Did You Get In? An Etiquette Guide for College Admissions

As college acceptance and rejection letters start rolling in, conversations with friends and family can get a little tense. Read on for advice about how to answer some of their tricky questions — and when to start these conversations yourself.

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Nothing about senior year seems easy. On top of classes and extracurriculars, you’ve spent months researching colleges, filling out paperwork, writing essays, asking for recommendations, and sending forms.

Now, you may well be in the middle of the hardest part — waiting for a response! Whether that fateful letter holds good news or bad, here’s some help with answering the inevitable questions you’ll get — and knowing how to talk to your friends about their letters, too.

Congratulations!

Nothing parallels the feeling of opening the long-awaited college acceptance letter. It’s always fun to answer questions when you like the answers. But be wary of your celebration.


By all means, rejoice with your family and do a victory dance at home, but don’t brag at school — especially if you know that your friends didn’t get the response they wanted or they’re still waiting.


If someone asks, a polite “I was accepted,” is a good place to start. Take cues from the asker about how to continue the conversation. If she’s thrilled and wants to know more, celebrate along with her. If the person seems subdued, don’t continue the discussion. You never know what may be affecting her response.

Even if your acceptance letter isn’t the one you wanted, that’s OK. You don’t have to have everything planned out yet. You may want to wait and see what other options you have, particularly as you plan your finances. Some schools may offer better scholarships than others. There’s nothing wrong with being honest about waiting to see what opens up.

We regret to inform you . . .

My apologies in advance. Most people will get one or more of these if they applied to a range of schools, but that doesn’t mean getting a rejection letter is anything less than disappointing. Remember that it’s not personal. It’s one group’s decision, based on a relatively small amount of information about you — in the context of thousands of other packets of information. It’s not a judgement of you as a person. There are always other options — the path to your perfect school might just be a little more tortuous than others’ paths.


Everyone reacts to rejection differently. Some people may feel angry at the college, while others may feel disappointed. Some students may not feel particularly upset by a decision. Whatever you are feeling, give yourself space to process your emotions in a healthy way.


If talking it out would be helpful, reach out to someone you trust, and share what you are going through. If you prefer to keep to yourself, write about how you’re feeling in a journal, or write a letter back to the college with everything you wish you could say (but don’t send it!). If you need an outlet for your anger, make a dartboard out of your rejection letters.

When answering questions related to bad news, people will be looking to you for how to respond. If you are able to keep it upbeat, as in, “Well, I didn’t get into [Dream School], but I’m still looking at other options,” then people will respond accordingly. If you aren’t in a place where you feel like sharing, you can always say something like, “I didn’t get in, but I’d rather not talk about it right now.” It’s up to you to steer the conversation in the direction you’re comfortable with.

Dealing with a college rejection can be especially hard if your teachers or friends are celebrating outcomes. It’s OK to ask your friend group for some space, or request that they hold off on conversations about college for the next couple of weeks.

At the present time . . .

Don’t lose hope if you’ve been waitlisted. Some schools still keep a pool of qualified candidates handy, knowing that not everyone they accepted will actually enroll. On average, about 25 percent of waitlisted candidates are eventually accepted, according to CollegeData. Your letter may even indicate where you stand on the list.


For advice on how to move forward after being waitlisted, read this advice from Noodle Pros Founding Tutor Brendan Mernin. If you were deferred for admission, learn more about next steps here.


Answering questions about your state of limbo can be uncomfortable. Feel free to give a short answer, such as, “I’m still waiting to hear back,” and change the subject. If you prefer, you can explain the next steps you are considering, “I got waitlisted at X school, but I got accepted into Y school. I’m putting a deposit at Y, but you never know.” Remember, you are always entitled to say that you’d rather not talk about the outcome if you aren’t in the mood.

What about my friends?

It’s a tense time for everybody as students wait to see what their futures hold. While some people may want to talk at length about their acceptances and rejections, others may want to avoid the subject. Your best bet is to ask about having the conversation instead of asking about the outcome. For example, “Want to talk about X college’s decision?” or “Let me know if you want to talk about college outcomes.” This way, your friend has the option of participating in the conversation only if she wants, and there’s an easy way out if she doesn’t.


If your friends volunteer the information themselves, go ahead and listen attentively. If you’re up for it, celebrate their successes. When it comes to undesirable outcomes, be empathetic. Keep the focus on your friend instead of bringing in your own experiences.


It’s a good idea to acknowledge how difficult the situation may be instead of trying to change the subject or problem solve. Saying something like, “That’s so frustrating! I know how hard you worked on your application,” or even, “This really stinks, I’m so sorry,” can go a long way.

And if you’re blanking on what to say, that’s OK, too. You can always offer, “Let me know what I can do to help.”

This time of year is certainly stressful, and talking about and comparing outcomes can feel like a lot to deal with. Remember that at the end of the day, these are all just conversations. The words may sting now, but you may not even remember them when you’re in college, thriving.

Besides, getting in is only half the battle. The journey really starts next September, with the beginning of your college career.

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