9 Steps to Tackle a Waitlist Decision

by David Phelps, Founder
david@forumeducation.nyc

1. Enroll at a school you’ve been accepted to

Waitlists are fickle. Send the non-refundable deposit to a school that accepted you by May 1st—so you know you’re safe.

2. Check your chances

Feel free to call the school to get updates on the waitlist. In the meantime, though, do some thorough googling to figure out how many students were accepted off the waitlist in the past; this is one decent resource from a few years back. Note that some schools like Dartmouth have taken 0% of students off a waitlist in the past. Whatever you do, keep your ambitions high and your expectations low. You might be a great candidate, but if a slot opens up at a school for someone of the opposite gender, you might not be taken off the waitlist—no matter how strong your efforts.

3. Figure out why you were waitlisted (or rejected elsewhere)

If there was a gap in your application, you’ll need to tackle it successfully in your waitlist bid. Talk to your school counselor, call friends, ask a college consultant to review your application, and figure out why you were waitlisted. If your grades were ever low, you’ll need them high. If the school wasn’t sure what you offered that they couldn’t get elsewhere, you’ll need to show them. If the admission officer thought you had a bland personality, you’ll want to write colorfully and lobby for a new interview. Etc.

4. Plan new projects

The waitlist is an opportunity to affirm a narrative about a dedicated pursuit that a college needs. (Note both requisites: the personal pursuit should be a dedicated one, and it should be one the college needs… ideally, one they can’t get from another candidate). The waitlist is also an opportunity to update this narrative. The strongest waitlist bids will show successful completion of new projects and achievements. But even if you haven’t done anything since applying, line up some new projects that you can tell the school you’re working on.

5. Write a letter to the admissions department

A strong waitlist letter will do the following:

• Address the admissions officer personally by last name
• Begin by stating that the school is your top choice and that you’ll go if accepted
• (Optional) Consider offering to take a gap year or enter spring semester. Some schools love applicants who are willing to take a gap year to build out skills and develop their portfolio, while the schools, meanwhile, can start planning out their class for the following year with some security.
• Offer a short paragraph on why you love the school and what you would contribute to it (classes you would take, clubs you would join, and projects you would complete). Reference your previous pursuits and show how they would blossom on campus. Incorporate details from friends on campus in your letter to admissions: show them what it would be like to have you on campus in concrete ways. Write personally, and show them what they’ll lose by not taking you.
• Offer a short paragraph offering updates to your application. Show recent accomplishments and point to projects you’re working on. Every line should show why your experiences are relevant to the school — and how attending the school would allow you to continue pursuing them.
• Show your personality. Whatever anyone says, this is absolutely a friendship test.
• Offer a phone call with the admissions rep or a visit to campus to affirm your love for the school. Schools don’t like applicants showing up unsolicited, but they may take you up on your offer to talk more.

6. Send an additional letter of recommendation

Teachers are always safe bets for recommendations, but consider asking a mentor or former boss who knows you personally to write in. This kind of perspective—at once more personal and professional than what admissions may have encountered in your application to date—can help reaffirm your narrative in new ways.

7. Have your school counselor call

For better or worse, waitlist decisions are often political, and you want to make it clear to a school that they’re satisfying all interested parties. A school counselor can not only clarify grades and commitments for a school while reiterating support, but can affirm what a waitlist would mean to the school as well.

8. Get a student on campus to drop off a letter of rec in person

Admissions departments often like hearing from their own students, for good reason. Current students can attest that an applicant will integrate well with the student body, even as they offer a more personal take on the application. Try to get the student to answer at least one of the following questions in a quick statement: “When was a time the applicant was caring?” “When was a time the applicant offered an innovative idea?” “When was a time the applicant showed their personality in a group setting?” Most importantly, ask the student to drop the letter off in person—where they might have a chance to put in a good word with the admissions officer personally.

9. Reach out to a college consultant

A college consultant can tell you your gaps, your chances, and your best approach. We strongly recommend working with one from 9th grade on to generate the most compelling—and personally fulfilling—portfolio. But even at the waitlist stage, it’s not too late. This is why we recommend reaching out to Joie Jager-Hyman’s team at College Prep 360. Compromised of former assistant directors of admissions, it’s truly the best agency in the city (and helped consult on many of the tips above). We’d be glad to put you in touch personally.