Everything You Need to Know About the College Waitlist

Everything You Need to Know About the College Waitlist

As you see an email from your favorite college pop up in your inbox and rush to open the message, your heart sinks when you have been offered a place on the college waitlist. Here’s the thing: it’s not a rejection. You’re still in the running, but you’ve got some work to do in order to convey your continued interest to the admissions officers. Naturally, being placed on the waitlist can come with a lot of questions. Why do college waitlists exist in the first place? What does it mean for you? Are you completely doomed? In case this email has left you in a state of panic, breathe. In this blog, we will dive deeper into why schools use the college waitlist in the first place alongside a step-by-step guide to writing a letter of continued interest that can help maximize your chances at your favorite colleges.

The College Waitlist: Why?

You have probably heard about how universities want to maintain a certain yield rate, or percentage of accepted students who actually end up attending the school. Because the number of spots at every college is limited and schools want a high yield, not only do they wish to admit solid applicants, but they also typically hope to accept candidates who they believe are likely to say yes back to them.

But practically speaking, 100 percent of the students who are admitted to an institution never all say yes. Not even at the most competitive schools in the world. This is why schools have predictive formulas and admit more students than they actually have room to accommodate. This calculation is complex on all sides. Schools have alternate students on the college waitlist, where they place candidates who are absolutely qualified to attend the school and benefit from its resources, but they don’t know if they have room for them yet. If they have space after the students they admitted don’t accept their offers, some candidates from the waitlist are then sent acceptance letters.

Being on the college waitlist means that the school does like your application and you are just as qualified and compelling as other applicants. [1] During the application process, admissions officers have to make tough decisions, and sometimes make adjustments on who gets admitted and who gets waitlisted right up until letters are sent out. Admissions officers still want you on campus and are leaving the option open if space allows.

Next Steps After Being Placed on the College Waitlist

Once you know you’ve been waitlisted, that’s not the end of it. You’ve got more work to do. [2] If you’re excited about the school, accept your place on the college waitlist. Students have to confirm this with the school, usually through the admissions portal. If the college isn’t your first choice though, you should consider declining the spot because there will be others who are more dedicated to attending if accepted.

It’s very important to continue demonstrating interest in the college if you hope to get off the waitlist. While you can send an additional letter of recommendation and updated grades and extracurricular achievements, the most important component is the letter of continued interest. Remind the admissions officers why their institution is a top choice for you, and if it’s your number one choice, let them know. Admissions officers can take statements like “I will attend if accepted” seriously when deciding who to admit off the waitlist. In your letter, talk about what you could bring and how you would be a good fit. But don’t bombard the admissions office with phone calls. Let’s take a closer look at this letter.

Writing the Letter of Continued Interest

The Format

Try not to exceed one page (single-spaced) in length. Make sure the letter is addressed to the admissions office, or better yet, to the specific admissions officer who oversees your region if that information is available. Use a formal tone, with a greeting of “Dear Admissions Committee,” followed by a brief introduction that includes your full legal name as well as your Common App ID, date of birth, and the high school you attend.

Start the letter with a positive tone, asserting that, although you were deferred or waitlisted, you hope that your application will be further considered. Do not dwell on your disappointment or other negative emotions, and never try to question the admissions decision. Instead, show how you continue to look forward to the future and the possibility of joining your top-choice school.

Commit to Attending if Accepted

If the college you are writing to is your absolute top choice and you are eager to get in, be upfront about that feeling. Would you go to this school over all the others? If you were accepted, would you be able to confirm your attendance immediately? If so, use statements like the following to express the depth and sincerity of your commitment:

• As my top choice school, I would fully commit to attending [School Name] if accepted.

• [School Name] has always been my top-choice school, and if accepted, I would make a commitment to attend by promptly withdrawing all my other applications.

• I am most interested in attending [School Name] and can confidently promise to commit if accepted.

Colleges do care about yield when considering deferred or waitlisted candidates, so be forward if this is how you feel. For schools that are not your first choice but perhaps come in at second or third, do not make false promises. Regardless of whether these kinds of statements are tracked by different schools, it is disingenuous to claim that more than one school is your absolute favorite. Say something like “I remain very interested in [School Name] and am so excited about having the chance to become a student there,” making your interest loud and clear without explicitly mentioning if you will attend or not. Stay honest in your letter of continued interest.

Reiterate Your Interest

After your opening paragraph, write a few concise sentences that confirm your interest in the school and your intended major or program, as well as any other unique features that still capture your interest. Be careful not to repeat information that you have already provided in your supplemental essays. Reword, rephrase, and start fresh by pointing out something completely new you have discovered based on further school research.

Avoid vague statements that could apply to any college. Instead, be specific about how and why you hope to take advantage of special resources within your area of interest. Emphasize not only what you will gain as a student of this college, but what you have to contribute and what value you foresee bringing to campus. Use this space to concretely show why this school is still your number one.

Provide Meaningful Updates

More so than reiterating your interest, the bulk of your letter should focus on what tangible achievements you have made in your academic life and extracurricular activities since applying. What has changed and how have you further developed or challenged yourself within the past few months? To make it easier on the reader, try splitting these up into bite-size sections with bold or italicized headers such as “Senior Year Grades,” “Senior Year Awards and Honors,” “Personal Programming Project,” or individual school club names like “Mu Alpha Theta Club.” Beneath each heading, use a blocked-off paragraph or bullet point list that includes your most impressive updates.

Say Thank You

Again, stay positive at the end of the letter, restating your excitement and why the school is a perfect fit for you one more time. Close off with a straightforward statement and show of gratitude: “I am dedicated to [School Name] because of X, Y, and Z, and sincerely thank you for your continued consideration. I look forward to hearing back from you soon.” Your signature should include your name, Common App ID, as well as your high school name and the year of your graduating class.

Being placed on the college waitlist can be frustrating for students, especially when other decisions are arriving at the same time, so review your next steps after college decisions as a whole. However, with a good fit and dedication toward showing your commitment, things can work out. If you really do hope to attend the school, don’t give up now. You’ve got this.

What to Do While You Wait on the College Waitlist

Once your letter is sent, the hardest part begins: waiting. Waitlist decisions usually arrive after May 1, and some students do not hear until the summer before classes start. [1] Use that time wisely with these steps.

• Commit to another college by May 1. Submit your enrollment deposit to a school where you were admitted so you have a secure place for the fall. Treat that school as your likely home, and get excited about it.
• Follow each college’s instructions. Some colleges welcome updates and additional letters, while others ask waitlisted students not to send extra materials. Respect what each school says in its decision letter or portal.
• Keep your grades up. Colleges may look at your final-semester grades when they review waitlisted students, so a senior-year slump can hurt you. [1]
• Stay in touch, but do not overdo it. One well-crafted letter of continued interest, plus a short update if you earn a major new achievement, is enough.
• Check your email and portal often. Waitlist offers sometimes come with short response windows, and you do not want to miss one.

What Are Your Chances of Getting Off the Waitlist?

Odds vary widely from school to school and from year to year. According to the College Board, about 20% of students who remain on waitlists are eventually admitted, though some highly selective colleges admit very few or none in a given year. [1] Because a school’s yield, the share of admitted students who enroll, drives how many spots open up, it is worth reading our guide to college yield rates and our breakdown of college waitlist chances to set realistic expectations.

If you are admitted off the waitlist after depositing elsewhere, you will need to decide quickly, withdraw from the other school, and notify it promptly. If the offer never comes, remember that you already have a place at a college that wanted you, and many students find that school turns out to be a great fit.

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