April 1 – a date that so many high school seniors look forward to but also dread. Your entire plan for your life could be either be confirmed or thrown out the window from a letter you receive dated for this day. For me, it was the latter. None of the schools I wanted to go to sent me the coveted “Congratulations” envelope. Instead, I got electronic rejections that I thought I would never get over. Yet, here I am, still living to tell the tale. It may feel as though life is ending, but trust me when I say that you’ll be fine. Life is going to go on and you will be more than okay, and here’s why.

You will get a degree.

No matter what college you choose, you will get a degree upon your graduation. Regardless of the name on the top, you will still be receiving higher education that will help you to gain a job someday. And to speak the truth, unless your degree has “Harvard Law” across the top, mostly all universities are on an equal playing field.

You will have opportunities to do what you love.

At my school, there are more than 400 clubs and organizations that you can join. This is true for many colleges and universities across the country. You can find anything from a quidditch club, club soccer, orchestra and many other organizations that suit your passions. Regardless of the college you end up going to, you will have opportunities to be engaged in activities, other than studying, that you truly enjoy.

You will make friends.

By living in close quarters and joining different groups you enjoy, you are bound to meet people who share your interests. Not getting into your dream school could be a blessing in disguise for this reason. Your significant other or future maid of honor may be going to your “backup” school waiting for you to meet them. If you and your best friend were planning to attend the same school and one of you did not get accepted, life is going to be OK. College is an opportunity to meet all different individuals. So, take advantage of this and try to make new friends. You’ll find some wherever you go.

You will create a new life.

You may have been imagining going to your dream school since before you can remember. By not going to this school, you are able to create an entirely new experience for yourself. There are no expectations that you have about the school. With that, you will not be disappointed when your college life does not turn out as picturesque as you imagined for the past 10 years. Make the most of this and create an awesome experience for yourself instead of setting negative expectations. Sometimes the greatest memories come out of the situations for which you have the least expectations.

You will find happiness.

This may be most important of all. You could be going to the No. 1 school in the country for your specific field, but if you are not happy, none of that matters. Everything happens for a reason, and your rejection from your dream school did not happen on accident. Would you have been happy there? You may never know. But, you can still find happiness at your future school by doing what you love, surrounding yourself with friends and living to the fullest. Approach your freshman year with the most positive attitude, even if you are not where you want to be. You are there for one reason or another, big or small. Your backup school will feel like your dream school when you find your happiness.

Not getting the acceptance letter hurts. Believe me, I’ve been there. What you do afterwards and how life plays out for you is really up to you. You can make the best of the situation by pursuing what you love and finding people that will help you along the journey. Instead of sulking and beating yourself up about not taking the SAT for a fourth time to improve your score, focus on what you can actually do for yourself. You can go to a school you received acceptance from. You can study and participate in what you love. You can make friends. Most importantly, you can be happy and have a great college experience. That is not determined by the name of the school you are at, but how you make the most of the opportunities you are given. Keep your head up even if you are headed somewhere you are not enthralled about this fall. Life will be okay and you will be happy as long as you make the most of your college years.