Written by:
Wade Senti

Dealing with Rejection

As a people, we must accept the inevitable nature of rejection – whether it is in school, at work, or in relationships. It is tough to deal with, especially when rejection means deferring from a life path or a future that may never be realized.

As graduation nears – the quest for greater opportunity begins. However, many of us, including myself are at odds with the idea of choosing the right path and getting into the most competitive and ‘best fit’ graduate school or professional opportunity, while also dealing with the prospect of complete rejection.

After gathering the necessary materials – LSAT, GMAT, GRE, MCAT, recommendation letters, transcripts, and a personal statement, the task can be daunting. However, to push forward in life, one must do all of this – even if employment is the first stop before graduate school.

According to US News & World Report, admissions for MBA programs are finding record increases in applicants – two, three, even four times the numbers as those before the ‘recession.’ According to the same report, students should remind themselves of the competitive nature of many of these top graduate schools such as Harvard Business School, Wharton, and many others relating to business. Inclusively, applying as early as possible is essential to increasing admission chances, as well as ensuring the right mix or pre-professional and professional experience. The GMAT or GRE are a given, thus one must find other ways to gain a ‘competitive advantage’ ahead of the potential thousands within the same applicant pool.

It’s happened to the best and the brightest – Warren Buffet, Ted Turner, Meredith Vieira, and Tom Brokaw, rejection is just a part of life. The question is: how do we deal with this? Regardless of whether rejection comes from school, work, or a personal relationship, you have to turn any negativity into positive energy – fueling your desire to succeed, while also grounding you in what you have to do to reach your future expectations.