Rejected but ended up ok

[Anonymous]

I think the harder person to find would be one who was rejected and didn’t turn out fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the harder person to find would be one who was rejected and didn’t turn out fine.

my thoughts exactly

[Anonymous]

I have an opposite story - got into Duke dream school but it was not a good fit . Hated it. Grad school at Columbia loved it, realized I was a NE city person. Fit is everything- you can be happy or unhappy anywhere.

[Anonymous]

My DS has a bunch of friends who are very happy current college freshman, at schools that were not their top choice. It really worked out for them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This was back in the early 2000s but I personally was rejected from top Ivies that my parents were willing to pay for, could not financially go to "lesser" "famous" schools that my parents were not willing to pay for, and ended up in a middle of the pack private school on scholarship. Used it as motivation to excel and am flourishing and very happy with where I am these days.

Keep up the Rejection-to-Motivation pipeline guys and gals!

How did you feel about your parents not willing to pay for a "lesser" school or that they paid for the middle of the pack, perhaps only because you had a scholarship? I'm asking because I hear parents who are full pay say, "I would never pay full price for that school" where their kid has been offered merit. I'm just wondering how that sounds to the kid.

+100 to this sentiment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was rejected from all Ivys, Northwestern and Carleton in the late 1980s.

Only got into one school - UW Madison - where I attended and it worked out fine.

I suspect it worked out more than just “fine” for you. Wisconsin is an amazing school and has a lot to offer. Congrats on your beautiful journey!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an opposite story - got into Duke dream school but it was not a good fit . Hated it. Grad school at Columbia loved it, realized I was a NE city person. Fit is everything- you can be happy or unhappy anywhere.

This is my story as well. Same schools too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was rejected from all Ivys, Northwestern and Carleton in the late 1980s.

Only got into one school - UW Madison - where I attended and it worked out fine.

I suspect it worked out more than just “fine” for you. Wisconsin is an amazing school and has a lot to offer. Congrats on your beautiful journey!

Not pp, but I think you're doing a lot of editorializing here! PP said "it worked out fine."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband is one of them but for different reasons.
Lifetime dream: Princeton. Got in, parents wouldn't pay. Ended up at Delaware for free.

Did very well, made fantastic friends that he is still super close with 20 years later. Was accepted to med school at Hopkins and Harvard.

There are many different paths to success.

Nice-- congrats!

[Anonymous]

Bored to tears in high school but great test taker. Got rejected by a bunch of schools, ended up in a no-name SLAC. Graduated first in my class. T6 law school. Biglaw partner. On track to retire early.

[Anonymous]

I was rejected from Georgetown which was my dream school and went to Boston College. I immediately fell in love with BC and cannot imagine having gone anywhere else.

My sister was rejected from Middlebury and went to Sarah Lawrence. Applied to transfer to Middlebury for sophomore year and was rejected again. Transferred to Barnard. LOVED the three years at Barnard and whites she had just gone there from the start.

[Anonymous]

I bombed my sat. Ended up at a mediocre regional university, got a Masters at a good national university followed by another one at an Ivy. Made me hungry having a little failure. I now lead North America for a top 10 consulting firm.