You expect a clear answer but then your dream school puts you on the college waitlist! While it may seem hopeless—there’s still plenty a little hope! You’ve got a chance to impress college admission one last time. You don’t necessarily need to just sit there and wait it out. Here’s a few tips from My College Guide for getting off the college waitlist and into your dream school!
cesarastudillo / César Astudillo
What Are Your Chances? – The waitlist is a way for a college to fill in the Freshman class with qualified candidates. It could be very technical: like if too many soccer players don’t accept an offer of admission, college admission may use the waitlist to fill in the blank with more soccer players from the waitlist.
Sometimes, it can just be down to numbers. You were close to making it in but fit the academic profile of numerous other students. In that case: you’ll end up in or out based on whether enough other students decline and where you are on the waitlist! Knowing where you are on the list (if your college shares that information) can help you make an informed decision about your next move.
Act Fast – So you received an offer to sit it out on the college waitlist. Don’t just hem and haw about it! You know whether or not you seriously want to attend this school. Let the college know either way. Send in your deposit and commit to attending. Keeping them hanging will seem like indifference on your part—and you want college admissions to be pulling for you (just make sure you have a back-up plan just in case)!
Call in a Favor – Do you have someone on your side? Politely ask your advocate if they can put in a good word and get the facts! If your coach, band director, or someone else important to your academic life, who is also well-connected to the college, can find out the facts for you (like your chances of admission)—why not nicely ask him or her?
Send a Letter – This is the only school you can see yourself at for the the next four years. You like the learning style and know that this is the right fit for you! Let admissions know. See if you can find out who is in charge of your college application and send him/her an updated letter!
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Point out what you’ve done the last few weeks or months since you applied that changes the game: do you have new hobbies? Stellar grades? More community service? Did you win some big award? Let your admissions counselor know. It could mean the difference between staying on the college waitlist or finally receiving that acceptance letter!
Before you get in touch with the school, be sure to read the fine print! How do they feel about waitlisted candidates? Do they want to hear from you again or are you supposed to sit tight until they come to you? Find out before you start your “getting off the college waitlist” campaign. Be careful not to overdo it. Sometimes just doing nothing is the best thing that you can do.
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