International College Counselors

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Team
    • Brochure
    • Scholarship Essay Contest
    • Why ICC?
  • Services
    • College Counseling
    • Graduate School
    • International Students
    • Transfer Students
    • Learning Differences
    • K-12 Placement Services
    • SSAT Flex Testing
    • A La Carte Services
    • Corporate Benefits
    • Giving Back
  • Contact Us
  • Results
  • News & Events
    • In The News
    • Press Releases
    • Awards & Recognitions
    • Upcoming Free Webinars and Seminars
  • Essays
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Locations
    • Florida Locations
    • Connecticut Location
    • New York City Locations
    • North Carolina Location
  • Resources
    • New Book: To University and Beyond
    • Overall Admission Rates

10 Ways of Handling the Other March Madness: College Acceptances and Rejections

March 24, 2014 by Cheree Liebowitz

March madness is here. Anxiety is in full swing.
Surprising to many, the craziness has nothing to do with basketball and brackets.  Students and parents are thinking of college admissions. It’s around that time acceptance letters are on their way – or will soon be on their way. Parents need to be the supportive rock, even if they’re suffering from anxiety, too.   This time is about the student; it is not about the parent.

How to Help Your Child Deal with College Admissions Disappointment and Fear

1. Lay the groundwork.  Before the acceptance letters come, parents need to let their child know how proud they are of him or her for getting through high school and wanting to go to college. Make sure children know they’ll have a great experience no matter where they go.

2.  Stay supportive.  After the letters arrive, whether a child gets into a first choice college or not, parents need to stay supportive. This is a hard time for a student whether they get into their first choice college or not. For students who get rejected, this may be the first time they’re dealing with major disappointment. A parent’s job is to stop this from damaging their self-esteem. For students who get in, after the initial euphoria, they’ll start thinking about what going to college really means. Leaving home, leaving friends, leaving a comfortable routine, having to find themselves, and make their own way is difficult. Understandably, this may feel overwhelming.

3.  Talk it out. If your student is rejected from the first choice college, allow your child to vent their emotions. Talk about it and turn it into a teachable moment. Be sensitive and acknowledge the pain of disappointment. Then help your child, one, accept that he or she didn’t get in and, two, move forward with the opportunities that do present themselves.

4. Let your child know that getting into a first pick college is important, but if they don’t it’s not the end of the world. Let them know you won’t love or like them any less and they shouldn’t love or like themselves any less either. College is a step on a long road. It’s a big step, but college is not the final destination. Let your student know a lot of the college admission process was out of his or her control. While the process is fair and thorough, college admissions are subjective. Perhaps even more than most students and parents realize. High scores aren’t the only thing that counts. Subjectivity comes into play as admissions officers compare the applications. Maybe the band really needed a new bassoon player.

5. Once all the results are in, call or meet with your student’s International College Counselor advisor, as needed.  An expert college counselor can go over the pros of the schools a student was accepted into and there are a number of colleges still accepting applications.

6. Don’t let your child take denial personally. Someone at the college just didn’t think your child was the right fit at the time. Your student may actually be better off someplace else and it’s just not apparent right now.

7. Remind your student to thank the people around him/ her that made a college acceptance possible.  Every student’s success had a lot to do with a parent driving hours and hours of carpool, a teacher writing a thoughtful college recommendation, a coach staying a little bit longer after practice to go over a drill, and a principal making sure the student got the classes he/she needed.  No child gets into college on his/ her own.

8. Celebrate the college acceptance letters your child does get. Getting into any college is something to celebrate. Talk through how the child will let his/her friends know.  Will their happiness lead to greater disappointment for others?  How would they like to be told of good news by their peers? How should they handle good news for them, but also the disappointment around them?

9. Think to the future.  Although jitters are normal, really worried students should relax a bit by knowing that he/she can always transfer. Our recommendation is to keep this as a back pocket option and not as a goal. If a student goes to a college with the intent of transferring, he or she won’t be able to enjoy the full college experience they can have. Many students find that once they settle in, they’re actually very happy.

10. Do something nice. Students are at the end of a long journey. When all the letters are in, celebrate the end of this intense time.  Go out for a nice dinner as a family, or give a student a meaningful gift. Make this time positive.   We wish all of our students luck with the admissions decisions. No matter what happens, after the madness, there will be a calm. _____________________________________________________________________  

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE COUNSELORS:   This year, college advisors at International College Counselors helped more than 300 students find, apply to and gain acceptance into the college of their dreams. The expert college counselors at International College Counselors are dedicated to helping students and their families successfully navigate the college application process. For more information on International College Counselors or to contact an expert college counselor, please visit http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: International College Counselors blog, Tips for High School Seniors Tagged With: college admissions counselor, college counselor miami, international college counselors

Sign up for free college admissions advice!

