You Got a Waitlist-Admittance! Now What?

First, let’s clear up what it means to be on a waitlist:

Students offered a spot on a college’s waitlist are competitive applicants that the college couldn’t accommodate or admit (for a variety of reasons) at the time decisions were made. By joining the waitlist, a student is indicating that they’d still like to attend, should a space become available. Movement on a waitlist typically happens after the enrollment deadline passes, which is May 1st for most schools. That means students don’t get the “you’re in!” call until late spring at the earliest, with the possibility of admission lingering deep into the summer. We’ve even known students to get off the waitlist literally days before the fall semester started, in late August!  

If you stay on a waitlist, you should still absolutely enroll at another institution in the meantime. There are no guarantees you’ll make it off the waitlist, and you don’t want to miss out on acceptance at another college, even if it’s your second choice.

Next, let’s clear up what a college waitlist isn’t:

Many people assume that the waitlist is a long, ranked list of applicants. But that’s not the case! Instead, once their enrollment deadline passes, admissions teams look through the waitlist for candidates who can fill specific “holes” in their incoming class. Do they have too few English majors? They look for English majors on the waitlist. Do they have students enrolled from all regions of the US? If not, they look for students on the list who are from the missing geographic areas. And so on… The college is first and foremost a business, and they have institutional priorities they must consider.  

So you were one of the lucky ones, offered a spot after all! What do you do now?

First, evaluate how this school compares to the school from which you had originally accepted an offer. You’ve spent some time getting excited about that original school, picturing yourself there and preparing (at least mentally) to attend, so ask yourself whether you are willing to give up that school. Is the grass really greener on that new school’s quad? Is that new acceptance school still your top choice? What about this school feels like a better fit for you?

Second, consider affordability. Even though you may want to rush to accept the offer, take a time-out to review the  any financial aid the school is offering, or that you might need to request. Often, financial aid packages are less generous to waitlist-admitted students because the school has already divvied up the bulk of their funding.

Third, visit (or re-visit) the school, if there’s time. Seeing the school in person may help you make that tough decision. Does the campus (still) feel right? Is it all that you remembered or thought it would be? Even revisiting a school through its virtual tour can help, as will connecting with a current student to get their input.

Next, consider other waitlists you are still on. If you are still on several, you’ll need to consider the possibility of getting off the waitlist at another school, too. You may even want to call and ask those schools about the likelihood of getting in if it’s a school ranked higher on your list. Waitlist acceptances are binding: you should be absolutely sure that you want to attend before accepting.

Last, double-check the decision date. Since this is not a typical admissions offer, the timeline to make your decision is much shorter. Some schools accept students off the waitlist all the way up until the beginning of fall semester, so you may find yourself needing to make a decision in a very short amount of time.