Haley, a senior at Northwestern, discusses getting waitlisted and what it taught her:
The first thing I felt when I got waitlisted at the University of Michigan was shock. I had already been accepted to schools ranked higher, like the University of Chicago, and was not expecting to be waitlisted from a school in my home state. After my surprise came disappointment. My friends at school who also applied were going to ask me if I was accepted and I was going to have to hear about everyone who was. However, my concerns were diminished by focusing on the schools I was accepted to and knowing that I would end up where I was supposed to be.
I didn’t get off the waitlist and was ultimately rejected from a school that was not top 20; but all of that led me to the college that has given me opportunities I would not have had elsewhere and helped shaped me into the determined woman I am today. I know people who are still bitter in their senior year about being wait listed and rejected from certain schools, but my advice is to realize that there are going to be schools excited to have you, and you shouldn’t let the ones who weren’t significantly affect your thoughts and emotions.
To read more about Haley’s application process, click here!