College decisions for the Ivies were released yesterday, and many people I know are disappointed.

College acceptance rates have been dropping, and many cite the reason for this being that students are on average applying to many more colleges than in years past. As a result, colleges have to be especially sparing with who they invite admission to, as they know that most applying to the top schools are applying to a great many of them. 

Despite noting the trends, the decisions students receive can be quite crushing. 

For one of my closest and longest-kept friends, she says it feels as if her work may have been for nothing. Having witnessed firsthand the measures she took to secure a spot at a great school, I understand.

It was in second grade that they began the indoctrination process. I remember at that ripe age our school counselors visiting the classrooms and affirming their belief onto us that admission to top colleges would secure our futures. It was not merely admission into a college, it was admission into a top college. I know this because I also remember the list of colleges that we were instructed to choose from to research for college week, and they were basically limited to what is still today the Top 25.

It’s difficult to articulate what to say in the realm of comfort here. It’s absurd to me that those of us raised with these high standards were only done so to service image. That would be, the image of our school or the image of our parents. 

In terms of individuality, and deviating from said notions, there is a lot of silver lining to be found. After all, in pursuit of the top spots, we have, in our own little ponds (filled with abnormally large fish), bettered ourselves quite a lot. 

In recontextualizing these “we regret to inform you” decisions, we shouldn’t have to look back on our past endeavors begrudgingly. All the science fairs, club meetings, volunteering, and all nighters bettered us, intellectually at least. In this, our development has been quickened and our achievement in going into what some may consider lesser schools will be accelerated. 

That is the silver lining I have observed, and if you are among the disappointed in this admissions cycle, I hope you observe and appreciate it too.