Navigating Waitlists

The agony of the college waitlist: that feeling of disappointment that you didn’t get an admissions offer from a college you were hoping for, mitigated just slightly by the glimmer of hope because you didn’t get denied, either. Maybe, just maybe, that “maybe” will turn into a “yes”.

So if you’ve been waitlisted by one of your top choice colleges, how should you proceed with the May 1 decision deadline just weeks away?

The biggest truth about waitlists is that they are incredibly unpredictable.

HOW MANY STUDENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED FROM THE WAITLIST?

To find specific waitlist information from a particular college you can search “Section C2” of their most recent Common Data Set report, or a summary of some of the most popular schools can be found here. As you can see there is tremendous variability in the number of students that each college may choose to waitlist in any given year, and the number of students ultimately accepted off the waitlist is entirely dependent on the number of previously admitted students that accept their offers so the university can assess how many extra seats they have, if any. Nationally the percentage of students who get admitted from a waitlist is reported to be around 20%, but for more selective colleges that number is more like 10%. In some years, some colleges do not admit anyone off the waitlist at all.

WHEN WILL I FIND OUT IF I’VE BEEN ACCEPTED?

This part is highly variable as well, but most waitlists do not start to “move” until May 1, because this is when the colleges can reliably forecast their yield. Sometimes they will get enough responses from admitted students back earlier where they feel comfortable starting to make waitlist offers sooner, but most will begin in May, and can stretch well into the summer months. At Ignite, we’ve had students admitted from waitlists as early as March and as late as August. Remember that colleges are businesses, and they want to get the numbers exactly right so they can fill their class as much as possible without overenrolling.

The uncertainty of it all can be very stressful! Here are some concrete steps you can take:

• Accept your spot on the waitlist (it is very important that you officially do this in your portal!)

• Follow instructions for sharing continued interest, updates, etc. Most likely this will also be through your portal.

• Try reaching out to an actual admissions representative at the college to make a personal connection. This part is less straightforward, but if done politely and respectfully it will not hurt your chances. Send a personal email reiterating your commitment to the school and if the following is true, feel free to include it: “If admitted, I will definitely accept.”

• Be prepared to respond quickly to an admissions offer if given one. Sometimes, only a few days are provided to claim your spot.

• Once you have done all of the above, move on to logistically and psychologically commit to another college where you have been accepted, and be sure to submit your deposit there by May 1. This is very important - you must secure another offer by May 1!

• Consider setting a mental deadline of the latest date in which you would reasonably accept a waitlist offer if it materializes (depending on the college, you may not want to reverse course if it gets too close to the start of Fall term!) This is an entirely personal choice.

Then, get excited about that college that you’ve committed to! This is a college that is excited for you to join their community. Most likely, this will be where you are headed in the Fall. Register for Orientation! Buy the merch! Research clubs! Find your roommate! And as author and coach Harlan Cohen often says, remember that YOU are the keeper of your dreams. You can live out these dreams at many different places. No more waiting. It’s time to get going!