Letters of acceptance are simple, short, and beautiful. Loud, ecstatic screams, high-fives, tears of joy, hugs and kisses, quick phone calls to family and friends are a few of the euphoric expressions and excitement which accompany an acceptance. That one paragraph letter of congratulations reaffirms everyone's belief that life is good, hard work is rewarded, and total triumph and success are a few tuition payments and four short years away. Rejection letters, on the other hand, are devastating, demoralizing, and deflating to one's ego. They come in all sizes and forms and the message is always camouflaged in nice, understated rhetoric.
Few letters are straightforward rejection.
After all, how can you tell a straight A graduate who is also a student leader, an athlete, and an active and involved community volunteer that he or she is not good enough to be accepted. Too many outstanding high school graduates have their first real world encounter with rejection and disappointment long before they go out looking for a real job. And what adds insult to injury is that admissions officers always tell you what an impressive candidate you are. But they always add that there were thousands of applicants and all were also just as qualified and impressive as you are. And unfortunately, your name slipped off the acceptance lists of applicants.