Waitlisted! Now What?

CollegeData

When your top-choice college puts you on a waitlist, it can feel like a denial. While the suspense can be difficult to bear, you still might have a chance of getting in. Learn how to estimate the odds of getting admitted off a waitlist, campaign for your admission, and determine your next steps.

What does “waitlisted” mean?

College waitlists include qualified students who might be admitted if room in the class becomes available. Why do colleges use waitlists? Because colleges know that some students they admit will turn them down. If more students say "no thanks" than they expect, the college turns to its waitlist to find more qualified students.

What are your chances of being admitted off a college waitlist?

According to a 2019 survey from the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), 43 percent of four-year colleges reported using a waitlist in 2018. Of all the students who accepted a position on the waitlist at these colleges, 20 percent were admitted. However, of the students who accepted a waitlist position at the most selective colleges (those admitting less than 50 percent of applicants), only 7 percent were admitted.

Waitlist statistics for 2020 and 2021 have not yet been released by NACAC. However, college admissions consulting firm College Kickstart reviewed a sample of waitlist statistics from 100 public and private institutions and found that on average, 29 percent of students accepting a place on a waitlist were admitted in 2020, up from 18 percent in 2019.

Your waitlist letter might include how many students the college has in the past admitted off the waitlist. If it doesn’t, go ahead and ask. CollegeData’s college profiles include waitlist statistics for the colleges that report them. You can find these profiles using CollegeData’s College Search tool.

What to do right away if you are waitlisted

1. Submit your enrollment deposit to a college that accepted you and that you want to attend. This guarantees you a spot and gives you breathing room to consider your next steps.
2. Mentally commit to the college you accepted. Even if you stay on the waitlist at your first-choice school, your chances of getting admitted may be low. It’s important that you have a spot at a college.

How to decide if you should stay on a waitlist

1. Find out where you rank on the list. Your waitlist letter may say you are in the first pool of students to be considered for admission.
2. If not, contact the admission office and find out if there is a priority list, or if the list is ranked. Ask where you are on the list, and whether there are any financial aid limitations for students admitted off the waitlist.
3. Do you need financial aid from the college? If you are waitlisted and need financial aid, be aware that the college may have exhausted its aid allotment for that year.

How to improve your chances of admission off a waitlist

• Keep communication open. If you really want to attend a school that waitlisted you, communicate that message to the admissions office as soon as possible. 
• Write a letter or email and ask that it be included in your file. You should state in no uncertain terms that if you are accepted, you will without question attend. It's important to mention specific reasons why you continue to believe the school is the best fit for you. See nationally recognized college admissions advisor Sara Harberson’s blog post about how to write a good waitlist follow-up letter.
• Arrange for a new recommendation letter (if the college will accept one). Ask someone who hasn't already written a recommendation letter for you and who can add new insights into your character or academic achievements that your other recommenders didn’t mention.
• Don't be a pest or appear desperate, even if you feel that way!

Don't get trapped in waitlist limbo

If you were not admitted to any of the colleges on your list. or into any colleges that you want to attend, it’s important to consider a back-up plan. This might include taking a gap year or attending community college and transferring later to a four-year school.

Otherwise, start planning your new life at the college you have accepted and enjoy your senior year. If the college that waitlisted you gives you the nod, terrific! If not, embrace the school you will be attending in the fall, knowing it’s a school you applied to for good reasons and one that wanted you all along.

 

Wait-lists Do’s and Don’ts

by Lee Shulman Bierer

2022 – the year of the wait-list.

I’m sure you’ve heard the crazy numbers this year; Harvard received 61,220 applicants and accepted a mere 3.19% (1,954) – just try to get your head around rejecting almost 97% of the students who applied. It’s record-setting, but it’s also heartbreaking for so many students.

And then there are the wait-lists, the oh-so unpredictable wait-lists. According to a 2019 survey from the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), 43 percent of four-year colleges reported using a waitlist in 2018. Of all the students who accepted a position on the waitlist at these colleges, 20 percent were accepted. Of course, that number can vary dramatically – take Princeton which chose not to share its admissions stats this year, but has previously shared that: in 2017, Princeton accepted 101 undergraduate students from its waitlist, but in 2018, that number dropped to zero.

I’ve previously written about a “Letter of Continued Interested” – (LOCI). Writing a personalized letter to the admissions office is the student’s best opportunity to set themselves apart from other students on the wait-list.

Here are some do’s and don’ts:

1. Keep it short – put yourself in the Admissions Officer’s shoes – what do they need to know about you that you haven’t already shared.  Make sure your letter isn’t just a repeat of your “Why this college?” essay. DON’T DRAG ON AND ON. I think a one-page letter with an introduction, a conclusion and two body paragraphs: 1 -the meat of the letter focused on why the school is a good fit for you – provide details and 2 – emphasize why you’re a good fit for them. You typically can use that second paragraph for a variety of your schools.

2. Start out by thanking the school for considering your application.
Reiterate your commitment to the school and your belief that its philosophy and approach are an ideal fit for your educational preferences and goals. DON’T WHINE AND MOAN AND TELL THEM HOW SAD YOU ARE THAT YOU WEREN'T ACCEPTED. Please don’t tell them that you have pictures of you in a cheerleading outfit as a toddler or that you fell in love with the campus the first time you visited at age 8. Sorry, it’s really not relevant.

3. Update your qualifications. This is the guts of the letter. What is new and improved since you submitted your application? Ideally, you should relate these new achievements to some of the themes or experiences you addressed in your essays.

Some examples could include an update on your first semester grades, competitions or tournaments you’ve attended, especially if you’ve been recognized, a new leadership role in a club project or organization; or additional work responsibilities; a recent job-shadowing or volunteer experience that has been particularly meaningful. DON’T GET OBSESSIVE HERE – FILL THEM IN BUT DON’T SCARE THEM WITH YOUR DEVOTION.

Bierer is an independent college consultant based in Charlotte. Send questions to: leesbierer@gmail.com and visit www.leebierer.com.