As the trees start to blossom, the thick and thin college admission letters pile into mailboxes.  Year after year people apply to the ivy league and top tier universities, but does it really matter where you go?

Harvard’s acceptance rate was 5.9 percent this past year and Stanford was even less. People are bound to be rejected somewhere.

Students who face rejection will be joining: billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett, the founder of CNN Ted Turner, talk show host Meredith Vieira, President of Columbia University Lee Bollinger, nobel laureate Harold Varmus, and many more who have been rejected from at least one of their top choice schools.

Even our teachers who prepare the CHS students for college, have been rejected. Science teachers Gabriel DelaPaz and Nathan Peck were both rejected from top ivy league schools.

“I was rejected from Princeton,” Peck said. “And it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”

Many teachers at CHS were not rejected from schools, but they also only applied to only a few colleges.

CHS Principal Dan Gutchewsky explained that the college experience is a result of the effort you put into it.

“I have known people that went to highly selective universities and they did not apply themselves or take advantage of their opportunities and had a lackluster experience,” Gutchewsky said. “I have also known people who went to less prestigious school but took advantage of every opportunity and they had a great experience and received a great education.”

As students apply to more colleges there is an increased likelihood that they will get rejected.  Counselor Carolyn Blair works with students throughout the college process.

“I think the thing to remember is that there are lots of great schools out there that provide an excellent education,” Blair said. “If we don’t get tied up in the name brand race, things work out just fine.”