The Growing Trend of Getting Wait Listed
Getting placed on a school’s wait list can feel like a very remote second place finish. Wait lists can move, though, so opaque as the list may be-- am I first in line? 2,415th?-- act now to keep your spot if you are still interested in the school.
What are my chances of getting off the wait list?
Answers are out there. Check the college’s Common Data Set from the year before to know its history. I have seen wait lists as short as 100 students (with 25 students ultimately given a spot) and as long as several thousand students, with fewer than five given a spot. Past behavior is no guarantee of future behavior, but it can be predictive. For example, see this list of wait list stats from 2023 from IvyWise.
Is getting wait listed at a university a polite rejection?
Students often ask me if a spot on the wait list is just a polite rejection. In some circumstances it might be. Maybe you are a legacy and the school wants to let you down easy, or perhaps the college wants to preserve its relationship with your high school. But how would you know? If this is a school you want to get into, then you ought to pursue any option you have available. In other words, remember my dad’s sage advice on this one: “Don’t shut doors for yourself.”
Why do colleges put so many students on wait lists?
The bottom line is yield protection. Colleges have an interest in protecting their yield— keeping acceptance percentages as high as possible— as well as managing enrollment— not over or under enrolling the number of students needed per year— so that is one place we see the intersection of yield and wait lists.
Some schools will wait list a very high stats student and then will admit them off the wait list once the school feels assured the student will accept a spot. The college doesn’t want to risk accepting a student who turns down the offer and reduces the college’s high yield rates.
What steps can I take if I am wait listed?
First, read the admissions letter. It may provide answers to the following questions:
May I send additional letters of recommendation?
Will the school consider a letter of continuing interest (LOCI)?
May I supplement my initial application with updated grades, scores, and other accolades?
CTK pro tip: Adding NEW information is more persuasive than just reiterating what is in your application.
Second, if the school will accept a letter of continued interest, here are some key notes to hit:
This school is my first choice (or “is at the top of my list”) for the following reasons:
It is a great fit for me because (enumerate the academic, extracurricular, and other reasons the school fits with your goals for your college experience). The goal here is to demonstrate that the school is of specific interest to you, not just one of several on your list.
Thank you for considering my application again. I would definitely accept an offer if given the chance (only say if this is true).
Finally, this is the time to use human influence. Consider whether any of these options is available to you for expressing the above points to a warm-blooded person who might help you:
Reach out to the regional admissions representative,
Contact professors in the department where you are applying,
Summon any family or personal contacts with the school, whether in administration, teaching, admissions, or elsewhere.
Tactfully let these contacts know you have been wait listed, express your great interest, and ask if there is anything more you can do.
Should I commit to another college while I wait for my results on a wait list?
Yes, you must commit by the enrollment deadline to one (and only one) college. The typical enrollment deadline nationally is May 1, but with the 2024 financial aid fiasco, many colleges have pushed that back to May 15 or even June. Check out NACAC’s updated list of deadlines and don’t miss yours! You must accept a place at a college by the enrollment deadline, so even if you think you have a good shot on a wait list, make sure you take an official spot elsewhere. If you are ultimately admitted to your wait list school, you will unenroll at the first school.
Christina’s predictions about wait lists for the class of 2024
With students continuing to over apply this year and many schools outside the top tier struggling to fill spots, I predict we will see waitlists move the way they did last year, that is, a lot. In fact, the University of Virginia has already started to admit students off the wait list in the first two weeks of April. My experience tells me that ultimately you will find a place at a college that is a great fit for you, regardless of how any school responds to your application.
Let’s do this!
