Where you get accepted and where you don't get accepted doesn't define you for the rest of your life. Currently, the high-school class of 2017 is receiving the last of their college acceptances and of course the more traumatizing counterpart: the rejections. The truth is that where you end up going to college doesn't define you. You may get into the best school in the nation, but it's up to you to use it towards your advantage. People can easily waste their opportunities and their extensive education by sitting back and expecting these amazing things to simply appear. Each person has to fight and kick and search for a chance to mark their place in the world. Whether you graduate from Tufts or Harvard or your local community college, you are the person that builds your life at every stage. This means that if your dream school decided that they couldn't take you, wipe away the tears and look at the achievements you've already had. Envision all the success you will have if you set your mind and your heart to it, regardless of the school you end up in. The future is always waiting for you, so stay optimistic and make it count.