Answering Common Student Questions
As college decisions start to roll in, there may be concerns and questions that many students will ponder upon. Below are a few of the many questions they may have and some possible answers that will hopefully be helpful from my experiences:
Q: How do I adjust to a predominantly white institution (PWI) education?
A: As someone who went to a small high school with a majority of the students being people of color (POC), I definitely experienced a bit of culture shock attending my current university, which is a PWI. To adjust, I mainly tried to find my community, whom I shared similar interests with. Personally, I found and was able to build a community within my dorm floor and keep stable and good valued friendships. Additionally, I looked into joining clubs and organizations where I shared part of my identity, including cultural and ethnic heritage. Transitioning to a PIW is a different and new experience, but it’s important to keep an open mind and remember the goals and purpose that you set for yourself in obtaining higher education. These are all different aspects that helped me adjust to a PWI.
Q: How to deal with college rejections?
A: I graduated high school a year ago, but college rejections still feel fresh to me at times. With everything I know now, there are so many things I would change if I were to back to that process. However, I’ve stuck to the phrases and life lessons, “Everything will work out in the end,” and “Rejection is Redirection,” because that’s exactly what happened. During decisions, it hurts and is bittersweet to see a rejection, especially if you see your friends’ acceptance. Remember that YOU, yourself, didn’t get rejected and that the college just rejected your application. Those words don’t determine your worth. The feeling of rejection stings a lot so during this time, make sure to take as much time and space as needed for yourself, but don’t seclude yourself from your loved ones and society. A coping mechanism that worked for me is to spend time with my loved ones. When a few months pass and you go to your college, those negative feelings kind of fade away as you focus more on yourself and your goals. There are times when you may think of “What if” and “I wish” situations but at the end of the day, everything will work out. If you dread your school, you could also look into transferring. College access isn’t a linear process that everyone must take; instead, there are multiple paths and opportunities that could lead a student toward their goals.
Q: What happens if I get waitlisted from a school?
A: Waitlists can hurt just as much as rejections because there’s no guarantee that you’ll get off the waitlist and you have to wait for more time just to get your admission results. However, that waiting period could be a good thing. Waitlists are good because it means that the college admissions team is highly considering you as a potential student. Sometimes, it might even be that they’re waiting for more space to open up so they don’t over-admit students. A way that you could take advantage of the waitlist process is by sending admissions a letter of continued interest. This basically means that you’re still heavily interested in attending the school and you’re telling them about your recent accomplishments, updating them about your grades, and anything else that you think would shine more light on your application. Some schools even have an option where applicants could directly input their updates and supplemental information on their college portal. Getting waitlisted is definitely a bittersweet feeling, but also make sure not to get your hopes up and to have a backup or alternative path that you’re considering.