The first round of admissions decisions for Clemson University came out on a December evening, days before midterms at my South Carolina high school. Everything that day felt like a waiting game.

Nearly my entire senior class had applied early action, one of the many admissions plans that schools offer to apply to college. It requires submitting applications early to get an early answer, with decisions from colleges coming around mid-December.

We all knew that there was a possibility of rejection, but Clemson was the dream school for many kids in my town. They had been decked out in orange and purple gear since they were born, a foregone conclusion since they spent their first nights as toddlers in the stands at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. They would go to Clemson, cheer for the Tigers a

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