For MVHS seniors, much of March has been spent both celebrating college acceptances along with coping with college rejections. Although it may be easier for students to react to rejections by comparing themselves to others or feeling like they aren’t good enough, College and Career Center advisor McKenna Parfet reminds students to try and focus on the acceptances rather than the rejections. Whenever students approach her about a rejection they received, she makes sure to ask them where they were accepted to try and have them focus on their victories instead.

“It’s definitely hard when it’s one of your first choice schools and you get that letter that says ‘No,’ but hopefully at this point, students have also heard of schools that have accepted them,” Parfet said. “So focusing on the positives, … on the schools that do really want you and do want to give you that chance to attend, that’s definitely the biggest thing.”

Parfet reminds students that although dealing with college rejections can be difficult, the college they ultimately attend will matter more.

“In a year, these things aren’t going to matter to seniors anymore,” Parfet said. “At the end of the day, at the end of however long they’re going to be in college, no one’s going to say ‘Oh where’d you get rejected from?’ It’s all about the school that you’re at.”

Take a look at the infographic below to read about Parfet’s advice on dealing with rejection.