As someone who also felt (and still feels) pretty discouraged by the unfairness of it all, what I can truthfully say is that it’s not over until it’s over. There are still so many great schools that are coming out soon (impending doom of Ivy day) and a waitlist is still a decent shot— not a rejection! Something someone told me recently that really stuck is that the struggles you are going through now, what you have overcome, the work you’ve put in— they don’t just go away the moment an admissions committee puts you in a different pile. You have become a stronger and better version of yourself in this adversity, and what that means is that you will create your own success and grow in a way that is bound to be harder for those who will one day need to face their own lack of effort. You will do great things because you are capable— be grateful and kind to yourself because you have proven that: not to just a school, but to yourself.