What to Do If You're Waitlisted College Admissions
The Princeton Review
When you apply to college, you generally imagine one of two outcomes: You get accepted!
Go you!
That’s awesome, my friend.
Or, you get rejected.
I’m sorry if that happens to you, but please know that rejection happens sometimes.
It stinks, but overcoming it can make you stronger and better.
There’s also an in-between answer that takes the sting out of rejection and replaces it
with a whole lot of...uncertainty.
You may get that waitlist notification, and not know how to feel.
Like...yay?
Waitlists are like admissions limbo—they give you cause for hope.
And also cause for agita.
If you’re a person who likes to take control of a situation, know that if you get waitlisted,
there are concrete things you can do to improve your chances of admission.
First, let’s talk about why waitlists happen.
As you probably know, schools try to admit just the right number of students.
If they admit too many, they’ll run out of space; and if they accept too few, they
won’t make their budget goals.
And there’s another thing you should know about colleges: They like when their acceptance
rates are low and their yields—that’s the percentage of accepted students who enroll—are
high.
So here’s what colleges will do.
They’ll get a certain number of applications, and among those, they’ll have a target number
of acceptances to send out, given what they expect their yield to be.
For applicants who may be just on the cusp—students who would likely be great fits for the school
but who, for one reason or another, weren’t in the initial “accepted” group—a college
may opt to put those folks on the waitlist.
So when you hear back from a college, it’s not just a yes or no that may land in your
inbox—you may also end up with a maybe.
Then, after National College Decision Day—when admitted students have to let colleges know
whether they’re accepting the offer of admission—that happens on May 1st of every year—colleges
will know their yield, and they’ll also know how many admission offers they can make
to students on the waitlist.
They may make an initial round of offers, and if any of those students decline, a subsequent
round of offers, and so on.
It may also be the case that an admitted student has a change of plans as late as the weeks
prior to the school year, leaving an opening for a waitlisted applicant; this is all to
say that it’s possible you could be in limbo for a long time.
So, what do you do if you’re waitlisted?
For starters, let yourself feel your feelings.
Especially if you were waitlisted at your dream school, give yourself a moment to feel
sad, frustrated, and mad.
Getting waitlisted is really disappointing.
But it’s nothing you won’t get through—stronger and more resilient than before, to boot.
Next, if the school that waitlisted you really is your dream school, you need to let them
know!
It may take a little bit of swallowing your pride, but that is a low price to pay for
possible acceptance to your top-choice college.
So, continue to demonstrate your interest!
Unless a school requests that you not contact them, you should write a letter or email reiterating
your interest in attending, letting the school know that it’s your top choice, and noting
again why you’d be a great fit.
Also mention any accomplishments you’ve had since you first applied.
It’s really important to make this about your interest and fit rather than your disappointment
and frustration—even (and especially) if you’re feeling that disappointment really
acutely.
And keep your grades up!
You want to continue demonstrating that you’re academically ready for the demands of college.
Here’s a stat that I want you to keep in mind throughout this process.
According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, 20% of waitlisted
students in the fall 2018 admission cycle ultimately earned a spot in the incoming class.
In other words, 1 in 5 maybes became a yes.
You can improve those odds by demonstrating your interest and intent to enroll if accepted.
Remember how I said earlier that waitlist acceptance can happen in several rounds?
Colleges would prefer to avoid this, so if a school knows you’re likely to attend if
accepted, that could be a mark in your favor.
So do everything you can do let a school know that you want to join the student body!
But—and this next thing is going to sound a little contradictory, I know—just as you
should make clear that you are ready to enroll at the school that waitlisted you, you actually
need to really enroll at one of the schools that admitted you.
And you’ve got to do that by May 1st.
So, do your research, compare your financial aid packages, and pick your top choice of
the schools that admitted you.
And, get excited about it!
Because you may end up there, and that may end up being the best thing in the world!
Then, let the school know—and put down a deposit.
Quick note here that your acceptance of their admission offer isn’t binding, but if you
do get into your top-choice school off the waitlist, you’re very likely to lose the
deposit you put down before the May 1st deadline.
Again, that can be a small price to pay for the good fortune of attending your dream school.
Also, be sure to let the schools that accepted you—that you won't be attending—know of
your decision, so that students who were waitlisted at those schools can find out their fates
sooner rather than later.
Think of it as good karma.
Now, say you were waitlisted at a school and don't plan to attend, even if you’re accepted
off the waitlist.
Let the school know, politely of course.
That way, another student on the waitlist can get bumped up.
More good karma.
Finally, if you do get into a school from the waitlist, congratulations!
Be sure to accept their offer—and put down a deposit—by the deadline they provide,
and also let your other school know about your change of plans.
(Again, you’re probably going to lose that first deposit.)
And most importantly, get excited!
And when you arrive on campus, don’t spend even one moment fearing that you’re somehow
less competent or worthy than your peers.
Remember that the college would not have accepted you if they weren’t excited for you to attend—and
confident in your ability to thrive there!
Thanks so much for watching, folks.
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