BY MICHAEL NEWCOMER, Tarpon Springs High

Rejection hurts, whether it be from unrequited love, Sam’s Club or that college you absolutely have to attend or you will just die. When you first click to open the Web page, or stick your finger under the seal of the envelope that holds your future, you’re very vulnerable. You poured your heart and soul into that college application. You scan for signs of reprieve, but you don’t really have to go past the first two words: “We regret …”

You consider maybe it’s a joke, you’re on Candid Camera and that if you keep reading, the letter will say, “We regret to inform you that … YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR OUR FALL 2012 TERM!” But it doesn’t. Your heart sinks, and for at least two solid hours there’s no consolation in the world that will make you feel any better.

Some colleges try to let you down easy.

For example, Stanford University consoles with accolades of your academic accomplishments. “It is with regret that I write to inform you that we are unable to offer you admission to the freshman class at Stanford University. Please know that this decision does not reflect any deficiency or weakness in your application. We are humbled by your talents and achievements, and are impressed with the commitment that you have shown in all of your academic and extracurricular endeavors.”

Apparently, though, they weren’t impressed enough.

Others go straight for the jugular, perhaps on the theory a clean kill is the least painful.

University of California, Irvine, is terse: “We are sorry that we are not able to offer you admission for Fall quarter, 2012. Your application to UC Irvine is now closed.”

Of course, no words tucked inside a rejection letter can make you feel much better; it is, after all, a rejection letter. The best thing to do is just sit in solitude for a while, cry your eyes out if that’s the type of person you are, pick yourself back up and move on. There are thousands upon thousands of colleges to choose from, which is why it’s a good policy to apply to many, and apply early. Even if your heart is set on that one school, almost every state school has a feeder school (usually a community college) where you can take a couple of semesters and transfer in.

We live in America, after all, the land of second chances. If you messed around in high school, chances are you’re going to have to pay for it, but there are open doors, too.

Some are right inside that rejection letter.