College denial letters show everyone is human

Martha Sanchez

Junior Helen Bartlett reads the college denial letters posted on the opinion board.

Martha Sanchez, RubicOnline Editor
May 22, 2019

The Upper School opinion board, a hub of student thoughts and ideas, recently acquired some new additions. Seniors, all of whom made their final college decisions May 1, have begun to post letters from colleges that did not accept them.

The board now showcases denial letters from colleges all over the map, but they all bear one message: we’re all human.

The letters showcase that even the seemingly best and brightest students get rejected. They also show that even the students who get rejected from their dream school still will go to college. It sends a positive message to the school that no student is perfect and it is OK to not always get exactly what you want.

The letters send a particularly positive message to the junior class, many of whom will begin the college search and application process this summer. Reading these letters can both inspire students and put their hopes into perspective. It can be inspiring to see how high some of the seniors reached, sending the message that even if denial is a possibility, students should still reach for their dream schools. Secondly, the letters give students the ability to accurately put some of their college ideas in perspective. Students reading the letters may find that the school they thought they could easily get into has rejected many of their peers. While this news could be initially disheartening, it provides a wake up call for students to put their best foot forward and enhance their grades as much as possible in last few weeks of school. Seeing these college denial letters could potentially provide the motivation to students that could be the final push to get them into one of their top schools.

These letters are among the last impacts that the class of 2019 will leave on the school. By showcasing the schools they did not get into, the seniors have demonstrated to the rest of the school that imperfection is OK. Additionally, by exhibiting what could be seen as failures in a positive light, the seniors have left SPA with the message that no matter how accomplished any one person may seem, in the end, we are all human.