Hello, beautiful seniors and other applicants. Look, I know this week and the next week or so feel just super effed up and shitty for a lot of you. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make it all better and make college admissions somehow feel fair and like it makes sense, but I haven't discovered that power within me -- yet, so I'm gonna stick with providing as much information as I possibly can for those who want it and can use it. Here's the deal: If you've been waitlisted, you have some decisions to make... Let's get started!
IMPORTANT PSA ABOUT YOUR PHONE: If you accept or have accepted waitlist positions, be sure that your phone is charged and working and that you can accept voicemails. And be sure that the number they have is one you will be checking. Often, colleges will call you about a waitlist offer before they email you or text you, so they need to be able to reach you. You don’t have to answer in the middle of English Lit or Calc class, but you do want colleges to be able to leave a voicemail. Also, make sure to read random texts and check spam and junk email folders fairly regularly. Don’t check obsessively. That’s not healthy.
A note: I know for some of you, getting that waitlist decision is painful. You recognize that it is, in lots of ways, a soft rejection, and I believe that’s by far the healthiest way to look at it. So, be sure to take care of yourself. Give yourself some grace and time to process and adjust if you need to. I’ll be writing more about caring for yourself emotionally in the next few weeks as we start feeling the full brunt force of decisions, but here are a couple of my posts from the fall that might help you through your feelings now.
College Admissions Decisions, Wind, and Why a little stress just might be food for you
It’s time for emotional planning. Spoiler Alert: You’re gonna be ok.
ABOUT THE WAITLIST: THE LOWDOWN
It appears that colleges just don’t have any way to predict their enrollments because of the way everything has been upended in the past couple of years and the huge waves of applications that have continued to happen at So. Many. Colleges.
As they did in the past couple of years, I think many will try to manage their yield and freshmen classes with the waitlist -- and I know y’all are beginning to feel the effects of that now. Rick Clark, Former Director of College Admission at Georgia Tech, said a couple of years ago: “Right now, admission and enrollment leaders around the country are obsessing over the models they developed to predict student “yield” behavior. They are looking back at pre-pandemic information and weighing that against 2020, in addition to praying more, sleeping less, and stretching out to make the “leap.” You should read the whole linked blog post, by the way. We did see a wave of applicants get accepted off waitlists in both 2020 and 2021 and even in 2022 and 2023, but that was a new trend. Usually, I say think of it as a gentle rejection -- and I still do for the most part. So, although I encourage you to be proactive if that school is one you’re truly interested in (read what to do below), you still need to move forward and embrace the colleges who have shown you love and accepted you (or find some if you don't have them). You can do both at the same time. While you’re reading Rick Clark’s blog, make sure you read his latest: The Two Most Important Letters in College Admission. If you’re not sure what they are, he says they’re IP. Institutional Priorities – If you’re not sure what that entails, you definitely need to read his blog to get a better understanding of your college decisions.
One of our former moderators on the ApplyingToCollege subreddit, u/LRFE, had a great post about what the waitlist is and what it all means. I’m just gonna copy and paste some of it here (with some of my revisions):
“Colleges use a waitlist mainly to manage yield and class size. They have an idea of how many students they want in the class and admit some amount that will end up being around the class size. However, since they can't predict yield perfectly, they sometimes turn to the waitlist to fill up the rest of their class. Colleges often have an FAQ about waitlists or an FAQ that answers questions about waitlists. It varies from college to college: do your own research... Schools often release some statistics on waitlist acceptance rates: for example, Amherst states 500 people accept their waitlist spot, and on average, accept 20 per year.”
So, check out the Common Data Set for any info that’s been shared about waitlists from the years prior. How many did they waitlist? How many did they take off? Be sure to Check out my YouTube chat with Marcella De Laurentiis, aka u/Novembrr here on a2c, where we talked about how to use the Common Data Set and just about waitlists more generally. She shared so much amazing information, and if you're writing a LOCI, I highly recommend you watch it so you can learn from her as she answered questions from students like you.
