Probably didn’t even make it on their listserv

You sat through dozens of mandatory interest meetings, spent hours editing your application until it was typo-free, and woke up your roommate three times while practicing your audition monologue. In short, you thought acceptance in this club was basically guaranteed. Then, you get the email and read, “Unfortunately, we were not able to accept you at this time…” reminding you of every college rejection letter you’ve ever received. Joining this club was your dream, so what can you do now?

1. Wallow in self-pity. Cry your eyes out, call your mom, and buy a tub of ice cream to eat out of the carton while watching sad movies. Obviously, you deserved to get in and these people can’t see the genius that you could have offered. Make sure everyone you come in contact with is aware of that for the rest of the semester.

2. Show up to their meetings anyway. When they tell you that they don’t have your name on the list, tell them that there must be a mistake and see how long you can keep it up. If you’ve figured out, stand outside their meetings and sing old Hannah Montana songs loudly so they know you’re still there and still interested.

3. Curse them. Use all the free time you have now to learn the finer details of witchcraft and channel your rage into a good, old-fashioned curse. You’ll have learned something new and gotten your revenge, so basically, it’s a win-win.

4. Reach out and see if there are any other ways you can get involved. Some clubs have open meetings or practices anyone can attend.Theatre productions always seem to need an extra hand to help with make-up and sets. You’ll gain some experience (and some brownie points) that you’ll be able to point to if you decide to apply again.

5. Start your own rival club. Starting a club is quite possibly the easiest thing you can do at Columbia, according to every campus tour ever given. Obviously this school needs another a capella group or debate team, so grab a couple friends and start competing. By next year, their members will be applying to join your club.

6. Befriend everyone in the club. Not only are you making new friends, but if they like you, it’ll be a lot harder for them to reject you next semester.

7. Use the rage of rejection to fuel other pursuits. Whether it’s going to the gym, reading for fun, or using Duolingo to learn a new language, there’s a lot you can do when you don’t have club meetings every evening. Use this time to learn something that will make you the envy of all.

8. Explore the city. Take advantage of the free admission with your CUID and go to museums or head to Central Park with a friend and try to pet as many dogs as you can. New York City is a big place and you can probably have a lot more fun getting to know a new place than meeting for an hour in a crowded, room in Lerner.

9. Apply for your dream internship. You have a lot of experience writing applications at this point and enough free time on your hands to hold down a job. Sure, it’s another opportunity for rejection, but you should be used to that by now.

10. Join clubs that don’t require applications. There’s a 98% chance there’s an equivalent of the club you wanted to join without the extra hassle of an application, audition, or interview. You could even try something new and get the same amount of fun, community, experience for your resume without the stress.

Going to the club via Public Domain