To the Student Who Didn’t End Up at Their Dream School

This time of year can feel like a strange mix of pressure and quiet, like you’re supposed to be smiling all the time, committing to a college, buying the hoodie, planning the dorm decor. And maybe you’re doing all those things. But maybe, deep down, you’re also nursing a disappointment you’re not sure you’re allowed to say out loud.

So I wanted to write this to you, not as someone who knows exactly what you’re feeling, but as someone who sees you. The college admissions process can be confusing and painful in ways we don’t always talk about.... and just because even if your Instagram feed is full of commitment posts, I promise: you are not the only one feeling what you’re feeling.

Disappointment doesn’t mean you failed.

Let me say that again, because I think sometimes the college process twists our definitions of success. If you didn’t get into your top choice, or if you’re going to a school that wasn’t even on your radar six months ago, it can be easy to feel like you did something wrong. Like there’s some version of you out there who worked harder, wrote better, or hit submit at just the right time, and that version got the acceptance letter you didn’t.

But the truth? College admissions say nothing about your worth or your potential.

You did not fail. You are not behind. You are just starting a chapter you didn’t expect, and that takes a different kind of bravery.

The name of your school doesn’t define your future.

This one’s important. I’ve met people who attended every kind of college - small schools, big state schools, community colleges, places that barely show up on the rankings - who are doing the most extraordinary and incredible people.

They found their people. They sought out mentors. They took advantage of opportunities. They wrote their own definitions of success.

Your drive, your curiosity, your character, your grit, those are the things that will take you far. And none of them are tied to a college name

College is what you make of it.

That sounds cliché, but only because it’s true.

The students who thrive aren’t the ones who arrive with everything figured out. They’re the ones who ask questions. Who go to office hours even when it feels awkward. Who join the club that sounds interesting and say yes to the weird lecture flyer taped on the student center wall. Who care more about growing than performing.

You don’t need to love every second of college for it to change your life. Sometimes it’s the unexpected places - classes you almost didn’t take or the friendships that start slow - that end up mattering the most.

And here’s what I hope you know.

You are not a second-choice student. You are not stuck. You are not settling.

You are stepping into a new beginning with the same strength and talent and light you’ve always had. And this school, the one you weren’t sure about, might just be the place that helps you discover parts of yourself you didn’t know existed. There’s something kind of powerful about that. About going somewhere and making it yours. Not because it was your dream, but because you decided to build something meaningful anyway.

So if your decision day doesn’t feel like the celebration you imagined, it’s okay. There will be other days. Better days. Days where you look up in the middle of a conversation or a walk across campus or a late-night study session and realize, you’re okay. You’re growing. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

And that’s worth holding onto.

To your college journey,
Melina Kazanas

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