I am waitlisted at my dream school — What Now?
There are steps you can take to boost your chances when the college begins to look at waitlisted applicants.
March is a stressful time for many high school seniors ready to embark on their next journey. Colleges are sending out acceptances and rejections left and right. The most tantalizing news of all, however, are the waitlist notices. The reality is that there are many appealing candidates with diverse backgrounds and qualities, but admissions officers have to hold out on these students sometimes and place them on the waitlist. Yet, accepted students may take offers at other schools, thus opening up spots in the incoming class for waitlisted students.
However, if the acceptance yield is particularly high for an incoming class, the admissions office may not consider the waitlist at all. It can be frustrating to receive a waitlist notice, especially from your top-choice schools, but there are steps you can take to boost your chances when the college begins to look at waitlisted applicants.
First, it is important to stay calm. Do not panic. You must take into account the fact that your candidacy stood out to admissions officers who cycled through hundreds of applications and deliberated closely over this decision. Do note that it will take some time for them to begin looking at the waitlisted students as their accepted applicants decide whether or not they will attend. Start considering whether you wish to remain on the waitlist and let the college or university know in a timely manner. If you accept a waitlist spot, express your interest in the school again via email. Re-emphasizing your enthusiasm can be a helpful gesture for admissions officers. Regardless if it is a requirement, a positive follow-up is definitely a plus.
Next, make sure to be proactive and do your research. Some schools may use their waitlists eventually, but there are years where exceptions are made. If yields are exceptionally high for an incoming class, admissions offices either do not take students off the waitlist, or take a very limited number. Once you receive a waitlist notice and decide to accept, take the initiative to follow up with the school via email or phone call.
Speaking to an admissions officer to ask about their waitlist pool, the percentage of students taken off the list in the past, and whether their list is ranked could give you a better sense of where you stand. Be sure to stay in touch with the admissions officers or counselors, but do not contact them weekly or frequently to ask about your status.
Speak with your school’s guidance counselor and figure out the percentages of students taken off the waitlist in past years. If your guidance counselor has a close relationship with the admissions officers, ask if they could follow-up with some of your questions too. Using online forums could be helpful as students talk about their own experiences with being on the waitlist.
One essential part of the follow-up previously discussed is updating the admissions office about new achievements. This could mean a new leadership position in a school club or sports team, awards you may have received, or even sending an updated GPA. With a few months left before graduation, there is bound to be a major update in your academic or extracurricular life that you can present as part of your continued candidacy. Demonstrating these accolades could be an insightful way of letting colleges know of your continued interest. Ensure that you keep your grades high and perform well on end-of-year tests such as AP and IB exams.
Finally, accept another offer before May 1st. Although it would be ideal if a university started notifying students before this date, it is highly unlikely. However, it is important that you secure a position elsewhere for the upcoming fall semester, or spring, depending on your college plans. Submitting a deposit is vital as you do not want to be left without attending a school for taking a gamble on your waitlist chances. If it gives you peace of mind, start doing research on the school you just accepted an offer to and familiarize yourself with the classes, housing, organizations, and other aspects of campus life you may have missed when forming your college list.
Ultimately, there are many factors to consider once you are placed on the waitlist, but that does not mean it’s the end of the world. Maybe you accept an offer to your second-choice school or even fifth-choice school, but that’s okay. Waitlist acceptances are hard to predict, but you can use your strengths to your advantage to boost your chances. College is what you make of it, so never dwell on what could have been. Instead, pave your own path to success, wherever you go!
Giovanni is a content creator at Mascot. He is a senior student studying Psychology, French and Global Health at Dartmouth College.
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