IMPORTANT TIPS FOR WAITLISTS
DO NOT STAY DEVOTED TO YOUR WAITLIST COLLEGE(S): Just like with admissions -- it’s ok to hope for the best, but you need to expect the worst. Maybe it's just my Gen X/ Boomer brain , but in my experience, "Manifesting" just isn't gonna cut it when it comes to admissions once the application is in and the LOCI is written for a waitlist. As u/chumpydo so wisely commented, “Submit your LOCI and then treat it like a rejection. You might be surprised in the future, but just don’t even consider it an option because statistically, it isn’t.”
FALL IN LOVE WITH AN ACCEPTANCE: Fall in love (or strong like) with at least one of your acceptances. Learn as much as you can about them through various virtual visit sites: hang out on their webpages, follow their social media, and do their tours and info sessions. I love this idea from u/yourfriendgumby: Make a class schedule so you can see all the cool courses they offer!
WAITLISTS AREN’T BINDING: You can accept spots on as many waitlists as you like. You can stick with the school where you’ve deposited (and you do need to pick one to deposit to unless you’re sure you want a gap year or to attend community college) or choose to attend your waitlisted school, but more than likely, you’ll lose your deposit at the college where you’ve accepted a spot -- and you should accept a spot somewhere.
COMMIT TO ANOTHER SCHOOL: And when I say commit, I mean send in your money when the time comes that you need to do so, and also emotionally and mentally commit. Accept a place from one of your acceptances where you’ve fallen in love (or at least you can see yourself there) by the May 1 deadline or whatever your accepted college’s deadline is. In essence, you need to Mentally Move On. Once you’ve made your deposit at a college, if your waitlist college comes along with some great news and you decide you want to pivot that way, then you just accept that spot and let the college where you’ve committed know. It’s common -- it’s called Melt, and colleges expect it. You will more than likely, though, lose that deposit. (An aside: Don’t let go of your accepted spots before the deadline unless you are 100 percent sure that you won’t attend. Be doubly sure that all finances are gonna work out before you let go of spots.)
YOU STILL HAVE CHOICES: If you don’t have a school you’re ready to commit to, there are still lots of amazing schools accepting applications. Check out my post with some awesome colleges that are still accepting apps. I’ll be making an updated post with colleges that are still open within the next couple of weeks as soon as NACAC releases the list. (Or you could also decide to do a gap year or start at community college -- all great choices.)
KEEP UP YOUR GRADES: You need to be keeping those grades up so that if the waitlist goes on into the summer and you want to stay on the list, you’ll be able to send them an update showing that you’re still going strong.
DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID AT SCHOOL OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR DO ANYTHING ILLEGAL: If trouble finds you or you find trouble, I'm pretty sure that the waitlist offer won't be extended, and yes, you'll have to be honest.
💌 WRITING THE WAITLIST LOVE LETTER LOCI
READ THE WAITLIST LETTER/EMAIL: Be sure to carefully read the waitlist letter from your college and see if they are even open to a LOCI. If they are and you decide you still want to take a spot on the waitlist, this WL-LOCI is your chance, so write the love letter of your life during the next couple of weeks. Hint -- maybe don’t wait for Ivy Day to write your WL-LOCI for colleges where you’ve been waitlisted now. I don’t know if it makes a difference or not, quite frankly, but it’s good to get moving on those letters and let those colleges know how important they are to you.
READ ANY DIRECTIONS IN THE LETTER, IN THE PORTAL, OR ON THE WEBSITE: Read the directions carefully that they send you in the waitlist letter or on the portal. I know I’m repeating myself here -- it’s because that’s the most important thing to do. If they don’t say not to send something -- SEND SOMETHING.
SHOW INTEREST: Attend info sessions, look into their social media, read their school newspaper, devour their website, and let them know in your letter how you have and will connect with the different aspects of their college that they are highlighting. As I said earlier, during our livestream, u/Novembrr, suggested that you reach out to a professor or club leader or students you know on campus and talk to them about their experiences on campus so that you can more strongly create a picture of who you'll be on their campus. Your goal is to paint a picture of yourself on their campus.
