How Do Colleges Use the Waitlist?
How Do Colleges Use the Waitlist?
By May 1, high school seniors all across the world will have submitted their deposits to the colleges and universities they plan on attending in the fall. And while most of those students are fully committed to their choice, many still hold out hope that a different institution that placed them on the waitlist will find a space for them in the class of 2023.
Being on the waitlist is not an easy place to be, and we are sympathetic to that feeling of uncertainty. If you find yourself in this position, take some confidence from the fact that each year colleges receive far more qualified applications than they have room to admit.
Even being placed on the waitlist is a vote of confidence that you are more than capable of thriving in that particular school’s academic environment.
After processing all the deposits of admitted students, colleges that have room left in their incoming class will turn to the waitlist to fill those remaining spots. Each school is very strategic about which students they admit from their waitlist.
Let’s take a closer look at a few of the most important factors that colleges consider when making these decisions and how you can maximize your chances to benefit from them.
Strengthening Academic Departments
Universities want to ensure that each of the majors, concentrations, or programs they offer are properly filled with students who will take advantage of them. This helps them keep world-class professors happy and creates opportunities for research and innovation.
When admissions officers look through applicants on the waitlist, they take into consideration which departments have space to support students who will best utilize those opportunities and relationships with professors. If, for example, fewer than expected accepted students have an interest in biology, waitlisted students who’ve indicated this as an area of passion are more likely to be considered than those in a different program.
When you accept your place on the waitlist and send the college a thoughtful update letter, be sure to indicate your areas of interest and how you might use the resources available to you on campus if admitted. If there are additional areas of academic interest that you’d consider pursuing, be sure to elaborate on those as well.
Balancing Metrics
Rather than a random collection of students, admissions officers work hard to create a class that gives each community member an opportunity to benefit from the diverse experiences and perspectives of the group.
Maintaining gender balance, geographic and socioeconomic diversity, and honoring high-achieving students from underrepresented backgrounds makes everyone’s campus experience more vibrant. The waitlist allows admissions officers to shape the margins of the incoming class with these priorities in mind.
Consider the ways that you hope to contribute to life on campus beyond the classroom. How has your unique background shaped your point of view? Be sure to share these reflections in your update letter.
Ensuring Eager Students Yield
One of the most important factors in determining which students are admitted from the waitlist is the likelihood that they’ll attend. This requires a student to forego his or her deposit at another institution, in some cases register late for classes, and change their plans on the fly over the summer right before they’re set to begin college.
Given the timeframe and the work that goes into the process, admissions officers want to admit students they are sure will attend. Going even further down the waitlist becomes more problematic the closer it gets to the beginning of classes.
If you’ve been waitlisted at a school and you’re confident that you would attend if given the opportunity, be sure to indicate that early in your waitlist update. Be very clear with the college that, if admitted, you would attend. But be honest: it’s ok to tell multiple schools that they are high on your list but if a place is not legitimately higher than where you are admitted, don’t take that spot on the waitlist.
Understanding how colleges use the waitlist and what strengths you offer will help you maximize whatever odds you have of being admitted over the summer.
Give Yourself the Best Shot to Gain Admission from the Waitlist
The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.
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