Please note:

The MIT Welcome Center (E38) will be closing at 2 PM on November 27. MIT and the admissions office will be closed November 28–29 for Thanksgiving break, and will open on December 2.

MIT blogger Cami M. '23

And tomorrow brings a new day by Cami M. '23

Around this time of the year, we’re always told to write something decision-conscious, whether that be congratulating those who got in or consoling those who were rejected or deferred and waitlisted. Every time this period comes around, I don’t really write anything at all, leaving it to the people with more nuance and who could write better than I ever could.

I will try my best to keep this short, as I’m sure this is a sensitive time and sometimes there are not enough words in the world to comfort rejection or the long waiting period in between.

But do know that you are courageous for applying, for taking the deep dive and demonstrating your vulnerability and sharing that part of yourself. College admissions is a volatile and confusing period. I was incredibly lost and stressed and nervous my senior year and I know how scary it is to package your identity up into tiny little essays, shipping them off randomly across the country or even across the world.

I know how frustrating it is to hear “It gets better” or “You will end up where you need to be” since you have put your all into MIT. And I know how even more frustrating it is to hear it from the very same people that attend that school, almost hypocritical in a way.

What I also know, though, is that there is a certain merit in all of these statements. There is a larger world outside of the tiny little blip that is MIT. The world out there is rich and teeming with opportunities and tidbits that are just as fulfilling and exciting and I hope you that, after you take the time to take care of yourself and recover from this very difficult period, you can explore these wonders out there.

I encourage you to still contain the courage you had in applying and take that with you. To keep that same excitement about education and the world around you. And to grow that at wherever you choose to go next.

But please, do take care of yourself. The sting of rejection is all too familiar for nearly everyone in this world and the only thing we can do, really, is to find joy in other outlets. I hope you can sit down and pet a dog. Or paint a painting. Or take a walk or hike or bike ride and realize that this small rejection in your life by no means defines your worth or value.

I hope you find peace with the decision you’ve received, and that you take as much time as you need to process.

Here are a few of my favorite YouTube channels that bring me joy when I’m sad.

And here are a few of my comfort shows that calm me down after a particularly stressful time:

  • Hilda (Netflix)
  • Over The Garden Wall (various sources online)
  • Adventure Time (Hulu)
  • Phineas and Ferb (Disney+)
  • Milo Murphy’s Law (Disney+)

My inbox is always open if you’d like to rant or vent or get out your frustrations. Scream, cry, do whatever you need to get it out, and I am here to listen.