Dear Friend,
If you’ve been rejected from your dream school, then this is the only article you’ll need to read.
You just need to trust me.
My name is Jason, and I run PenningPapers.com.
I’ve done consulting for students and helped them get accepted into some of the best schools in the nation… and, I’ve counseled students who’ve been rejected from even the lowest of safety schools.
Long story short: I’ve seen it all.
Some came to me ashamed. Others were embarrassed. Some couldn’t bear to think what their classmates would think of them as they proudly waved their ivy league banners during graduation. A lot of them felt like they missed out.
They felt like it was all over.
And, because I was the “cool Asian teacher”, everyone expected me to have some kind of Asian Kung fu proverb.
I didn’t.
But, I’d always say “it’s gonna be okay” and you probably already know what they said in response.
That’s right.
They were the exception. It was all over for them. There’s no more hope left.
But… here’s the catch.
I Was Right!!!
Okay… yeah. I shouldn’t make that font so big. Sorry, I just like bragging about being right.
Here. I’ll make it smaller.
I was right…
Better? Better.
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
“Jason’s going to tell me to ‘learn to code’ or ‘go to trade school’ or ‘learn Karate from him’.”
I’m not. Sorry: nothing against coders and tradespeople and martial artists. They’re cool! That’s just not the light at the end of the tunnel I’m giving you.
I know getting rejected from your dream school means you lose more than just job opportunities. I know!
I was 18 too!
You can lose…
- Internship opportunities
- A high-paying job
- The chance to prove everyone wrong
- A cushy job at the end of graduation
- Cool new friends
- A beautiful environment
- Independence from family and home
- Life’s next chapter and great big adventure
- Your possible future spouse
- Fantasies of studying on campus like you’ve been imagining in your head
- Did we say money?
If ANY of these items in the list above gave you a sense of sadness, then listen close:
It’s going to be okay.
It’s going to be okay.
Got it?
It’s going to be okay.
…Got it!
Now, the real question is this: how do I even know that things are going to be okay?
I mean, I don’t really know you. Besides, this website gets visits from all sorts of people. You could be an aspiring engineer. Or, maybe you were rejected from Art school. So, how would I even know that things are going to be okay?
Well, there’s one thing I know that tells me you’ll succeed.
You’re still reading this article right now.
Yup. That’s it.
Okay, okay. I know what you’re probably thinking. (again)
“Jason, there’s no way me continuing to read your stupid article means that I’ll be able to recover from getting rejected from my dream schools.”
But, it does!
How do I know that? Well, let me explain.
The college admissions process is perhaps one of the most anxiety-inducing events students below the age of 22 can endure.
This is because teachers, parents, peers, and even our overwhelming society have The Calculator.
We all know what The Calculator is.
It’s that calculation in our heads that determines self-worth.
Especially in comparison to others.
Am I prettier than the other girls?
Do I look hotter than the other dudes?
Am I smarter than everyone?
Will I come back to the high school reunion a millionaire and impressing everyone with my Lamborghini and six-pack abs, while everyone else is fat and paying off a mortgage?
It’s everyone’s fantasy.
It’s enough to make people sick. It’s enough to make people tired of trying so hard. It’s enough to make everyone give up.
Gosh.
I’ve even had students throw up in my office back when I did college consulting for another firm back in SoCal.
But, even when I told you something as ridiculous as “it’s gonna be okay” when it seems like the world is falling apart…
…what did you do?
You Listened. You Kept Reading.
You Have Hope!!!
And, it is the student who has HOPE who I KNOW will be OKAY.
So, if you came to this article looking for some kind of SECRET INGREDIENT…
Well, I have one.
Okay… I lied.
I have two. There are two SECRET INGREDIENTS you NEED.
Secret Ingredient 1: Hope… Obviously
Don’t underestimate hope. Seriously… Don’t underestimate the power of having hope.
I say this both as someone who has seen the results of college consulting for years now AND an entrepreneur who managed to become successfully self-employed with (arguably) the coolest career ever.
Hope is VITAL.
Without hope, we have nothing.
A hopeless life has no light at the end of the tunnel. It’s the dark side of Nihilism. It’s… you get the point.
