When the Answer is Maybe: College Wait Lists

So you completed the college application process, and after months of anxious waiting, you receive a letter that lets you know if you have been accepted or rejected, right? Well, there is a third option that is growing in frequency: landing on an admissions wait list.

What is a wait list?
Wait lists are lists of names of students that are neither in nor out, but are being asked to wait longer for a chance at acceptance. These lists are created by college admission offices to hedge their bets on the number of students agreeing to attend their schools. It is critical that they have a full freshman class, and it is likely that a certain percentage of students offered admission will decline the offer. When being notified of wait list status, the college is telling wait listed students that they are interested in them and would have accepted them if there was not such strong competition from so many applicants. Wait lists are more common for selective admission schools.

What steps should a family take in considering a wait list status?
First, it is important for a family to have a serious discussion about the level of continued interest in this particular college. Perhaps you have been accepted by a college that is a really close second or even comparable in your estimation. It may be better to decline the wait list and to celebrate the sure thing. Wait list students remain in limbo until the initial college acceptance deadlines pass in May.

What should you do if you choose to wait out the wait list?
Get a reality check to determine your chances of getting in. Start by asking the regional admissions representative the following questions:

1. How many students are on the wait list?
2. Does the college have a ranked wait list? If so, where am I? The higher, the better. If the list is not ranked, the college may reassess the entire pool of students to accept those who will round out the freshman class and meet institutional goals.
3. What percentage of students have been on the wait list in the past, and how many were accepted? Remember, past history is not a predictor of what will happen this year.
4. How likely is it that the college will go to the wait list this year?
5. How competitive is my application relative to those students who were accepted?

To put these answers in context, only 1 in 10 wait listed students are accepted at selective colleges, according to the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC). For other colleges, the ratio is better but still slim: 1 in 3. If a student is far down on the list, the best strategy may be to withdraw his name from the list and proceed with registration at his second-choice school.

Hedge your bets
On the other hand, if the odds look promising and you still want to see if you can get into the wait list school, make a back-up plan and understand that there may be additional costs.

1. Accept the second-choice college. That means paying a deposit to that school to confirm your place in the freshman class. Be aware that this deposit is typically non-refundable if you do gain acceptance to your wait listed college. But this college is a definite YES and you will have a negotiated financial package. You will know where you are going and your costs.
2. For the wait listed college, you won’t know until later what the financial package will be. Be aware that there may be less financial assistance available. The most generous financial aid packages have been offered to the students accepted in the first round.
3. Understand that while others will be making plans for specific colleges, you may be in limbo for a few more months about where you are going, cost, where you will live, roommates, etc. Colleges are expected to notify you of the resolution of your wait list status by August 1 at the latest.

Finally, give your wait listed college one last best shot
When a student is wait listed, his academic qualifications meet the college requirements. This is the time to emphasize the non-academic factors that will attract the attention of admissions staff. Be positive without being pesty. Here are some suggestions for actions you can take as soon as you are notified about being wait listed:

1. Write a letter or e-mail to your admissions counselor stating specific reasons why the school is your first choice.
2. Include any positive updates, such as awards or accomplishments, that have occurred since the application was submitted in the fall, and include support documentation.
3. Ask alumni you know to write a letter of reference or recommendation for you; provide them specific information that can be used to build your candidacy.
4. Request a second interview with your admissions counselor. Parents can assist by devoting some time to interviewing practice with their student.
5. Continue to work hard, earn top grades, and continue involvement in school-related activities and a part-time job.
6. Keep a squeaky-clean online presence – Facebook, Twitter, etc. Be the kind of student a college would be proud to have.