I got rejected from my ED school 5 years ago…and it was the best thing to happen to me
Almost five years ago, I got rejected from my #1 dream school.
I visited Duke during my junior year of high school and knew right away that I wanted to apply early decision. It felt like the perfect school for me - the campus, the atmosphere, everything seemed to click.
But when I opened my decision letter on December 15, 2019, at exactly 7 p.m. (yes, those details are etched into my memory), I was hit with a wave of emotions.
Instead of confetti or a congratulations, I was met with a cold, concise message: I had not been offered admission.
I cried.
I felt disappointed in myself. I couldn’t stop wondering what I did wrong, what I could have done better. It was difficult to watch my friends celebrate their acceptances to their ED schools (especially the girl who got into Duke). It felt personal, like a failure unique to me.
But now, looking back, I can say with confidence that not getting into Duke was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
Had I been accepted, I would have never applied to Vanderbilt, let alone gotten in. I wouldn’t have discovered a community that shaped me in ways I didn’t even know I needed.
I wouldn’t have met Lilly, my current roommate in DC, or the incredible friends I text every single day. I wouldn’t have lived in a six-bedroom apartment in Madrid with three girls I barely knew, who turned into some of my closest friends.
I wouldn’t have taken a class with Dr. Barsky, who sparked my passion for studying Europe, or Dr. Murray, who recommended me for the master’s program I’m in today.
The list of "what-ifs" is endless.
Every connection I’ve made, every opportunity I’ve seized, and every unexpected turn has led me to a life I love - a life I never imagined when I was 17 and heartbroken over that rejection.
Sometimes, the moments that seem like the end of the road are actually the beginning of something far better than you ever planned.
In gratitude of rejections,
Melina Kazanas
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