College admissions is a confusing process so it’s unsurprising that many applicants have difficulty navigating it each year – and the waitlist process is no different.

So what should you do if you’re waitlisted at your first-choice school? 

Should you stay on the waitlist or move on?

In this article, you’ll learn what it means to be waitlisted, what your best options are, and how you can improve your chances while on the waitlist.

What does it mean to be offered a spot on the waitlist?

It might not feel this way at the moment but being waitlisted means you were qualified enough that the school would have accepted you if they had more space (otherwise they would have just rejected you).

A waitlist is a pool of applicants, likely ranked by the strength of their overall candidacy, that may be offered admission once space becomes available.

Space may open up in the following months as students admitted during the regular cycle make their final decisions and commit to a school. 

If they choose to go elsewhere then waitlisted students will be used to fill their spot.

Keep in mind that you must let them know if you want to go on the waitlist by their deadline – you will NOT be added to it automatically.

How likely are you to get off the waitlist?

It will depend on the college but, in most cases, very unlikely.

The national acceptance rate for students on the waitlist was 20% in 2019 but this rate significantly dropped to single digits at elite schools.

According to PrepScholar, your chances will depend on five factors:

1. Available spots
2. Institutional need (e.g., need for more engineering students)
3. How likely you are to attend if admitted
4. Strength of your overall application
5. Your position on the waitlist

You should expect to receive decisions between April and July (or even right before Fall registration in August).

Option 1: Join the waitlist

The first option is to join the waitlist AND submit the non-refundable deposit by May 1st to secure your spot at one of the schools you were already accepted into.

This option is the most efficient.

Pros:

• Maximizes your chances of getting in

Cons:

• Lose money if you’re admitted and you accept the offer
• Significant barrier to entry due to high costs

Most experts recommend this option because you would be able to stay on the waitlist while also ensuring that you would at least go to “a” college in the Fall.

If rejected from the waitlist, you already committed to your backup school so you don’t have to do anything.

If accepted off the waitlist, you can accept this offer and withdraw your commitment to attend your backup school OR reject this offer and stick with your backup school.

Keep in mind that your NON-refundable deposit will not be reimbursed if you decide to accept the offer. 

You will have about 1-3 days to make this decision so make sure you and your family are ready to accept the terms if admitted.

It’s also important to mention that this strategy isn’t suitable for everyone, especially students from low-income families, due to its considerable financial costs. 

Deposits will range from $100 to $1,000 so be prepared to eat the cost if you get in and accept.

This means if money is an important factor then your safest bet may be option two.

Option 2: Don’t join the waitlist

This option is the simplest.

Once you decline the offer to join the waitlist and commit to one of the schools you were accepted to then you’re done! 

Just wait until you get instructions on how to register for Fall classes.

Congratulations!

Pros:

• Quick and easy
• Peace of mind knowing that you’re finally done
• Can enjoy senior year

Con:

• Definitely not getting into waitlisted school

So should you stay on the waitlist?

To determine whether going on the waitlist is right for you…

…consider these five factors:

1. Position: Where are you on the waitlist?
2. Financial aid limits: Will being admitted off the waitlist impact your financial aid package? If so, is it worth it?
3. Risk aversion: Are you willing to risk a few hundred dollars to maximize your chances? 
4. Stress tolerance: Are you willing to stick it out until the end even if it drags into summer break?
5. Enthusiasm: Are you still interested in the college at this point?

What you can do on the waitlist to improve your chances?

#1 – Send a letter of continued interest

One of the best things you can do in this situation is sending a brief letter to the admissions office (but only if it accepts it).

Only include NEW and RELEVANT information that is not already in your application, such as higher grades and new accomplishments.

Start by setting the tone of your letter in a positive way.

This means sounding excited and optimistic despite being waitlisted. Don’t be salty, angry, or passive-aggressive in your letter (like ever).

Inform them of your decision to go on the waitlist and express your continued interest in the school.

And if true, state that you would attend if admitted (non-binding so nothing would happen if you change your mind but will look bad).

Give specific reasons why you still believe the school is a good fit for you and why you want to go there.

IvyWise also recommends including:

• How you see yourself at the school
• Professors you want to learn from
• Courses you would take
• Labs you would join
• Activities you would do there
• How you would contribute to the community

#2 – Keep up your grades

Continue to work hard in school – simple as that.

This means maintaining your grades (or scoring higher) and staying involved in your extracurriculars and community.

You may also want to consider whether you should re-take the SAT/ACT in May but only do so if the college will actually look at it and you think you can do better. 

I recommend consulting with your counselor before making this decision.

#3 – Stay in touch with the school

It may also be helpful to schedule another campus tour and meet with an admissions representative to talk about your continued interest and enthusiasm for the school.

While this won’t be a decisive factor that gets you in, it will set a good impression and let them know that you would attend if given the chance (which is VERY important for them to know). 

Need help writing your waitlist letter?

If you’re not sure how to write your letter of continued interest or just want an example, check out this template.

You can also use this example by BestColleges.

General rule of thumb:

1. Do not exceed one page (aim for 3-4 paragraphs)
2. It must be organized and structured
3. It must be free of grammatical and spelling errors
4. Be polite and follow proper etiquette
5. Highlight your optimism and positivity
6. Only mention new information 
7. Thank them for their continued interest in your application
8. Don’t be annoying – keep the number of correspondence to a minimum