March decision season is about to commence for seniors. Each day, students will stalk the mailman, check their in-boxes a dozen times and log into admissions portals hoping for answers. The result is stress, drama and in some cases, jealousy among teens and parents. To help you survive the roller coaster, here are a few common sense things to remember:
Rejection is part of life.
While none of us want to see a child rejected, it is part of the admissions process. Very few students will get into all of their colleges. As teens enter adulthood, learning about rejection is part of the maturity process. In the future, they will face job rejections, broken hearts and other disappointments. As parents, this is your chance to teach them about accepting defeat with strength and grace.
Jealousy is not pretty.
As much as it might hurt when a peer gets into YOUR first choice college while you are rejected, you need to be happy for him/her. Senior year is not the time to ruin friendships that you have nurtured since grade school over something you cannot control. So, smile, congratulate your friend and move on to exploring your options.
Life is not fair.
There will always be someone in life who won an award, got a job or was accepted to a college with seemingly fewer credentials than you. Accept that you don’t know the whole story. Sometimes people lie about grades or test scores. They may have written a killer essay or knocked the socks off an interviewer. He or she may also have an aunt, uncle or cousin who is on the board of trustees or in admissions at the college—you REALLY don’t know!
Keep an open mind.
If you are not accepted to one of your top choice colleges, it could be the best thing that ever happened to you. There are countless stories of highly successful individuals who were rejected from their top choice school only to flourish where they matriculated. So, revisit campuses where you were accepted, research the opportunities at each school, and don’t make a rash decision. Take your time and perform due diligence.
Triumph with grace.
Although it is tempting to go running down the hall screaming, Tweet or text everyone you know when you get a great acceptance---temper your enthusiasm. Remember that someone else you know was also hoping for an acceptance and may not have gotten it. So, go home and scream, celebrate with your family and boast to your grandparents, but keep it contained and be considerate of others’ feelings.
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