Erica A. Seldin finished in the top 5 percent of her class at Cherry Creek High School in suburban Denver, while taking a demanding curriculum that included 10 Advanced Placement courses. She received the highest score possible--five--on most of her AP tests. Seldin was also president of the school's Thespian Society, acting in and directing a number of plays. So when it came to applying to college two years ago, she aimed high. Seldin compiled a college list that she says included "one reach school, two good matches, and two safeties." Her reach was Columbia University, to which she applied early. But Seldin was rejected by four of the five institutions. Seldin's college search experiences reflect the fact that elite institutions are becoming increasingly selective and, as a result, create growing uncertainty and frustration among students and their families. There are three reasons why these things happen: (1) Students do not research their options well enough in advance because they are unsophisticated about the process; (2) Students who are sophisticated about the process, yet, in spite of good efforts from college-counseling folks, choose to overshoot; and (3) Candidates who are great in every way, yet do not have the "edges" to rise to the top of anyone's pool. This article discusses the various options students may have if they are rejected by their colleges of choice.