This time last year I was frantically applying to universities and waiting for their responses. I didn’t live my senior year to the fullest because I cried every night stressing over the letters I had yet to receive. To be honest with you, waiting was the most stressful part of the whole process and I know many of you are feeling this way now. You may have already gotten some acceptances and some denials. And that’s okay.

As someone that has already been there, I am here to tell you that it will be okay.

Living in California my senior year I knew that I wanted to be at a UC school. Berkeley, Davis, San Diego. They were the schools to be at. The best California education money could buy.

So I applied to all seven.

I figured I would at least get into one. I had to.

I had a 3.75 un-weighted GPA, a 4.3 weighted GPA, all advanced placement courses. I was on the varsity tennis team, a part of theater, and the vice president of the Empowering Young Women club. Surely they would see my hard work and potential.

But they didn’t.

I didn’t get into a single one.

I was shocked. I had put all of my eggs into the UC system and it failed me. I couldn’t understand why. I saw my peers getting in with the same transcripts as me, some even less.

I watched as my peers got in, one after the other, and I just sat there, fading into the background.

My self esteem went down the toilet and I felt hopeless.

I ultimately lowered my standards of myself exponentially and decided to go to school with my then boyfriend.

And then our relationship fell through a week before graduation.

I knew I was screwed. I didn’t want to go to college with him and see him every day and so I knew I needed an extreme change.

And I had exactly eight days to figure it out.

I began looking into community colleges and I was so disappointed in myself. With my great grades and busting my ass the past four years, I was going to a community college?

All of my co-graduates were going fabulous places, places they belonged and me? Well I wasn’t going anywhere.

And then I saw that UNC-Charlotte was still accepting applications. I was ecstatic and so I went for it and guess what?

I got in the day before graduation.

The day before I walked across the stage and grabbed my diploma I got into a university all the way across the country. Away from my friends and family. And I was okay with that. I was ready for a change.

Now, nearing my second semester at this university, I see that it was all meant to be.

I see how trivial my worries back then were.

Had I not been rejected from all seven schools, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t have met all of the amazing people who have changed my life dramatically. I wouldn’t be who I am today.

You are worth more than their letters of regret and rejection.

You are worth more than the schools who do not see the potential in you.

It may not seem like it, but you will always end up where you were meant to be.

So thank you to those who “regret to inform me of my denial from the university.” Your rejection showed me how much I am worth. This time last year I was frantically applying to universities and waiting for their responses. I didn’t live my senior year to the fullest because I cried every night stressing over the letters I had yet to receive. To be honest with you, waiting was the most stressful part of the whole process and I know many of you are feeling this way now. You may have already gotten some acceptances and some denials. And that’s okay.

As someone that has already been there, I am here to tell you that it will be okay.

Living in California my senior year I knew that I wanted to be at a UC school. Berkeley, Davis, San Diego. They were the schools to be at. The best California education money could buy.

So I applied to all seven.

I figured I would at least get into one. I had to.

I had a 3.75 un-weighted GPA, a 4.3 weighted GPA, all advanced placement courses. I was on the varsity tennis team, a part of theater, and the vice president of the Empowering Young Women club. Surely they would see my hard work and potential.

But they didn’t.

I didn’t get into a single one.

I was shocked. I had put all of my eggs into the UC system and it failed me. I couldn’t understand why. I saw my peers getting in with the same transcripts as me, some even less.

I watched as my peers got in, one after the other, and I just sat there, fading into the background.

My self esteem went down the toilet and I felt hopeless.

I ultimately lowered my standards of myself exponentially and decided to go to school with my then boyfriend.

And then our relationship fell through a week before graduation.

I knew I was screwed. I didn’t want to go to college with him and see him every day and so I knew I needed an extreme change.

And I had exactly eight days to figure it out.

I began looking into community colleges and I was so disappointed in myself. With my great grades and busting my ass the past four years, I was going to a community college?

All of my co graduates were going fabulous places, places they belonged and me? Well I wasn’t going anywhere.

And then I saw that UNC Charlotte was still accepting applications. I was ecstatic and so I went for it and guess what?

I got in the day before graduation.

The day before I walked across the stage and grabbed my diploma I got into a university all the way across the country. Away from my friends and family. And I was okay with that. I was ready for a change.

Now, nearing my second semester at this university, I see that it was all meant to be.

I see how trivial my worries back then were.

Had I not been rejected from all seven schools, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t have met all of the amazing people who have changed my life dramatically. I wouldn’t be who I am today.

You are worth more than their letters of regret and rejection.

You are worth more than the schools who do not see the potential in you.

It may not seem like it, but you will always end up where you were meant to be.

So thank you to those who “regret to inform me of my denial from the university.”

Your rejection showed me how much I am worth.