As regular admissions decisions have started to come out for high school seniors, it is easy to get wrapped up in all the emotions that come with college admissions decisions. Deciding what college you want to go to is filled with tears, fears and then overwhelming happiness. The process can be draining but as a freshman in college who dealt with not getting into her dream school, it definitely gets better.

1. You will end up where you are supposed to be

Rejection is hard but it is inevitable. When you get rejected from your dream school you will either be shocked or understanding but either way, it will be hard to accept. Rejection, however, teaches you to work harder and to never give up. If you get rejected from your dream school you probably were just not supposed to go there.

2. You may not have been a good fit

It is easy to get obsessed with a school and by doing so you may forget everything the school offers. When you tell people your dream school, people are quick to reassure you that you would be a great fit. By being obsessed with a school, you may try to force yourself to like all characteristics of the school such as the location, school size, and majors offered. If you get rejected it is probably a blessing in disguise because you may have been a really bad fit for the school and ended up trying to force yourself to like it.

3. Better opportunity awaits

If you get rejected at your dream school, you may end up finding a school that is a better match for you. Once you get rejected from your dream school you will most likely start looking at schools you were accepted to and find a school you like more. You may even end up attending a school you never planned on and it could bring you so much more opportunity. I ended up attending a school I never toured, applied late to and was number ten on my college list of fourteen. In the end, it was fate because the opportunities I have had at my college I don’t think I could have had anywhere else.

4. You are still intelligent

When you get rejected from your dream school it is important to remember you are still smart and important. You are no lesser because you didn’t get into your dream school and you are brave for trying because you would never have known unless you tried. It takes determination to try for something even when you know you could possibly not get it. College admissions have so many applications to look at that sometimes it ends up being a toss-up between similar candidates. Sometimes even admissions officers make a mistake and pick a less qualified student because it is very difficult to fully understand the abilities of a student by test scores and a few generic essays. You still have as much ability to be successful as before you got the rejection letter. You now have the chance to go to another school and be a big fish in a smaller pond.

5. You can always transfer

If after reflecting on your rejection and after at least trying another college out for an entire semester, you can always transfer. If you believe you will truly do the best at your dream school you can always apply as a transfer applicant because you have a higher chance of being accepted and you have the chance to come back as a stronger applicant.

In the end being rejected from your dream college is difficult; only time and self-reflection will help. You will deal with rejection many more times in life and it is important to find the college for you. When dealing with rejection you can either continue to wallow in sadness or you can sit down and come up with your next steps.