Dear Class of 2016,
Congratulations! I’m not going to deny it -- 2015 was not the most fun year. From struggling to balance a course load full of AP/IB classes with research internships, jobs, and art portfolios, to trying to distill your entire existence into 500-650 words for college applications, it has no doubt been a taxing experience. But hey -- you made it.
After months of waiting, you all have some fantastic options to decide between for where you want to spend the next four years. Having had my own share of existential crises and near-meltdowns in my guidance counselor’s office, I know what you’re going through.
First off, I want to get this straight. Your college admissions, rejections, and waitlists are not a measure of your value as a person. Every school gets so many applications, because seniors apply to more and more schools every year, and it gets to the point where admission becomes almost random. You may not have gotten into all the schools that you deserve to, based on your credentials, but that’s alright. You have all been so successful thus far and probably aren’t used to a lot of rejection.
I’m sorry to say this, but rejection doesn’t stop here. In fact, it gets worse. The reality is that successful people are rejected far more times than they are accepted. You must look at this as an opportunity for growth, and a sign that you are destined for something better. The schools that accepted you want you, and now, it’s up to you to choose one of them. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to stop comparing yourself. It doesn’t matter where your best friend, your classmate, or that guy that keeps popping up on College Confidential got in. This is about you, not any of them. Acknowledge your situation, learn from it, and move on.
Now comes the hard part: choosing where you’re going to spend the next four years. Yes, this seems like the biggest decision of your life, but there will be many more that trump it down the road. College is incredible. You will treasure the friends you make, the professors who open your mind, and the football games when you feel so spirited your heart might burst. If after a year you don’t like it, it’s not the end of the world. Just transfer to USC (sorry, I might be a little biased there), or to a school where you feel at home.
Of course, there is a logical way to go through choosing a school, and I think it is a great first step. Think back to when you applied, and why you applied to a certain school. Was it a specific program? The small class sizes? Think about your choices, and what makes them different. Evaluate how far they are from home, the class size, the advising system, the faculty for your field of study, what living there is like, and so on.
Talk to your parents, guidance counselors, and teachers to help you work through it all. Make the effort to talk to current students, who will tell you things that admissions fliers can’t. Ask them about their relationships with their professors, and what living in a certain residential hall is like. Ask them why they chose the school, and they’ll tell you all about why they love it and how you will too.
At the end of the day, when you’ve done all that and narrowed down your choices, it comes down to one thing. The best advice I received when I was picking schools was to follow my heart. When you have exhausted your brain and really cannot choose, do what your heart tells you, and go where you will be happiest. Your future self will thank you.
I’m proud of you, 2016. You made it. Now go forth, and prosper.
Sincerely,
A college student
