Understanding the Waitlist: What It Means and How to Navigate It
In the next few weeks or months, your student may receive letters from the colleges to which they applied. Although they may either be accepted or unfortunately rejected, there is a third possibility for the Regular Decision round: waitlisting. If your student is waitlisted, the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) reports that 43% of colleges use waitlists, with highly selective colleges placing a greater proportion of students on those waitlists.
What does it mean to be waitlisted? Essentially, it means that your student has been deemed qualified, but the college has already accepted its desired number of students. As a result, the waitlist is a list of qualified students who may be admitted when space opens up after the initial accepted students decline.
Being waitlisted is good news because it implies that your student is a qualified candidate, so there is still hope of being admitted to the college. However, the question remains: why was your student waitlisted? One possibility is that there were too few spaces available, and too many qualified candidates for the spots. Another possibility is that there is a flaw in your student's application that makes them a borderline candidate, such as their grades being on the fence or their extracurricular activities lacking depth. Alternatively, in some cases, a waitlist can be the college’s nice way of rejecting a student, particularly if they are related to faculty or alumni.
If your student has been waitlisted, there are some proactive steps they can take to increase their chances of being accepted. Firstly, they can contact the admissions office with a Statement of Persuasion that highlights the courses they would like to take, and the campus activities they would like to participate in. Emphasizing how they would enhance the college's community can help to sway the admissions committee in their favor.
Secondly, it's essential to find out where your student ranks on the waitlist. The letter might indicate if they are in the first pool of students to be considered for admission. If not, your student should contact the college and find out where they are on the list. They can ask if there is a priority list or if the list is ranked.
Thirdly, it's crucial that students maintain their grades, study hard for AP exams and finals, and above all, maintain a great attitude in school to have the best chance of getting off the waitlist. Additionally, your student should keep the college updated on their academic achievements and extracurricular activities since submitting their application. This could include submitting an additional letter of recommendation to the school that could add depth to their application.
Finally, it's crucial to remember that being waitlisted is not the end of the world. In the meantime, encourage your student to continue applying to other colleges to ensure they have options. While being waitlisted may not be ideal, it does offer hope that your student could still be admitted to their preferred college if they take proactive steps and maintain a positive attitude.
