It is no shock that receiving faculty rejection letters, particularly from a prime faculty, could be extraordinarily disheartening.
Nonetheless, one highschool senior selected to really reply to a letter of rejection she had obtained from a somewhat prestigious college and refused to take their denial of her acceptance into their upcoming freshman class.
A pupil responded to Duke College’s rejection letter and advised them that she would nonetheless be attending.
In March 2015, Siobhan O’Dell, a 17-year-old highschool pupil, obtained her long-awaited choice from Duke College. As an alternative of hoping for an acceptance, O’Dell was disenchanted to have obtained a rejection letter and wasn’t going to be part of their fall 2015 freshman class.
As an alternative of being upset by the rejection, O’Dell determined to do one thing distinctive and responded on to Duke College’s admission workers. O’Dell additionally determined to share the e-mail response on her Tumblr Web page, which shortly went viral.
“After cautious consideration, I remorse to tell you that I’m unable to simply accept your refusal to supply me admission into the Fall 2015 freshman class at Duke,” O’Dell’s e-mail learn. The highschool senior joked that she had been “lucky sufficient” to obtain different rejection letters from the “finest and brightest universities within the nation.”
“Regardless of Duke’s excellent success in rejecting earlier candidates, you merely didn’t meet my {qualifications}. Due to this fact, I cannot be attending Duke College’s 2015 freshman class,” she continued.
Whereas Duke College is not thought-about an Ivy League, the establishment continues to be often known as one of many prime faculties within the nation, and very selective when accepting candidates. In response to Prep Scholar, Duke’s acceptance charge is 8.9%, and for each 100 candidates, solely 9 are granted admission.
Whereas O’Dell did not assume Duke College would reply, she was shocked to see that they’d.
In an interview with CBS Information, O’Dell defined that she had initially despatched an e-mail again as a joke to get a few of her mates to snort, and had no concept that the e-mail would go viral, or that it could elicit a response from Duke.
“I wished to offer schools a style of their very own medication,” O’Dell advised the information outlet. “I had no concept the response can be this enormous.”
Duke College promptly replied to O’Dell’s e-mail, and whereas they did not change their thoughts and supplied her an acceptance, the establishment tried to make clear why their acceptance pool is as small as it’s.
“I perceive how disenchanted you’re that we had been unable to give you an area in our incoming class,” Duke’s e-mail learn, in accordance with CBS Information. “Please know that our choice was not a judgment of you as a pupil or an individual, however a mirrored image of our restricted house and proficient applicant pool.”
Whereas Duke supplied O’Dell an opportunity to repeal her rejection, the 17-year-old determined towards it, and as a substitute dedicated to the College of South Carolina, the place she studied Pre-med Biology.
O’Dell even supplied recommendation to excessive schoolers who’re both within the technique of sending out faculty functions or awaiting their choice. “Do not stress an excessive amount of. It isn’t price it.”
Nia Tipton is a author residing in Brooklyn. She covers popular culture, social justice points, and trending matters.
