<p>How do you deal with it in the college application process?</p>
<p>Discouragement only potentially happens when a school you apply and really want to go to does not accept, and you react poorly to it.
There are thousands of colleges/universities. What you think is a “must go to” school now may or may not be that if you actually get in and go there. A certain % of people are miserable at the top schools, and a certain % of people are deliriously happy with their local community college. So its really all in your attitude towards life. Look up Srikumar Rao and watch one of his free talks. He did one at Google HQ on how to be happy. It is enlightening.</p>