Student Rejected From 100% Of The Colleges He Applied To Shows What Life Is Like 2 Years Later— 'It's Going To Get Better'
He went from a 100% rejection rate to getting into the business school of his dreams.
TikTok A college student whose boyfriend got rejected from every college he applied to had words of advice for graduating high school seniors– “it’s going to get better,” she said.
Sam Chang’s boyfriend Ethan had a 100% rejection rate for his college applications, despite studying hard and focusing on his academics.
“When we were in high school, my boyfriend worked hard and still got zero acceptances— not a single waitlist. 100% rejection rate,” Sam posted in a TikTok video.
Sam shared footage of Ethan studying hard, with the words '100% rejection rate' overlaid onto his picture.
Ethan’s story had a happy ending, though, as Sam acknowledged in her post: “But don’t worry, look at him now. Two years later [he] got into UC Berkeley Haas, one of the best business undergrad programs in the US.”
Sam showed herself smiling proudly, standing next to Ethan, who wore a Berkeley shirt.
'To all high school seniors getting their college decisions, it’s going to get better.' Sam said. 'You’re gonna be okay!'
Sam explained that Ethan went to community college for two years, then transferred to Berkeley. She said "Ethan laughs about his decision stats now,” showing that there's always room for change. When asked exactly how he did it, Sam offered guidance, saying, “get good grades at a community college, participate in some extracurriculars on campus, or pursue volunteer [and] internship opportunities.”
For those aspiring to follow Ethan’s path, it’s valuable to note that acceptance rates for transfers at UC Berkeley are about double those of the regular round of acceptances.
In the fall of 2022, UC Berkeley admitted about 5,250 students out of 19,300 applicants. The UC Berkeley transfer acceptance rate in 2022 was 27%.
Ethan’s journey from community college to a prestigious university business program shows the value of taking one’s time, and not giving up when the outcome of hard work isn’t what you expected.
One person thanked Sam for the post on Ethan’s college acceptance story, and Sam replied, “You’ve got this! Truly.”
Another commenter noted a similar experience, saying, "The same thing happened to me!" She explained that she, too, spent two years attending a community college, then got accepted into various four-year universities, and made the decision to transfer.
Transferring schools is a solid option for students who don't initially get accepted into the schools that they want to attend. Transferring to a different school doesn't signify failure; in fact, it shows determination and necessitates hard work.
Yet another person stated in the comments to Sam's post stated, “The thing is, I don’t think I have it in me to hold out two years if I get rejected everywhere.”
Sam responded to the comment positively, saying, “If that’s what happens, you can hold out and it’ll be worth [it]. Literally, everyone I knew in high school and their moms got into UCLA as transfers this year.”
95% of UC Berkeley’s transfer students come out of California community colleges, like Ethan did, a fact that holds a valuable message— there’s always time to change direction and to get a second chance at your college goals.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers celebrity gossip, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.