Getting Out of Limbo (or, Tips for Navigating the Waitlist)

It's no secret that increasing numbers of applications have allowed for selective colleges to become more...well...selective.  A phenomenon less talked about is that those same colleges are becoming less certain of their yield.  In other words, they admit some great applicants but are having a harder and harder time predicting who will actually accept their offer of admission.  Students are applying to more colleges and choosing among more options.  It's not easy to predict the decision-making process of 17-year olds faced with multiple options (surprise!).  And so at many colleges, the waitlist is an important tool to protect against the uncertainty of who will actually enroll.  This post is about what you can do if you're hoping to be one of those called from a waitlist. 

You can’t know whether a college will use the waitlist this year, or when.  It’s very rare for a college to call prior to May 1.  Be sure to deposit at a school you’ve been admitted to, and move forward with every expectation of being on that campus next fall. Wear the T-shirt.  Join the admitted class Facebook group.  Go to the local reception for enrolling students.  Plan on that place being your home next year.

You can’t control who gets called.  You might be a tremendous candidate, but if the deposits that roll in on May 1 are largely from students who are demographically just like you, the college could be calling someone else.  Most schools use the waitlist to strategically round out the class.  Maybe they’ll need local males this year.  Or more theater majors.  Maybe they’ll need that one kid from Wyoming.  You just don’t know.

So, what is in your control?  On many waitlists, demonstrated interest matters.  Even if you haven’t shown much interest before (especially if you haven’t), now is the time to be in touch. An admission office that is worried about its yield and thinks their college is being used as a back-up will sometimes park a strong but apparently uninterested kid on the waitlist.  If you are genuinely interested, complete the online form the college asks for and reach out to our rep.

If you are certain you would enroll if called off the waitlist, it’s worth communicating that to your admission rep.  Generally speaking, once a college goes to the waitlist they’d prefer not to make too many calls and yield only a few students.  Most places want to call students they expect will say ‘yes.’   

Lastly, don’t go nuts.  Flying to campus to lobby for yourself is not appropriate (even more true for parents).  Most colleges don’t want you to visit as a waitlisted student and likely won’t meet with you if you do.  On the other hand, email or phone communication with your admission rep is perfectly acceptable.  But not on a daily basis.  There’s a line between “enthusiasm” and “stalking.” Sending elaborate portfolios, platters of food, hand-crafted models of campus buildings (true story), flowers, puppies, bribes, singing telegrams, oil paintings of your admission officer, or any other gift you can think up is neither encouraged nor rewarded – though you might live on in admission infamy as a cautionary tale in the next year’s info sessions.