Tina Fey in ADMISSIONS
Tina Fey (in the movie "Admission")
David Lee—Focus Features

If you’ve been on the receiving end of a college rejection letter lately or are worried that one might be coming along any day now, take heart:

Many—if not just about all—of the most successful people in the country once got one too.

What’s more, when they looked back later in life, they often considered it a lucky break that they weren't accepted by their one-time dream college but landed instead at a different school where their talents blossomed.

Famous members of the thin-envelope, “we regret to inform you…” club include at least two U.S. presidents (including the current one), noted authors, and celebrated entertainers.

Whether the college admission officers who turned them away ever saw their error of their ways and came to regret their decisions seems to have gone unrecorded.

Best college education image

Here, in alphabetical order, are seven remarkable rejects.