Lately, despite all of the coronavirus-related issues that are swirling about in the higher ed and admissions space, I am still seeing the regular complaints that I field this time of the year. Students and (more likely) parents call and write to us to tell the admission team just how upset they are that we didn't admit their student where they wanted. Or give them enough scholarship dollars. Or win that Fabergé egg at auction for a good price.
Wait. I think that last one was from a Roger Moore-infused James Bond movie.
Case in point: I had a mother send a monologue-worthy email to me the other day. The short version:
Dear Admissions Dude,
My daughter is awesome. How dare you not admit her to Penn State. I know that she just applied recently [in late March], but trust me - she's still super interested. She has been crying herself to sleep over your ignorance. She won't even eat her Pop Tarts for breakfast!
Do something about this grave injustice, and do it now.
Sincerely,
Student's Mom
Of course, I have grossly paraphrased here given that she wrote no less than 11 paragraphs.
But I have to say that this is not uncommon, and I do sympathize with students (and their parents). Over at the Georgia Tech admissions blog, Rick Clark has written about "it working out" for the better for students, and that being denied at their top choice (or choices) will not be the end of the world. Money:
Whether you are denied admission or you get in but ultimately don’t receive the financial aid package necessary for you to attend your top choice college, you will grow. My hope is you’ll be able to see these situations as opportunities rather than as disappointments. Use them as motivation. Anyone who is truly content, successful, and happy will not describe their life and journey as a predictable point-to-point path. Instead they’ll discuss bumps, turns, and moments of uncertainty along the way.
And that's a theme that I echoed in my response to the student (with a CC to the mother):
[Student], I am really sorry to hear that you've been taking your admission decision so hard. Admittedly, this is a stressful process and time of the year. Many high school seniors are going through the exact same feelings of stress and disappointment right now.
While it many not come as much consolation at this precise moment, I always tell students that are not admitted to the program or campus to which they had applied that "It works out". It may take a couple of months, or even a year, but eventually you'll find the right place for you (and, believe it or not, that might not be Penn State - and that's okay).
Years from now you'll look back on the successes that you've earned and realize that things worked out just fine.
In short, it will be okay. Really, it will.
Because - and here's the BIG SECRET folks - the reason that you were not admitted to that favorite college on your list was most likely not related to your academic prowess. Rather, it likely had everything to do with space availability on campus. At Penn State we enroll approximately 8,000 first-year students at the University Park campus each fall. We receive upwards of 90,000 applications for those 8,000 spaces. Even though it's a big (huge!) campus, we only have so many spaces to grant admission. We simply cannot admit every student that applies - we don't have room!
[okay, okay - if you're a straight 'D' student in high school your deny decision maaaay have had something to do with your academic record... but I digress]
But that doesn't mean that you're a terrible student, not at all. It just means that you will have to consider other options.
Most of us in the noble profession of college admissions are not trying to keep students out of our respective institutions. Instead, we want to be inclusive of as many students as we can, but are also trying to craft a class of students each fall that will persist for four years and graduate with a degree. Some institutions have more space on campus than others, and then the supply v. demand picture starts to come into focus.
All of this to simply say that Mick Jagger & The Rolling Stones got it right:
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, well, you might find
You get what you need
Indeed.
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Admissions