"The reality is that college admissions (officers) are looking for well-rounded classes," says the Casady School's associate director of college counseling. "I tell my students that rejection letters often have little to do with your actual high school performance; instead it has more to do with the college’s freshman profile. Imagine a huge table. Colleges want to fill that table with a diverse group of people. Sometimes this will work to your advantage. Many colleges in the northeast, for example, still think Oklahoma candidates are like peacocks – rare and exotic. They want your bright feathers at their table."
And sometimes, that works to a student's disadvantage. So how does a family deal with this reality, when there's little they can do about it?
"The overarching key then is to believe you can and will be happy at many different tables," says Bottomly. "I know many alumni who didn’t get invited to the table of their choice, but because of their attitude and approach, they are enjoying fine dining right where they are. Any hurt then has been replaced with happiness now."
