1. Review why you got rejected

Allow yourself some time to grieve and process your emotions. Do not bottle it up, but share the sorrow with friends and family members so you have a healthy support system to tide you through this period.

The very first thing you can do is to review your application and find out possible reasons for the university rejection. It could be that you did not meet the minimum grades for admission, a mediocre personal statement, or simply because the programme has an influx of applicants and limited spaces.

Instead of having a “failure mentality”, clearly stating the possible factors that contributed to an unsuccessful application will allow you to rationalise your negative thoughts and shift the focus to areas of self-improvement instead of digging into a self-deprecating hole.

2. Self-Improvement

While it is natural to find something to blame, there is no point in losing sleep over things beyond our control. A limited intake or minimum requirement set by the school are factors we have no control over. What we can however is control our own skills and qualifications. So rather than wallow in self-pity, turn this energy into productivity instead!

After you have listed out all the possible factors of rejection, start by focusing on ways to improve your application for the next round of university intake. For instance, you are a talented artist but perhaps the portfolio you submitted was not strong enough. With this understanding, you are able to focus on building a better portfolio instead of thinking that you are a terrible artist. Or maybe you are a great leader but your personal statement was not impactful enough. With this factor clearly stated, you are able to focus on the aspect of writing a more powerful personal statement instead of putting yourself down.

You can also use this pocket of time to hone your skills and gain more experience in the relevant field by working or taking up an internship. This may help strengthen your application for the next intake, help add to your portfolio, and may also increase your confidence in the industry with your new experience. What’s more, earning some income during this interim is a bonus.

Besides looking for a job, you could also embark on personal projects that will help boost your portfolio especially if your chosen programme focuses more on skills than theory. If you are pursuing design for example, you could start designing illustrations for your friends or loved ones. If you are an aspiring photographer or filmmaker, start exploring your creativity by shooting things at home or on the streets. If you are studying to be a writer of any field, start writing about anything and everything such as lifestyle, current events or opinion pieces.

3. Back-up plan

When one door closes, another door opens. There are many opportunities out there for you, so instead of crying over a closed door, take heart and move on to new discoveries.

You can search for other universities or learning institutes that offer a similar programme and are still accepting applications instead of waiting a whole academic year or semester to reapply. You can also take a detour and enrol into a diploma programme in a similar field or a university foundation course instead and use this qualification to enter into an undergraduate programme later on.

Alternatively, you could start afresh and enrol into a completely new course or country from the one you intended! Keep an open mind and you never know what passions you may find or what hidden talents you will uncover.

4. If you are applying to the same university...

There are some things you can do for your next application should you wish to reapply and that is to prepare for the university entrance examinations or standardised test. Besides that, honing your communication skills may serve helpful for the admission interview. Additionally, make sure you are well-prepared for the language proficiency test required by the school. Do practice ahead so that you have a higher chance of excelling in the test.

Another step you can take for your future application is to engage the help of an education agent Education agents are experts in policies and education systems around the world and will be able to prepare you for a favourable outcome in your next university application.

There are many ways to reach your goal and the world is full of opportunities; always keep an open mind to other pathways and not get too fixated on just one. This one rejection does not dictate the rest of your life. So, wipe those tears, sweep the negativity away, and regain control of your future!