It’s March and most seniors are nervously awaiting the arrival of their college decisions, checking our emails every five minutes. Either we open the letter and see, “ Congratulations, welcome to the class of … “ or “We are sorry to inform you that…”
If it so happens that we are turned away from our favorite schools, then we immediately turn to self-pity and wallowing. I believe that if PHS were to bring back the Wall of Rejection, this self pity and wallowing would turn into a community of support and the knowledge that rejection happens to everyone.
Over the years, individual teachers have held their own versions of the Wall of Rejection, but it would be much more successful if it were to be a school-wide event that anyone could participate in.
To nervous seniors, college rejection is a big deal. College rejection not only means that we are missing out on the opportunity to go to our dream school, but it can also make us feel insignificant compared to peers who were accepted to Harvard or Stanford. In order to build a stronger community, the Wall of Rejection will show that each student faces rejection and that nobody is alone.
Studies show that social rejection can be one of the most painful types of rejection, and it can lead to feelings of isolation and inadequacy. Even though being rejected from college is not necessarily social rejection, seniors who see their good friends being accepted into their top college or higher level universities tend to wonder why they were not accepted, leading to a whirlwind of negative emotions.
Out of 15 students informally surveyed about the Wall of Rejection, 14 said they were in favor of bringing it back. They thought that it would bring stronger feelings of a community and that it can be almost therapeutic, in the sense that it shows we are all in this this daunting college process together. However, some students believed that on each letter, the name of the person should be blacked out in order to keep it anonymous. I agree that we should maintain anonymity, because names should not be the main focus of this project.
At this time, many students bombard themselves with questions like: Am I good enough? Should I have taken more weighted classes or done more extracurriculars? Should I have spent more time on my essay or studying for the SAT?
The feelings of self-doubt can be overwhelming at this time in a senior’s life, and even though we have the support of our parents, it sometimes does not seem to be enough. Having the opportunity to come together and face this rejection together will not only show that we all face rejection but that we are stronger together.
Students may say that posting college rejection letters is too personal, or that it would only increase their feelings of self-doubt because now the whole high school knows what colleges they were not accepted into.
However, the Wall of Rejection would be optional and no one would be pressured into participating. It could be held in a certain room or in the hallway, wherever the students who are posting their rejection letters would feel most comfortable. By posting our letters, we can let go of something that we can’t and could never control, rather than holding onto it, physically and emotionally.
With the Wall of Rejection, when we either see the small skinny envelope or the large and clunky one, we know that in our acceptance or rejection, we will be able to confide in our peers and find support either way.
