Back in the stone age, when I was applying for colleges, I applied to probably 10 schools. A few were Ivy League (my first choice was Georgetown), a few were not Ivy League but had amazing reputations. I had a 4.0 GPA and 1300 SAT. I had all the check boxes on extra curriculars and volunteering... blah blah blah.

I got rejection letters from EIGHT schools. An acceptance to ONE school. And wait listed at one school. I was dumbfounded. Heartbroken. Mortified.

I found out a friend of mine, with a nearly identical background and grades as me got into THE Ivy League. The behemoth of Ivy Leagues. And of course I thought, what the heck?

I mean how good was her personal essay, right???

Her mom told my mom they paid a consultant to "help" her with her application. And suddenly, it all made sense.

I'm not telling you this to feel sorry for me. I know I speak from a voice of privilege to even have the opportunity to go to college. And I'm not telling you this to rat out a person I haven't had contact with in 20 years.

I'm telling you this story because those eight college rejections? They helped shape me! They helped me learn that just because you look good on some paper work doesn't promise you anything. I cried for days after receiving those rejections, but did I die? No. Did I wind up have an amazing future that I would not change for anything. SO MUCH YES.

My friend's experience taught me something else that spring. It taught me that people cut corners. A lot. And in everything. And money can get you places you don't necessarily belong. But that doesn't make it right.

I sometimes wonder about my friend's college experience. Did she excel? Or did she feel out of place?

I take almost everything with a grain of salt these days. Awards, titles, politics? There is so much going on behind the scenes that set the stage. Things we know nothing about.

I'm grateful for those college rejections, because they taught me so much that spring. And it helped me land somewhere that I belonged. Which, no, was not Georgetown. Turns out I didn't belong there. But the school I did go to? I earned that spot. I think I came out on top in this scenario, and that feels good.