Nonetheless, we often forget just how much having hope helps people crawl out of Hell.
The students I’ve worked with who have given up hope have already signed out of the game.
They refuse to play the game of success anymore, whether it’s for better job opportunities, better opportunities to build friendships, etc.
They’re out of the game.
Poof. Gone.
That means Netflix and burgers and video games and TikTok all day.
The students who have hope are different.
They still have a chance to turn things around in life by making the most of their situation. They’re at a disadvantage… sure. But, they’re at least in the game.
People with hope have a lower chance of success. BUT, they have more success than 0. And, even a little bit is more than 0.
Theoretically, it’s INFINITELY more than 0.
Super Duper Secret Ingredient 2: The Penitent Vow
I know this super duper secret ingredient sounds like something from a video game…
But, cheesiness aside, I can solemnly swear that this works.
How do I know?
Well, that’s because it’s actually less magical than it sounds.
In fact, The Penitent Vow is more of a meaningfully powerful exercise I implement with my students to maximize their chances of success —despite getting rejected from every college!
More specifically, The Penitent Vow is a term I made for a comprehensive action-based plan that does three things.
Note: You need an organized notebook to do this.
- Records what schools you were rejected from and what it made you feel.
- Articulates what you want.
- Creates a roadmap that manifests the life you’d want –based on your own desires.
I based The Penitent Vow on therapeutic practices that have helped many of my students and clients who felt lost and mentally strained.
You NEED to follow these three steps in order to help yourself overcome the grief of the college admissions process. Oh, and you shouldn’t be just willy-nilly about this.
Seriously, take your time doing these three steps. You WON’T regret it.
By recording the feelings you’ve had from being rejected from school and putting them on paper, you can make sense of the whirlwind of emotional baggage in your mind. It’s in disorder. And, writing it can help organize them and make it easier to grieve.
By articulating what you want in organized and structured paragraphs, you will discover a lot more of your personal life desires than you originally thought. This exercise will open the world to you beyond just the college admissions decisions alone.
By creating a roadmap, you are creating a vow. This is a vow that you will do the things you know you need to do to manifest a meaningful life that you are happy with. Maybe you wanted to work in an investment bank; so, getting into an Ivy League school was necessary. But, you were rejected and need another path toward wealth and respect. Making a roadmap and following through with it will help you find a path that you are happy with and will aim toward, even when plans fall apart. That’s the key. The roadmap should give you instructions on what to do in the next few years and steps to take when plans fall apart.
Also: this is a vow.
So, it’s just as much a spiritual act as it is a logical one.
If you’ve made it this far, you have hope, and you create your own Penitent Vow: you will be okay.
You will be okay.
Now, I could end it here. But, I don’t want to be your Karate Master for just this one article.
I want to treat you the way my students were treated when they were at their lowest.
I want to treat you the way I would want to be treated.
I want to offer you guidance.
So, am I your Karate Master for this one article?
Or…
Am I your Karate Master for life?
Hint: I never even practiced karate. I did Taekwondo. I sucked too.
So… maybe I shouldn’t be your Karate Master.
However, I can be your guide throughout these chaotic times.
Everyone’s getting rejected from college. I know how it feels. I know.
It’s because of that that I am willing to guide students personally as their coach. I can even help you create your own Penitent Vows that would guide you to a greater future career.
If you feel lost. If you feel uncertain. I will guide you personally just like I did with my previous students. This is a program that I am hosting that is ONLY one-on-one.
Unlike other classes like my SAT prep help, college admissions consulting services, and education services, this is a personal service.
It can only be done one-on-one.
Look: Everyone’s situation is different.
I get that. That’s why I don’t want to charge exorbitant prices for this. It’s the responsibility of an entrepreneur and a Karate Master to both help you kick ass AND for the most reasonable price possible.
That’s why I don’t want to take a single penny from you until you believe that having me coach you will work. I will not deposit a single dime from you until you’ve requested through my form a free call or Zoom meeting.
Until then, when you’ve gained hope, only then will I provide you my…
Super Duper Ultra Sneaky Secret Coaching Service.
Until then, remember always this:
There is more than one path to the top of the mountain.
