Being wait-listed from college can be disappointing for high schoolers applying to their dream schools.
Camila Alvarez was devastated when she was wait-listed by her first choice, George Washington University, last spring. She knew that for wait-listed applicants at many schools, the odds of getting in are slim.
But even after accepting her spot on the waitlist and submitting a deposit elsewhere, Alvarez didn’t give up. She updated the admissions office about her improved GPA and new leadership roles in clubs, and also had a phone interview. To her surprise, she got in by early June, says the current freshman.
The 91 ranked colleges that reported these data to U.S. News in an annual survey admitted anywhere from zero to 100 percent of wait-listed applicants. But the average was about 1 in 5, the data show.
Universities usually offer applicants waitlist spots during the regular decision round of admission. Wait-listed applicants generally won’t hear back about whether they have been admitted until after the May 1 deadline for high school seniors to submit their deposit and secure their spot at a college. Sometimes, they don’t find out until soon before the fall semester.
[Explore the 10 colleges where the most applicants are wait-listed.]
The admissions office’s final decision often comes down to whether there are openings for students left in the incoming class — that is, how many admitted students choose not to enroll.
“This waitlist decision is one saying that you’re competitive in our pool, and if spots open up after the May 1 candidates’ reply date, we’re going to go back and take a look at your application and the other students’ applications on the waitlist,” says Eric J. Furda, dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania.
Experts suggest wait-listed applicants take these six steps to hopefully get admitted. Applicants should also carefully follow a college’s specific procedures.
1. Accept a spot on the waitlist: Wait-listed applicants can typically either accept or reject a waitlist offer, usually either via postcard or online. Those considering accepting — which is required for further consideration — should ensure the school is truly a top choice, experts say.
“Maybe the stress of being on a waitlist and having everything up in the air is more than they can take,” says Colleen Ganjian, president of DC College Counseling and who previously worked in undergraduate admissions at two different universities. “And if that’s the case, that’s OK.”
2. Re-express interest in the school: Experts say wait-listed should contact the admissions office, perhaps via email, to demonstrate continued interest, even if the school doesn’t require any sort of additional follow-up.
That will also vary — Alvarez, for example, also completed her phone interview with an admissions office r.
Generally, the communication should remain positive and not restate what’s already been said in admissions essays. Applicants should concisely re-emphasize their enthusiasm about possibly attending, says Ian Fisher, director of educational counseling at College Coach, a company that provides admissions assistance, and former admissions counselor at Reed College.
[Discover three college waitlist mistakes to avoid.]
And if the school is really their No. 1 choice, experts say, applicants should mention that — though they shouldn’t lie if not.
In the follow-up, applicants can also provide any major updates to admissions officers, if they haven’t already, Fisher says. That might include winning a prestigious award or attaining a new leadership position in a club.
3. Submit a deposit to another university: Even if an applicant is wait-listed from their No. 1 choice, they should submit a deposit — generally a few hundred dollars — to enroll at another university before May 1, says Andrew Elwell, director of student communications and marketing for the College Board, which offers services and programs to ensure students are prepared for college.
“What’s most important is that you have a spot on a freshman campus come fall,” Elwell says.
Fisher, from College Coach, says he often tells applicants to mentally commit to that school, since the odds of getting admitted off a waitlist are generally low — “as opposed to thinking, I’m going to put in my enrollment deposit and hope that I get in off the waitlist somewhere else.”
[Learn more about applying to college.]
4. Check if you can find out any additional information: Wait-listed applicants might consider following up with the college’s admissions office — or maybe even ask a guidance counselor to reach out — and see if they will provide any insight into what the size of the waitlist pool is or related information.
Fisher suggests only asking a guidance counselor to do so in certain situations, mainly if he or she has a strong relationship with the admissions office, for instance, and he and many experts believe the student should be the one taking the initiative.
Regardless, “what you want to avoid is the stalker mentality, where suddenly it’s an email from the student every three days followed by seven additional letters of recommendation,” says Rick Bischoff, vice president for enrollment management at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.
5. Have a final answer prepared, and if admitted, accept the offer: “I think you want to be ready to know where you sort of stand when you get that call,” Fisher says. “You want to talk to your parents.”
That’s because schools differ in how much time they give for a final answer, experts say — it might be a quick turnaround. While applicants wait to hear back, they should continue researching the school and potentially visit if they haven’t already to verify that it’s their top choice.
If so, they should graciously accept an offer if it comes their way.
6. Inform the school where you submitted your deposit: After being admitted, an applicant should notify the school they submitted a deposit to that they now decline, according to experts.
“You don’t get your deposit back,” Fisher says. “But what that does is it opens up space for that school, and they can call students on their waitlist.”
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More from U.S. News
3 College Waitlist Mistakes to Avoid
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Current Students Share Advice on Making the Right College Choice
How to Get Admitted Off a College Waitlist: 6 Steps for Success originally appeared on usnews.com
