SUBMITTING 100 APPLICATIONS AND HEARING BACK FROM 2.

Follow along for more candid conversations on the post-campus journey.

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We all arrived on those hallowed grounds with a certain unspoken understanding. A degree from one of these institutions felt like a golden ticket, a direct highway to career success, perhaps even a guaranteed pathway where doors swung open wide. We mastered complex subjects, thrived under immense pressure, and competed with the brightest minds globally. We were taught to excel, to innovate, to lead.

Then comes the job hunt after Ivy, and suddenly, the script flips. The reality is often a stark contrast to the expectations woven into our campus experience. This is the weird transition nobody warned us about. You pour hours into crafting the perfect resume and cover letter, leveraging every network connection, perfecting every interview technique. You hit submit, then submit again, and again. You watch that application count tick higher and higher.

For many of us, the experience quickly devolves into submitting 100 applications and hearing back from 2. The silence is deafening. The rejections, if they come at all, are often generic and impersonal. It leaves you questioning everything, wondering if all those late nights, all that relentless pursuit of excellence, truly prepared us for this impersonal, often frustrating, landscape. It feels like navigating a maze blindfolded.

If you’ve felt this disorienting shock, this sting of rejection after achieving so much, know that you are absolutely not alone. This is a shared experience, a common thread among us, regardless of our specific paths. It’s a testament not to our inadequacy, but to the unpredictable nature of the professional world beyond our ivy-covered walls. Let’s keep talking about these realities and build a community around navigating them together.

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