Winning Strategies for Students on the Waitlist

Winning Strategies for Students on the Waitlist

As admissions decisions begin to pour in, high school seniors everywhere are anxiously waiting for clarity about where they’ll begin their college careers. If you find yourself in this boat, hopefully you’ve already started to receive some good news and are anticipating your next step with joy.But for students placed on the waitlist of a school they really care about, clarity is still a distant thought. They may have been accepted to some of the places on their list, but they continue to hold out hope elsewhere.What do you do if you’re in this position? How can you survive the uncertainty and also give yourself greater odds of being admitted from the waitlist?Consider the tips below to help boost your standing in the eyes of the admissions office and maintain a healthy perspective about your future.

Don’t Take it Personally

Before you go any further, take a step back. The college application process can be incredibly stressful, and not receiving the news you had hoped for can make it feel like you’ve failed.But take it from a former admissions officer at an elite school—there are more talented students in the applicant pool than there is room to admit. It’s not personal; admissions officers often care deeply about the students they’ve met on the road and want to be able to admit all of them. Being placed on the waitlist is not a rejection of you or your accomplishments.Remember that you have much to offer the school you ultimately attend. But allowing your emotions to affect you negatively after receiving bad news will make it difficult for you to move forward. Before you make any decisions about your future, take a couple days to process your feelings and reflect on next steps in a better frame of mind.

Re-evaluate Your Feelings

With the added perspective of taking a little time away from the process to evaluate how you’re feeling about where you’ll attend next year, you can gain much needed clarity and closure. Use this time to reconsider your priorities for your next educational step.Ask yourself why you’re interested in staying on the waitlist at a particular school. Is there a program that you really want to access? Are you hopeful to work with a certain professor? Or is your motivation to stay on the waitlist more about disappointment or chasing prestige?In thinking about what you really hope to gain from your college experience you might find your mindset shifting. Perhaps there’s another school to which you’ve been admitted that might serve you better. Use the months of March and April to dig deep and envision your best future.

Continue to Invest in Your Passions

Don’t lose momentum in your extracurricular pursuits. Although you’re on the waitlist, continue to invest time and energy into the things you love.The college that waitlisted you will want to know how you are spending your time as you finish senior year. Being able to show them that you are still making an impact will help them reconsider their decision in your favor.More importantly, there are people who are counting on your contributions. You didn’t pick your activities just because they would “look good” on your applications; continue to pour yourself into them and positively alter people’s lives. Set a strong example for younger students and improve your community.Likewise, don’t slack off in the classroom. The assignments you’re working on can still play a role in your process. And the habits you’ll build will carry you into college on a higher note, whichever college that ultimately is for you.

Write an Update Letter

Once you’ve decided you want to stay on the waitlist at a particular school, write a thoughtful update letter that informs them how you’ve been spending your time and why you remain convinced you’re a good fit.Have you made more progress on a research project? Has a club you lead held a large event? Perhaps you broke a school record running track this semester. Or maybe you wrote the best Spanish essay of your career so far. Share these and other highlights with the admissions office.If you’ve been waitlisted at a school that doesn’t have a supplemental essay, especially one that asks you why you’re interested in attending that school, use your update letter as a chance to provide more context. Identify classes or professors you would hope to engage with as well as clubs and organizations you hope to join or even found.

Get Excited About Colleges Excited About You

It’s an all-too-common human trait to be more interested in those who aren’t interested in us. We tend to want what we can’t have. This same mentality can skew your opinion about colleges that have admitted you.It’s OK to have your heart set on a certain place; having a dream school is healthy. But don’t let those emotions cloud the value other institutions can offer you. Allow yourself to be excited about where you’ve been admitted and begin anticipating the positive experiences you’ll have on campus.Research the opportunities available at the schools that accepted you. Begin to plan how you might get involved and how you intend to connect with your peers. Approaching the process with this kind of positivity will make it easier for you to thrive no matter where you ultimately attend.Feel free to hold out hope that you will be accepted off of the waitlist, but don’t let that hope dilute the joy you should feel for the college where you deposit. Celebrate your wins rather than dwelling on your setbacks.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.Ready to get started? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute conversation today!Want to stay informed? Subscribe to our newsletter.See what others are saying about us