Unfortunately, the college is not offering you admission. This should not be taken as a reflection of who you are or your ability to succeed in life. Really, the admissions offices at these colleges work to put together a complementary group of students who can work well together, academically and socially.

If you have applied to a balanced list of “best fit” colleges, you should feel confident that you will find the one that is right for you within the group you have been accepted to.

What to do next:

1. Do a more intricate analysis of the colleges you’ve been accepted to (follow accepted student protocol).

2. Get excited about your opportunities; they’ve accepted you for a reason, and you should explore why that might be. Visit the other schools and learn how they will help you reach your academic and career goals.

3. Submit your intent to enroll at another university to ensure you have a place to start your undergraduate education.

4. Whether you are denied or waitlisted, avoid the temptation to begin a flood of recommendation letters and phone calls to the admissions department. In almost every case, this can have an adverse effect on your chances of admission. Some institutions even state that they do not take additional letters of recommendation or phone calls on the student’s behalf. If the admissions office does need more materials, they are generally interested in concrete information (documents of extenuating circumstances, test scores, and/or grades that weren’t included in your original application, etc.) rather than personal testimony or recommendations.

5. If you feel you’d like to appeal the college’s admissions decision, see Appeals.

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