What's the difference between waitlisted and accepted?

Asked by: Dr. Trent Dooley MD  |  Last update: October 10, 2023
Score: 4.1/5 (55 votes)

What Does It Mean To Be Waitlisted? If you've been waitlisted during the RD review process, this means that the college has completed reviewing your file and you have not been accepted. However, if enough students that were accepted choose not to attend, you could be considered.

Why did I get waitlisted instead of accepted?

The admissions office might have been concerned about your commitment to enrolling at their college and placed you on a waiting list to determine how keen you are to be accepted. Your application may have flaws that make you a borderline candidate. Maybe your grades weren't strong enough.

What are the chances of being accepted after 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.

What is the difference between waitlisted and accepted?

Filling the Incoming Class

If you're put on a waitlist, it's not quite an acceptance, but the college is telling you that it will consider admitting you if there's still space to fill in the incoming freshman class. A waitlist means schools can ensure that they have a full freshman class.

Can you get rejected after being waitlisted?

What is waitlisted, and why does it happen? Getting waitlisted from a college is being put in between an acceptance and a rejection. You have neither gained admission nor been denied acceptance. However, that waitlist always turns into either an acceptance or rejection.

lies you've been told about college admissions.

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What not to do when waitlisted?

Waitlisted students can accept or reject the offer presented by the college. However, don't take up a spot on the list if you're not planning on attending the school anymore. You'd be taking the spot away from another student who may be more interested.

Is a 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 do after being accepted from waitlist?

Many times after accepting a place on the waitlist, colleges will encourage students to write a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI) and give the admissions office a little more information about what they've been doing since they submitted their applications.

What to do if accepted on a waitlist?

What to Do After Being Wait-listed
  1. Accept a spot on the waitlist.
  2. Express interest again in the school.
  3. Submit a deposit to another university.
  4. Manage expectations in the admissions process.
  5. Continue to focus on high school academics.
  6. Be ready to make a decision if admitted.

What does it mean if university puts you on waiting list?

A college may put you on a waitlist. This can happen when you meet the admissions requirements, but the college has already accepted the number of applicants it has room for. If a spot becomes available later on, you may be offered a place.

Is waitlist worse than rejection?

Getting on a waitlist is not a rejection — waitlisted students still have a shot at earning admission to the school. College waitlist statistics from the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) show that 43% of postsecondary institutions used a waitlist during the 2018-19 school year.

How many applicants are waitlisted?

The truth is, the number of students who are waitlisted changes from year to year, so it's impossible to say how many people will get waitlisted at a certain school. The number can range anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred.

Can you accept two college offers?

Double Deposits

Double depositing means putting down a deposit, and thus accepting admission, at more than one college. Since a student can't attend multiple colleges, it is considered unethical.

Do colleges reject overqualified students?

Generally speaking, it's not a student's overqualifications themselves that lead a school to reject them—though this may be partially the case. Rather, overqualified students are rejected because of other related factors.

Can you wait a year after getting accepted to a university?

Once you're accepted to college, you can defer admission for a gap year. You can defer enrollment, but you can't defer acceptance. Colleges want you to take a gap year! But they also want to know that after your gap year, you'll come to their school.

What is the difference between waitlisted and pending?

In short, pending means the upgrade request has not even been put in yet; waitlisted means that the request has been put in, but there is no confirmable space.

How do colleges pick from waitlist?

Colleges typically use their waitlists to fill shortfalls in the freshman class, as well as to meet other "institutional needs." A "shortfall" occurs when admission officers check the demographics of the students who have already enrolled and find that they are lacking females ... or males ... or students from the ...

What does it mean to accept a waitlist offer?

Accepting a waitlist offer means that you decided to accept a spot on the college's waitlist. Before you decide, find out whether there are any conditions attached to being waitlisted.

How do colleges decide who to take off the waitlist?

If you rank higher, you'll have a greater chance of getting off the waitlist. But some colleges may neither rank waitlisted students nor accept them by priority. Individual colleges may take a more holistic approach. They may make their decision based on factors such as which majors they want represented.

What do you say to someone who got waitlisted?

Here are five meaningful things to say in a situation like this:
  • “I know this feels like the end of the world, but it will all work out.” ...
  • “If it is meant to be, it will be.” ...
  • “The college process is unpredictable, try not to take it personally.” ...
  • “You did all that you could do, and you should not have any regrets.”

Do second semester grades matter for waitlist?

Deferred and Waitlisted Students

That correspondence will include grades from the second semester of your senior year. Colleges and universities look for consistency or improvement when you're in this position, so don't slack.

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 counts as rejection?

Rejection can be defined as the act of pushing someone or something away. One may experience rejection from one's family of origin, a friend, or a romantic partner, and the resulting emotions can often be painful. Rejection can be experienced on a large scale or in small ways in everyday life.

What does waitlisted 0 mean?

The result produces a Registration Add Error: Example: “Closed - -0 Waitlisted” (meaning that the course is full, and there are no students on the waitlist) or “Open – Reserved for Wait List” (meaning that there is an open seat but it is reserved for a waitlisted student who is at the top of the wait list).

What is waitlist strategy?

A waitlist offers a way for your audience to trade their contact information in exchange for something good. It could be early access to your program or an exclusive bonus that's only available to this specific segment of your email list. This works well if there's some sort of scarcity aspect to your offer.