one of the biggest being college acceptance and rejection letters. For those who applied to schools during the regular decision application period, notifications are typically sent to homes and inboxes around the middle of the month. In some cases, this is a time that can be filled with congratulations from family and friends, making decisions about which school to go to, and buying the first college t-shirt or sweater from the chosen school. However, it can be a somber time period, too, with rejection letters that can be discouraging, especially ones from schools that students had high hopes of getting into.

Senior Ariel The was accepted to her top choice — Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts — and spoke enthusiastically about her acceptance. She said, “Before opening my decision to Northeastern, I was worried I wouldn’t get in. But, having received my acceptance I know that my hard work these past four years was well worth it. Now, I am excited for the new opportunities I will have at Northeastern next year.”

Something future college students need to be reminded of is, regardless of whether or not they get into their top choice, a rejection is not necessarily a reflection of a lack of academic skills and there is opportunity at any college they may end up at. Often times, students who are fully qualified to get into a school are turned down simply because of a huge number of applicants and a lack of space in the incoming freshman class.

Senior Karenah Rajasekaran offers advice to current seniors and to future college applicants on the topic of rejection letters. She says, “I think one of the best things to happen in my high school career was being flat out rejected by Stanford. This experience was rough since Stanford was my top choice, however, it was life-changing. It shattered my pride and the fake front I put up as a disingenuously cheerful student.”

Soon-to-be college freshmen must decide on a school by May 1, the national decision deadline.