Dear College Admissions Officer....Signed, A Very Tired Senior

Dear College Admissions Officer,

I hope this letter finds you well. I, on the other hand, am not well; I am a high school senior, and the process of applying to college has left me depleted of all energy and excitement. I received your rejection letter today, and well, I understand that it's your party and you made the guest list, but I have one question. Before I ask, let me give you a little background first.

It all began back in freshman year, one might say. Take the most challenging coursework…check. Join clubs…check. Be on a team; multiple teams if the seasons don't overlap…check. Keep those grades up…check. Sophomore year surely would be easier. Then, it was just a matter of adding a few AP courses, running for student government (after all, you told me leadership counts), and volunteering at a local soup kitchen. And, of course, who can forget my summer job right before my junior year? Lifeguarding showed both my athleticism and my commitment to serving others. (It doesn't hurt that I love the beach; I just needed to figure out a way to take a course at your esteemed school over the summer as well. You told me that demonstrated interest matters!)

Just when I thought I might have it all under control, along came junior year. Five AP courses seemed manageable, and my friends working toward an IB diploma told me they were also going to squeeze in an AP test or two (self-taught, of course). Remember…you said AP courses tend to be more accepted for credit than IB at your school. We were listening! I became captain of one team (along with the three other captains…yes, leadership counts). I couldn't become captain of that second team, though, but really as a benchwarmer, it shouldn't have mattered. I was still there, showing up for practices and waiting for my turn. (Looking back, I probably could have used that time to study Physics which was slowly destroying my dignity, but extracurriculars matter. I was listening when you said that!)

Physics tutoring on a Saturday morning fit pretty well with my SAT and ACT tutoring. Four hours of tutoring on the weekend was a small price to pay. After all, maybe I could do well on both exams and submit them to you so you could see how driven I really was. (You said test scores are optional, but I have seen the stats, and I am not sure I really believe that.)

Did I mention that I went on two service trips? I also took on a part-time job at a local pool; consistency matters, you said. The National Honor Society looks good on my resume; maybe there's a leadership position I can also earn there. There should be plenty to go around, right?

I visited your school twice and signed into all your webinars and Facebook Live sessions. I like all your pictures on Instagram, even though I was trying to curb my usage and it cut into my studying…but demonstrated interest remember?

Summer of junior year! How exciting? Squeezed in a Habitat for Humanity trip, worked two jobs (college isn't going to pay for itself), prepped for the SAT (it turned out that ACT wasn't for me), and before I knew it, it was August 1. The Common App was open, and it was time! You were my first choice, but my family wasn't sure we should commit to Early Decision. It's binding; you told me that, and I listened. But Early Action, here I come! (I added twelve other schools as well, but it's okay if you think you're the only one…I know, I know, demonstrated interest matters.) Some might ask why so many, but I guess now that you rejected me, it's a good thing I did.

My essay…well, not to brag, but it was terrific. I managed to pull together two otherwise benign events that metaphorically represented my transformation into a young adult. Quite original, if I do say, so myself and my essay tutor was very impressed. Only took eight drafts and seven sets of revisions, but wow, I was happy. Cutting out those last ten words for your 650-word limit was a challenge, but the Common App made sure to stop me at 650, and I respect limits!

I did your three supplemental essays. I will admit to being a little challenged by the one …well, never mind, I don't want to give away my ideas, but I will tell you nothing like a good abstract question with a 200-word limit to really take up your time as you think about how to best stand out. But it only took me three weeks!

I did twenty other supplements for the other schools on my list. It was a bit much because none really overlapped, but I did manage to recycle a few ideas; hey, they are my ideas, so that is ethically fine.

There was that one school that wasn't on the Common App. That was fun. But it only took a few days to complete the entire Coalition App. For some reason, many of the questions were the same as the Common App, but there wasn't much choice in the matter. So I dutifully completed all the questions and sent it on the way.

Don't forget the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. Somewhere in the reams of paper that my father needed to copy (we made redacting social security numbers a family affair), he seemed to have lost some of his sanity. We forgot you only wanted last year's tax returns, but four other schools needed two years back, and why couldn't we upload those to iDoc for you and some others? Well, never mind, once we found a fax machine in 2022, things were humming right along again.

And let's not forget the SRAR! A new, fun addition to so many applications! I got your e-mail that you needed me to self-report all my high school grades, even though my guidance counselor sent you an official transcript. Felt like an endurance contest at this point, but I was up to the challenge! It was so much fun when one school wanted the grades by quarters, one by semesters, and another by the year... kept me from getting bored with the process. And yes, I sent my scores to College Board. All those hours and hours and hours of prep paid off.. 1520 on the SAT. It's true; if you prep enough, you can succeed!

I was a little surprised when I got deferred, but you told me it was competitive! I listened. I know there's not enough space for everyone. I know it might not be enough: 1520, a 101.2 weighted average, 12 AP courses, two sport Varsity Athlete (and Captain on one!), National Honor Society secretary, four clubs, two service trips, a house built for Habitat for Humanity, two jobs…well, you know all this; it was on my resume. But deferred? Not rejected…there was hope!

So I sent you a letter telling you I wanted to attend even more! I sent you two more letters of recommendation, my mid-year grades (Principal's List…look at me), and my award for Student-Athlete! I also visited one more time…demonstrated interest!

Anyway, after all of that, I got your rejection today, and I guess I am just curious. I know you don't owe me an explanation and this happens to a lot of students. I just was wondering, would you be so kind as to tell me what more could I have done?

If anything matters, I want you to know I listened. I did it all and then some. I tried my best. I guess this time, my best just wasn't good enough.

Sincerely, A Very Tired Senior