The Year of the Waitlist?

This feels like the Year of the Waitlist!

As more students apply to more colleges, it has become increasingly difficult for colleges to accurately predict their yield—how many of the students they accept who choose to enroll— and shape their incoming class. Having a waitlist gives a college a cushion in the event they don’t meet their enrollment goals in terms of class size or distribution. This year, in particular, we are seeing long waitlists as colleges question whether international students will come to college in the U.S. at the same levels as they have in recent years.

While it is arguably a gentler outcome than a denial, waitlists are not where we recommend you focus your energy. We recommend you concentrate on the amazing colleges that accepted you and attend Accepted Students Days with an open mind. Prior to May 1st, you will need to decide which of those colleges to attend and send in an enrollment deposit to secure your place in the incoming class. YOU MAY NOT DEPOSIT AT MORE THAN ONE COLLEGE. If you have deposited at one college and are subsequently offered a spot off a waitlist by another college, you may deposit at the second college, but you must also advise the first college that you will not be attending.

While we encourage our students to focus on the college where they have deposited, it’s important to know how to handle being placed on a waitlist.

Read the waitlist instructions carefully as they may vary across colleges and you should immediately accept a spot on waitlists at colleges that still interest you. We also recommend following up with a note expressing your continued strong interest in the college, if allowed. If it is truly your first choice, let the college know and indicate you would attend if accepted (and be sure your school counselor is also informed so they can confirm that should the college contact them). In addition, if you have favorable new information to update your profile – a new set of strong grades, recent achievements or recognitions, an additional letter of recommendation, etc., mention that in your note or ask your school counselor to pass the information on to the colleges. Avoid sending excessive new information/recommendations or sending multiple emails to colleges to make your case; that can be counterproductive.

It might help to think of a waitlist as a pool of well-qualified applicants that colleges can dip into to ensure their class has the balance of students they are seeking. As they draw from that waitlist, they’ll be looking for students to fill in gaps that might be defined by region, gender, or academic interest.

If you are placed on multiple waitlists, rank them in order of preference. You may be contacted and asked for an immediate decision. If you decide not to remain on a particular waitlist, notify that college as soon as possible as it may reduce the waiting period for someone else.

It is important to realize a waitlist means what it says – “You have to wait.” While some waitlists have started moving, many colleges will wait until May 1^st, the deadline to receive enrollment deposits and the point at which they will see how their class is coming together. It may take longer, or they may invite you to start in January instead of September; or they might not accept you at all.

Lastly, while we encourage you to accept a waitlist offer if it’s from a college high on your list, you need to be realistic about your chances. Celebrate all of your acceptances and especially the college where you deposited! The best way to bounce back from being waitlisted by one of your top choices is to become excited by the college that said YES to you and where you said YES back.

We wish you the best of luck!