Subscribe

Recent Acceptances

M.I.T.
Yale University
Stanford University
Brown University
Caltech
Harvard College
Princeton University
Harvard Business School
University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School
Washington University St. Louis
Cornell University
Columbia University
Dartmouth College
Northwestern University
The Cooper Union
Johns Hopkins University
University of Florida
New York University
University of Michigan
University of Chicago
Brandeis University
University of Texas @ Austin
NYU Dental School
USC Dental School
Duke University
University of Virginia
Barnard College
Amherst College
UNC Chapel Hill
Wesleyan University
Rice University
McGill University
Olin College of Engineering
Tufts University
Emory University
Carnegie Mellon University
George Washington University
University of Notre Dame
Georgia Institute of Technology
Boston University
USC
U.C.L.A.
Vanderbilt University
Syracuse University
UC Berkeley
Rensselaer Polytechnic
University of Maryland
New College of Florida
Loyola Marymount University
American University
Harvey Mudd College
Middlebury College
Boston College
Babson University
Georgetown University
Colgate University
Bard College
Ohio State University
Indiana University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Tulane University
University of Miami
Purdue University
Oxford College @ Emory
Wisconsin @ Madison
Northeastern University
Lehigh University
Goucher College
Pennslyvania State University
Muhlenberg College
University of Connecticut
Loyola University Chicago
University of Colorado Boulder
Colorado State University
University of Alabama
Louisiana State University
Drexel University
Embry-Riddle University
University of Arizona
Florida State University
University of Central Florida
S.U.N.Y @ Binghamton
S.U.N.Y @ Stony Brook
S.U.N.Y @ Albany
S.U.N.Y @ Geneseo
S.U.N.Y. @ Oneonta
S.U.N.Y. @ Oswego
S.U.N.Y @ Purchase
Art Institute of Chicago
University of Illinois
Pratt Institute
Ringling College Art & Design
George Mason University
University of Vermont
DigiPen Institute of Technology
Parsons New School of Design
Emerson College
Auburn University
Michigan State University
UC Santa Cruz
UC San Diego
UC Santa Barbara
Elon University
St. John's University
UMass Amherst
UMass Dartmouth
UMass Lowell
UMass Boston
Suffolk University
Bentley University
Lynn University
Arizona State University
University of North Florida
Florida Atlantic University
Florida International University
Florida Gulf Coast University
University of South Florida
Nova Southeastern University
University of Tampa
Hofstra University
Pace University
University of New England
Western New England College
Bowling Green State University
Rollins College
Eugene Lang College
Baruch College
Hunter College
Santa Fe College
Fordham University
UNC Greensboro
University of Hartford
Lasell College
Shimer College
Hillsdale College
College of Charleston
Bryant University
Clark University
James Madison University
Curry College
Southern Methodist University
Florida Institute of Technology
LIM College
University of British Columbia
College of the Holy Cross
University of Pittsburgh
Purchase College
University of Minnesota
Virginia Commonwealth University
Columbia College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
St. Leo University
Stetson University
Canisius College
LIM College
Case Western Reserve
San Diego State University
Marymount Manhattan College

Blog Categories

  • College Admissions
  • College Applications
  • College Essays
  • College Planning
  • College Visits and Information Sessions
  • Extracurricular & Summer Activities
  • FAQ
  • Financial Aid & Scholarships
  • Giving Back
  • Graduate School
  • In the News
  • International College Counselors blog
  • International Students
  • Other
  • Special Students – Athletes, LD, Art Majors
  • Standardized Tests – SAT/ACT/AP Courses/PSAT
  • Summer Opportunities
  • Tips for High School Freshman and Sophomores
  • Tips for High School Juniors
  • Tips for High School Seniors
  • Transfer Students
  • Uncategorized

Blog Archives

Connect with Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

International College Counselors

3107 Stirling Road, Suite 208
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312 USA
(954) 414-9986
(800) 452-9090

Connect with Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Books By Our Staff:

To University and Beyond: Launch Your Career in High Gear by Mandee Heller Adler and David Teten. From Public School To The Ivy League by Mandee Heller Adler International Admissions by Mandee Heller Adler and Aimee Heller

Navigation

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
  • Contact Us
  • Results
  • News & Events
  • Blog
  • Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

  • Top Tips for the Common Application
  • Tips to Start the School Year Right
  • Game On: How to be Recruited as a Student-Athlete
  • The Power of Early Decision and Early Action Applications
  • ICC Welcomes Three Educational Experts

Copyright © 2022 · Enterprise Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

en English
en Englishes Spanishzh-CN Chinese (Simplified)nl Dutchfr Frenchit Italiande Germanpt Portugueseru Russianar Arabic