Getting rejected is a huge bummer, and if you are reading this blog, things didn’t go your way in Yale’s . But try not to stress out. There is still time to turn it all around. It is just going to take some work.

First, don’t be embarrassed: it is hard to get into Yale. Last year, their acceptance rate was just around , which is super low. And while they haven’t released an EA acceptance rate since 2022, it was only around at the time (we would bet that it is even lower now.) These are low enough rates that they had to reject many great students. The important thing is not to let this rejection derail you. This next month is going to be important for your other apps and will require a lot of focus.

Every year, we help students after rejections. Contact us to get expert help!

The TL;DR is that this happens, and you need to take some steps to ensure that the rest of your applications set you up for success. Let’s break them down.

Step 1: Breathe

If you need some time, take 2-3 days to get your mind right. This might be the first significant rejection that you have ever gotten. If you applied to Yale, you are likely a high-achieving student and can be pretty hard on yourself. But this isn’t the time to beat yourself up. You will need to put your best foot forward for the RD round, but you can’t do that if you are spiraling.

Step 2: Strategize

Strategy is a massive part of our job, and it isn’t too late to add some strategy to your application season. Whenever we work with a student, one of our first steps is to help them make a balanced and strategic college list.

Yale’s single-choice early action actually lets you apply to some other schools early (contrary to what the name suggests). So, there is a chance that you have already gotten into other public, international, or non-binding programs. However, there is a significant chance that you either haven’t heard back from any other schools or didn’t apply to any other early programs. In either case, it is worth relooking at your college list (but especially worth it if you haven’t been accepted into any other schools.)

A balanced list needs to have a mix of reach, target, and safety schools. The most common mistake students make is having too many reach schools on their list. You don’t have to delete all your reach schools just because you didn’t get into Yale, but you need to make your list work for you, even your reaches. If you don't know where to start, we have a blog about how to make a great college list.

You want to be realistic in your college choices, but more than that, you want to make sure the safeties and targets are actually schools you want to attend. This might mean thinking about what you liked about Yale. We have found that students who like Yale often like Wesleyan, Wash U, Wake Forest, Carnegie Mellon, Williams, and Vassar (to name a few.)

This brings us to our next point: you need to consider ED2 options strongly. The good news is that Wesleyan, Wash U, Wake Forest, and Vassar all offer ED2. Many schools offer you a second chance to commit to a school in exchange for a higher acceptance rate. You should check your list to see if any of your top schools offer an ED2 round because it is a great tool. We usually have the students we work with create a strong ED2 contingency plan before they even hear back from their early schools, but it isn’t too late to strategize.

Finally, when creating a strategic college list, you need to make sure that your targets are really targets and your safeties are really safeties. And this can’t be based on a hunch. You need to look at the data. While you can get some of this data from class profiles and Common Data sets, you should also speak to your school counselor and/or a private counselor like us. They (or we) can help you check your list further to ensure it is balanced.

Step Three: Essays

This will be a bitter pill to swallow, but you will most likely need to rewrite your Common App essay. The Common App essay is only one of the factors that admissions offices look at, but it is one that you have complete control of, even now. You can’t change your grades or scores at this point, but you can make sure your essays stand out in the right ways. It is your opportunity to showcase your positive qualities and winning personality. At elite schools, they have too many qualified applicants for the number of spots available. A great essay can be the difference between an acceptance and a rejection.

When students come to us after a rejection, we always reassess their essays, and they always need at least a good edit, if not a full rewrite. If you don’t know where to start, we made an Official Common App Essay Guide for 2024-2025 with all our best tips. We also publish blogs with tips for college-specific supplemental essays. We specialize in helping students craft stand-out, creative essays and can help you if you need it.

Step Four: Ask for Help

It is easy to procrastinate, especially after a rejection, but you don’t really have the time to do that. You need to use the next two weeks to your advantage and put in the work to make sure your RD round is set up for success. Honestly, it is the perfect time to ask for help. We even offer a specific package for students in your exact position, the “It’s Going to Be Okay” package. It is an intensive that ensures that the next two weeks lead you to success.

We set you up with a dedicated counselor who will review your applications and flag any issues. Then, they will help you execute, edit, and strengthen your apps. If you are looking for someone to go through your work with a fine-toothed comb and work with you through hard edits and strategic decision-making, we have you covered!

We know getting rejected hurts, but that doesn’t mean you can drop the ball on your applications. Follow these tips to set yourself up well for the greatest chance of success during the regular decision round, and if you need help, we are here for you! 

We will work with you to get accepted during RD. Contact us here.