What not to do when waitlisted?
Asked by: Joannie Reichel Jr. | Last update: December 1, 2025Score: 4.6/5 (21 votes)
Don't call the admissions office to check in and tell them what you ate for breakfast. Admissions officers don't want to hear from waitlisted students via phone.
How can I increase my chances of getting off the waitlist?
- MOST IMPORTANT! Write the school a short essay to demonstrate your continued interest! ...
- Look for other ways to show continued interest in the school. ...
- Make sure to accept your spot on the waitlist. ...
- Submit a deposit to another school. ...
- Only focus on things that are in your control. ...
- Be ready to decide if you do get accepted.
What to do if you are on the waiting list?
- Accept your waitlisted offer. ...
- Express your interest. ...
- Evaluate your other options. ...
- Put down an enrollment deposit. ...
- Send letters of recommendation. ...
- Resubmit improved grades or supplementary materials. ...
- Retake the SAT or ACT. ...
- Follow up.
How likely is it to get accepted after being 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.
Is a waitlist basically a rejection?
Being waitlisted means that the admission committee sees potential in your application but is unable to offer you a spot at that precise moment due to limited space. Should some students opt not to enroll, spots may open up, and applicants on the waitlist might then be offered admission.
How I got off the waitlist at a top 20 college 2020 (Vanderbilt)
Is it better to be deferred or waitlisted?
Waitlisted: Which is Better? There is no such thing as one being better than the other. They are two different outcomes that are related to when you apply. Being deferred happens after you apply in the Early Action or Early Decision rounds and the college decides it cannot provide a decision right now.
How long should you wait on a waitlist?
There's no set timeline for hearing back when you're waitlisted. It could be weeks or months before you receive an official acceptance or rejection. Colleges may accept you from the waitlist as space opens up or wait until after National Decision Day on May 1.
What should I do if I get waitlisted?
- Decide if you still want to attend. ...
- Formally accept your spot on the waitlist. ...
- Follow the instructions on your waitlist letter. ...
- Submit a deposit to another university.
Is being on a waitlist bad?
The more schools you apply to, the more likely it is that you will get into at least a few. The college waitlist should not be something we automatically think is bad. It is really a school-by-school basis and if you are waitlisted, you still have a chance to get in.
Why was I waitlisted and not accepted?
For Students Who Have Been Waitlisted
It is not an acceptance or rejection but a “Please wait…” from the school. For waitlisted students, the critical aspect to understand is that there is still a chance of getting admitted. Often, students get waitlisted because schools do not have enough space in their student body.
What is waiting list rules?
Passengers with a WL status must wait for their tickets to be confirmed if others cancel their tickets. For instance, if your ticket shows a WL2 status, it means you need two confirmed passengers to cancel their tickets for your PNR status to switch to confirmed.
How do colleges decide who gets off the waitlist?
Get the 411
Once a university can better gauge its enrollment numbers, the school can begin to offer vacant spots to candidates from the waitlist. The waitlist isn't ranked; instead, admissions officers review the school's institutional needs and decide whom to admit from the waitlist based on those factors.
How do you get past a waitlist?
- Accept a spot on the waitlist.
- Express interest again in the school.
- Submit a deposit to another university.
- Manage expectations in the admissions process.
- Continue to focus on high school academics.
- Be ready to make a decision if admitted.
How does a waitlist control work?
In 2 arm wait-list control trials, individuals randomized to the treatment group receive immediate treatment whereas individuals randomized to the control group wait a fixed amount of time before intervention is initiated.
Why am I still on the waitlist?
It could be a combination of factors, such as the increased competition and the fact that colleges sometimes waitlist students who might not be a perfect fit for their expected class composition. Waitlists can help colleges achieve their desired class "balance" in terms of demographics, talents, and other attributes.
Do colleges waitlist overqualified applicants?
It is true that some colleges may waitlist overqualified students. This practice is known as yield protection, and its purpose is to ensure that the college maintains a high yield rate, which refers to the percentage of accepted students who actually attend.
Which is worse, deferred or waitlisted?
There is a difference between waitlist and deferral status. While waitlisted students remain in limbo, deferred students become part of the regular applicant pool. Waitlisted applicants might face a longer wait for a final decision.
Does waitlist guarantee a spot?
Waitlisting does not guarantee enrollment; Waitlisting does not guarantee more seats will open in a class; Error messages do not indicate that space is being held open in a class or that enrolment is guaranteed.
Is a waitlist better than a rejection?
Waitlisting can soften the blow of rejection. You might have been too strong a candidate. The college admissions office might have been certain that you would be admitted by a much more prestigious college.
How likely are you to get in after waitlist?
What Are My Chances of Getting Off the Waitlist? According to recent data from the National Association of College Admissions Counseling, colleges on average admit 20% of students off the waitlist. At the most selective institutions, that figure was 7%.
Should I accept a waitlist?
It makes sense to keep your spot on the list only if you're really interested in going to the college. Before you decide, find out whether there are any conditions attached to being waitlisted. For example, because you're notified later than other applicants, you may have fewer housing and financial aid options.
Does waitlisted mean denied?
Waitlisted students haven't been denied a seat outright at the college that has waitlisted them, but they haven't been accepted yet, either. Their acceptance is hinging on whether a seat opens in the class they've applied for.
Is waitlist a guarantee?
As in the normal admission process, applicants on the waitlist are not guaranteed admission to a college or major. If students are admitted from the waitlist, they will see confirmation of their major in their Applicant Portal and letter of admission.
How long is the waitlist for Apple Intelligence?
The waiting time can vary, but users typically report gaining access within 15 to 30 minutes to an hour after joining the waitlist. However, some users have noted wait times of up to three hours. Still, chances are, you should get the new perks on the same day you request them.
What does wait list mean?
/ˈweɪt ˌlɪst/ a list of people who have asked for something, especially a place at a college or in a class, or a ticket for something, that is not immediately available but may be in the future: In the Washington area 1,520 people are on the wait list for a new kidney.