Rejection, simply put, is a painful and dreadful thing that no one wishes to experience. Whether it be from the college of your dreams or from a dream job, rejection is something you dread from the second you apply to the second you hear back. For me, my rejection came from the college application process. Applying to college was definitely difficult for me. I was in a constant state of fear. Fearing that I wouldn't be accepted. Fearing that I would end up at a school that was completely and utterly a place that I did not want to attend. And fearing that I wasn't good enough for a college (which no one should have to feel... ever). During the application process, I continued to glorify certain campuses, while frantically applying to other schools due to my own discomfort in my future. While senior year was supposed to be joyful and the year you do everything you hadn't done your other years of high school, unfortunately mine was filled with doubt, fear and constant worry.

I started the year out yearning for a school that I knew would be difficult to get into. I was hopeful, but hopeless at the same time. It was hard for me to realize that the school I wanted so badly would never accept me, but I suppressed my doubt and thought that maybe, just maybe, they would make an exception. By the time I heard back, I had already been in the process of convincing myself to love another campus. Yet another school that would be difficult to get into. Yes, I unsurprisingly got rejected from both of the schools of my dreams. But, what I didn't realize at the time, there was a silver lining to the situation.

I went through the assumed grieving process. Denial, crying, anger. All of the above. And most all at once. I knew I wouldn't get in, but why was it so hard for me once the decision was solidified?

It was hard because I had so much support from my friends and family. Ironic, right? Wouldn't you think that support from your friends and family would make it better? Unfortunately, not for me.

I love my friends more than anything, and them constantly telling me that 'I had it' and 'I'd totally get in' caused my brain and my heart to disconnect. My brain knew I wouldn't get in, but my heart remained positive. I was so caught up in everything that was going on in the time that I couldn't appreciate my friends and family. Between preparing for graduation, trying to figure out what college I was going to, and trying to avoid the dreaded 'senioritis,' my brain was too clouded to realize what had really come from the situation.

Rejection was the best thing that has ever happened to me. While in that time I didn't realize it, rejection allows you to be grateful for what you have. To be grateful for the friends who were there for you in between your crying fits and angry rampages about how much you dislike the school you were rejected from. It allowed me to understand. To understand that life is full of rejection. That people will always be there for you when you fall. And that rejection is what makes you human.

There's no sugar coating it - rejection sucks. I didn't want to be rejected from both of my dream schools. I didn't want to have to deal with the rejection. However, everything happens for a reason, and after getting rejected from both of my dream schools, I have no doubt that is true. You can't plan out your life to the 'T' and not everything is going to go your way, but there's no reason in not seeing the positive side to the situation.

My advice for the people reading this is: don't ever let a college make you feel anything less than what you are. Don't be in constant fear and worry that you aren't good enough for someone or something. Anyone who has experienced the college application process can vouch for me on this: applying to college is a game. It's a game that no one wants to play, but unfortunately has to. It's a game that places you in a position with thousands of other people who are competing for the exact same spot as you. You might have almost the exact same credentials that someone else does, but that person can have as little as one more thing than you, and changes your future. However, trust the process. You're going to end up somewhere that is the perfect fit for you. Everything happens for a reason.

I'm not ashamed to say that I got rejected from both of the schools I thought were the perfect place for me. In fact, one of those schools I could not even remotely picture myself at right now. As I sit and write this article on my beautiful college campus, I am thankful for the rejection I received, because it led me to realize so much about my life that I hadn't known before.

"A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success." - Bo Bennett, businessman, author, entrepreneuer