I Didn’t Get Accepted Into College!…Now what?

This time of the year comes with many ups and downs depending on the student, and what college he/she applied to.  By now, many students are getting their letters of acceptance…or in some cases, DENIAL!  When we get students that come to us saying, “I didn’t get accepted into college“, it seems like the end of the road to them.  But, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Many colleges have sent out their decision letters at this time of the year.  Some highly selective schools may wait another month or two to send theirs, but as a whole many students across the country know whether they have been accepted, denied or wait listed.  What I’d like to discuss in the post is the explanation of denied and wait listed, and then some alternatives for students who are still locked in their bedrooms crying…

I didn’t get accepted into college!

Getting accepted means just that, you got in!  You’re only decision left to make is what school you’d like to enroll in if you applied to more than one. (which you should have!)  Congrats, and enjoy the college life because it will be over before you know it.  But, what if you were wait-listed for college admission?  What does that even mean?

The Dreaded Wait-List

Getting wait-listed simply means that you are on the borderline of what that school considers to be acceptable for them.  What they want now, in most cases, is your most current grades and possibly another letter of recommendation.  That is about all you can do other than taking the ACT and/or SAT over again and try and score higher.  If it has been your dream to attend a specific college your whole life, and you are really wanting to get accepted, I would recommend sending your most recent grades, test scores, another letter of recommendation (or 2) and also retaking the ACT and/or SAT. (if your college requires it)  This will give you THE BEST chance of doing just enough to impress the admissions reps to gain admission.  You can’t overdo it, but doing nothing at all will not help.

Also, make contacts with the school periodically.  Don’t knockdown their down with visits, emails and calls, but calling or sending them a quick inquiry can help.  Schools take note of these contacts and the more interested you are, the more it shows that you are serious about going to their school.  DO NOT…I repeat, DO NOT show up to that school’s admissions office yelling, “I didn’t get accepted into college! …why not?”  They will not view this as a positive.

Another tip that may help your chances is showing your devotion and loyalty to them.  It wouldn’t hurt to make them aware that you WILL accept their offer and would enroll immediately upon acceptance.  Schools like a sure thing, as we all do!

Denial, it’s not just a river in Egypt!

Ok, so you got denied.  First off, it’s not the end of the world and in most cases you CAN attend that school, it may not be directly out of high school but you can go there.  Almost all Colleges/Universities have what is called “Transfer Student Criteria/Admissions” that allows for students to transfer in from other colleges.  Let’s say that you have applied to the University of Illinois while in high school, but were denied because you grades just weren’t up to par.  What you can do if you are serious about Illinois is enroll in a Community or Junior College for a year (or 2) and then transfer to the University of Illinois.  Prior to enrolling at the Community/Junior College, you will need to find out what your specific school’s transfer policy is so that you can abide by it and avoid any problems when it comes time to transfer.  This information can be found on any College/University website under “Admissions”.

So if you’ve been bummed and find yourself repeatedly thinking, “I didn’t get accepted into college!”…rest assured that it isn’t the end of the world.  In most cases you can still attend that school, but you will have to take a short detour to get there!

Related Articles:

• Waitlisted For College Admission?  3 Things That Can Get You Accepted!
• Is there a Backdoor To College Admission?  Myths vs. Truth!
• Understanding FAFSA Series – Part I
• College Acceptance Letter Example – Did you get one?

Want Something FREE!? Get our FREE Report: 10 Reasons You WON'T Get Into College! sent directly to your email!

We hate spam just as much as you