Admission News

What If You Are Wait Listed?

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Written by CB Experts

You have probably heard by now if you have been accepted to the college you have applied to. But, perhaps you have been wait listed. So now, you have some decisions to make.

First, check to see under what conditions you have been wait listed. Because you are wait listed, you may have lost priority housing requests and financial aid opportunities at this school. Also, you will probably not hear if you have been accepted until May 1 and you may only have a few days after notification to make a decision to accept or not.

What can you do?

  • Call the school’s admission office to see if they rank wait-listed students. If so, ask what your rank is and determine if your chance for getting in after they have filled all their slots is feasible.
  • If you decide to remain on the wait list, you should next send a letter to admissions discussing how much you do want to attend this school and why you are a great fit with this school.
  • Because you have most likely qualified academically to be wait-listed at all, others things could make the influential difference. Be sure, then, to add any supplementary materials to your application file that you can, as they occur, things like new medals and honors; better grades; new, wonderful recommendations.
  • Ask an alum of this school and/or ask your guidance counselor to call the school and weigh in for you.
  • Ask for a new interview. Another interview will give you a new contact person who might hold sway for you and follow the progress of your potential acceptance.
  • Be sure to continue to do well and be involved. Some schools will ask for third or fourth quarter grades before finally accepting a wait-listed applicant.

But, one thing you should do is choose a school from which you have received an acceptance and send in your deposit. You do not want to miss an opportunity while you wait for a school that has wait-listed you. Later, if you do get acceptance from your wait-listed school, you can make a decision about whether or not to give up your deposit on the other college, an easier decision than where you will work for the next academic year.

About the author

CB Experts

Content created by retired College Admissions consultants.