Summary:
Being placed on a waitlist means a college has not accepted or rejected you yet. Instead, they may offer you admission later if space becomes available. It is not a guarantee of admission, but it is also not a denial.
What Does It Mean to Be Waitlisted?
When a student applies to a college and is placed on the waitlist, it means the school considers them qualified to attend but cannot offer them a spot right away. Colleges only have a limited number of seats for new students, and sometimes they receive more strong applications than they can accept. The waitlist allows the college to keep a backup group of students in case some of the admitted students decide not to enroll. If enough admitted students say “no,” the college may offer places to students on the waitlist.
How the Waitlist Works
After receiving a waitlist decision, students usually must respond and confirm whether they want to stay on the list. If they do nothing, the college will assume they are no longer interested. In most cases, students will not hear back until after the national decision deadline of May 1. If the college still has room after that date, it may begin contacting students on the waitlist. However, this process is unpredictable—some years, a college might admit dozens of waitlisted students, and other years, none at all.
Your Chances on the Waitlist
The chances of being admitted from the waitlist depend on several factors: how many students declined their offers, how many people were waitlisted, and how strong your application was compared to others on the list. At some top universities, the number of students who get off the waitlist is very small. But at other schools, the waitlist can be an important second round of admissions. Colleges rarely tell students their exact position on the waitlist, so there is no way to know how close you are to being admitted.
What to Do If You’re Waitlisted
If you are placed on a waitlist, you should accept an offer from another college before the May 1 deadline, in case the waitlist doesn’t work out. If you still want to attend the waitlisting college, you can write a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI) to show that you’re serious about enrolling if admitted. In the letter, update the college on any new achievements, improved grades, awards, or activities since you applied. If you need help with a LOCI or want more in-depth advice, then hiring a qualified college consultants can help immensely.