How can I increase my chances of getting a waitlist?

What are the chances of getting in if you are waitlisted?

Among all colleges that use a waitlist, about 20 percent of students who choose to remain on the waitlist are admitted. At the most selective colleges, only 7 percent are admitted.

Is getting waitlisted impressive?

Being waitlisted isn't terrible if you can be patient and have a backup plan. Alternatively, you can choose to back out and move on. If you were waitlisted by one of your reach schools, you might have already been planning for the alternatives. So usually, being waitlisted isn't bad.

Is waitlist basically a rejection?

However, the school could not offer them a letter of acceptance at that time. Getting on a waitlist is not a rejection — waitlisted students still have a shot at earning admission to the school.

How do school waiting lists work?

Being offered a school place through a waiting list. If a space becomes available at one of your preferred schools and your child's name is at the top of the waiting list, that place will be automatically allocated to you. In some areas, this is a rolling process, so you may be given a place at any time.

What to Do If You're Waitlisted | The Princeton Review

Is waitlist a soft rejection?

If a student is waitlisted, it usually means that a school feels the student is a good fit, but the school is constrained by class sizes. Keep in mind, however, that some schools use waitlist offers as “soft rejections.” The waitlist offer is more of a “courtesy” and they have no intention of admitting you.

What to say when you are waitlisted?

Waitlisted students are more than welcome to contact the admissions department to plead their case – but politely. Email and letters can demonstrate your interest in the school and reiterate why you want to attend. This could be the extra bump you need to get that acceptance letter.

How long does waitlist take?

Waitlist acceptances often roll out gradually throughout May, June, July, and sometimes even August right before the school year starts. Of course, not everyone on the waitlist will be admitted. In fact, some colleges might admit just a few students or even none at all one year!

Is waitlist worse than rejection?

Being waitlisted is better than being rejected because you still have some chance of getting into the school. According to the NACAC survey, the average acceptance rate across all institutions for those who choose to stay on the waitlist is 20% and 7% for selective institutions.

Do grades matter for waitlist?

For UCSC, you just opt into the waitlist with no statement but maintaining good grades is important for all schools, but you cannot submit 2nd semester Senior grades to help get off the waitlist unless they change their process this year.

How does the waitlist process work?

Being on a college waitlist typically means that you are placed within a “holding pattern” of sorts. The admissions committee may or may not admit students from the waitlist. And unlike a deferral situation, new information does not usually change a waitlist decision.

What percent of people get off the waitlist?

Some colleges admitted as few as zero applicants off their waitlist in fall 2020, according to U.S. News data submitted by 98 ranked National Universities that had wait-listed students. The average percentage of students admitted off the waitlist across all of those schools was 39%.

Should I appeal a waitlist?

If you've been waitlisted at a college, and you'd definitely attend if you got in off the waitlist, then you need to write a waitlist letter. And if you've been denied at your dream college, and you're desperate to be reconsidered, then you should write an appeal letter.

What time do waitlist decisions come out?

When do waitlist decisions come out? Waitlisted applicants usually hear back sometime after the May 1st deadline for high school seniors to submit their deposit and confirm their attendance at the college. It's not uncommon, however, for decisions on waitlisted applicants to stretch on into the summer.

Why are there so many waitlists this year?

Many colleges experienced housing shortages, hiring freezes, and fluctuating numbers of enrolled students. For all of these reasons, it appears that many more selective institutions have admitted fewer students, and offered waitlist spots to many more students than in years past.

Do a lot of people get waitlisted?

While many colleges will waitlist hundreds or even thousands of students, not all of those students will accept a spot on the waitlist, making the pool, and the chances of getting in, slightly better in some cases. According to NACAC, 20% of all students who chose to remain on waitlists were ultimately admitted.

Should I email a school if I'm waitlisted?

Keep Communication Open. If you really want to attend a school that waitlisted you, communicate that message quickly and clearly. Write a letter or email and ask that it be included in your file. You should state in no uncertain terms (assuming you mean it) that if you are accepted, you will without question attend.

How long should a waitlist letter be?

Five Rules for Writing a Winning Waitlist Letter. Keep it short – no more than two pages, double-spaced. Use this valuable space to focus on how you are a stronger candidate now than when you first applied.

What happens if I don't get off the waitlist?

Many schools require that you respond to a waitlist invitation, meaning you are accepting a spot on the waitlist. If you don't accept the spot, you won't be considered for admission. The schools often email you or require that you respond via the individual institution's portal.

Is waitlist worse than deferred?

A deferred applicant will be considered again before any reconsideration is provided to a waitlisted applicant. As such, being waitlisted at a school is worse than a deferral because the institution has decided not to admit you unless other applicants decline their admission offer and seats become available.

Why did I get waitlisted?

Waitlisting the student is a way the college can send a positive message to a student they are unlikely to admit. If a highly competitive student doesn't show interest in a college (i.e. "demonstrated interest") because they believe it is a "safety" school for them, the college may waitlist the student.

Is accepting waitlist binding?

Keep in mind that college waitlist offers aren't binding. You won't be required to attend the college if they accept you from the waitlist.

Do colleges look at senior year GPA?

Your senior year grades hold weight on your overall GPA, which is one of the components, along with SAT or ACT scores, letters of recommendation, etc., that institutions review as part of the admissions process.

Does senior year grades matter?

So yes, your senior grades matter, both in a practical sense for college admissions and in a more meaningful way for how you may choose to live your life. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Show colleges and yourself what it looks like when you don't let up.

Do schools waitlist overqualified applicants?

Colleges wait list students for four main reasons. They wait list overqualified students who they can tell are just using them as a backup school in case they don't get in where they really want to go. Colleges have research about what profile they are likely to be a good match for.