Is there any amount of money that could get me to go back to high school and deal with the college admission process? No. Zip. Nada. Absolutely not.

High school was great, but I will definitely not miss the brutal application process, acceptance and denial letters, and then having to choose where to spend the next four years. It’s stressful, scary, stupidly competitive and the kids going through it right now deserve everyone’s praise, applause, and more. As someone who has survived the letters of praise and “we’re sorry but we cannot offer you admission…” I understand how hard it is, and here’s what I want you to know.

First, you’ll end up where you’re meant to be. I’m sure everyone and their eighth cousin is already reassuring you with that same cliché mantra, but when it comes to picking a school it really is true. It's overwhelming to think about the number of people I have met in my first semester of college who say that they are “sooo thankful” that they got denied from some great school “because it led them to end up” at their current school. Everything happens for a reason, and that denial/acceptance letter is just making it easier for you to find your place.

Second, college admissions shouldn’t be a competition. I know that everyone wants to get into “THAT” school, and of course “THAT” school only accepts less than a quarter of its applicants. But, try not to make it a competition between you and your classmates. Its awkward and it always leaves one, if not both, people hurt.

Third, there are no bad schools. Sure, there are ratings and reputations but at the end of the day the only rating of the school that matters is yours. Remember that the right school for you is out there and it might not be the school that everyone is going to, and that’s absolutely okay.

Ultimately what I’m getting at here is try not to let one letter ruin your day, self-confidence, or friendships. You are strong, smart, worthy; and in a year from now you will be at your new school (which feels like home) laughing about how you were even upset about that denial letter in the first place.