What will you do once you get rejected?

etondad
Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:25:05 +0000

I saw that there is a thread already (this year must set a record for the earliest date) on wait lists --now that is death by water torture–or suspended animation-- the poor wait lister can’t move on bc he or she holds out the thin hope of “the phone call” but for all but a very very few it doesn’t come.

Everyone has to make their own decision, of course, but think a couple of times about staying on the wait list if you got accepted into a college you will be happy to attend. Closure is no small thing, psychologically and emotionally. It also allows you to look forward, not backward, to the next great step in your life.

I wish that colleges such as Harvard and Yale who know with pretty clear certainty what their yield will be, only keep a small number of candidates on the wait list – only those who everyone REALLY REALLY wanted but for some reason or another couldn’t get a yes on March 29th but whom they expect they will admit once the data on yield comes in. It isn’t fair to the others who really are just fodder for the list.

I hope all of you have “fat envelopes” from Harvard–but if not, there will be a “fat envelope” from somewhere fantastic-- and you will have a great time. Trust me on that.