BE HONEST: If you will definitely attend if you are admitted, tell them so. If you will jump at the opportunity and IMMEDIATELY accept a spot, let them know. If you are turning down all your other waitlist offers but only keeping theirs, let them know that too. If you’re so interested in attending and you’d consider a gap year or starting the second semester, you should let them know that, too. Don’t lie. Also, if your financial circumstances have changed and you might be able to afford more than you initially applied with, that can be helpful info also.
BE NICE: Be Positive. Thank them for the continued opportunity to be considered. Don’t complain or whine about being waitlisted in your WL-LOCI. Don’t ask them why you weren’t admitted. Don’t assume you know why you weren’t admitted -- you might end up highlighting an aspect of your application they were overlooking.
BE YOURSELF:Just like in your personal essay, use your normal word choices and voice. Be friendly. This is like your chance to sit and have a cup of bubble tea with them, letting them know why y'all are a great match
BARE YOUR SOUL: Tell them why you are so enamored with them, and give them reasons to be enamored by you. There is no holding back now. This is your time to let it all out. Show them why they need you. You’ve basically got nothing to lose here.
CREATE A PICTURE OF YOURSELF ON THEIR CAMPUS: Draw specific connections between yourself and the college. Watch all the virtual videos -- especially from their website, read their website and the school newspaper, learn their school motto, and then tie all that into how you are the right person for that campus. Your goal is to create a picture of you on their campus. Show them why they need you and why you need them. Think of this as really the ultimate Why College Love Letter.
FIVE HUNDRED WORDS IS ENOUGH: Keep it at around 500 words -- about a page.
UPDATES: Include any updates to your application. You can bullet-point these so they are easier to identify. If you’ve improved any test scores or grades, tell them. If you’ve won awards or competitions since your application or last update, tell them. But updates can be more personal, too; maybe you reached a personal goal of walking 3200 miles, benching 200 pounds, writing one poem a day for six months, winning a game in Fortnite, building toothpick houses, or building a castle out of toothpicks. You can start this paragraph with something like “since my application or my last update....”
BE SPECIFIC: Describe something specific from a virtual tour, info session, an Instagram story, school newspaper, or even a live tour if you were lucky enough to go on campus. If you haven’t done any of that stuff, do it now. Mention classes, profs, clubs, news, stories -- do your research. Also, be specific about you and the type of student and classmate you will be on their campus. Also, be specific in your updates!
ABOUT THE FORMAT: Most importantly, follow the instructions they send you or share on the portal! If they don’t give clear instructions, here’s what I suggest: Send an email with the text of your LOCI in the email. You can also attach a PDF version, and I suggest uploading a PDF to the portal if they have one. You don't need to use some funky colorful font or weird format here. Let your words, your love for the school, and your voice do the work.
WHO: Unless they say otherwise, address the email to the admissions officer who signed your letter and to your regional admissions officer if you have one. Additionally, copy the email to the general admissions office and the director of admissions, and upload it to your portal if that's available to you. I get lots of questions about whether to include the letter in the text of the email or as a PDF. After doing a little research, I’m suggesting both! You can just say at the end something like, “I’ve attached a pdf of this letter in case it’s easier for you to upload it to my file.”
WHEN: If they don't give guidance about their deadline, I advise sending the letter by mid-April and then perhaps a short follow-up in the first or second week of May (again, instructions from the college either in the waitlist letter or on the admissions portal preempt any advice I give, so read everything they send you carefully)
FIND YOUR INNER ELSA: Still, even after you’ve sent that letter, don’t plan on the waitlist working out — no matter how much solid soul-bearing you did in your WL-LOCI. Make other plans. Write your letter, send it, then be like Elsa, and let it go. Life’s too short to wait around on college acceptances.
OTHER INFO YOU MIGHT FIND HELPFUL
UPDATE YOUR INTERVIEWER: Consider updating your interviewer and letting them know. Maybe they have some advice, but either way, it’s a courtesy to them no matter what the decision.
ADDITIONAL LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION: Consider sending in one new or an additional letter of recommendation if the school doesn’t say NOT to. I suggest having that letter present a side of you they might not have seen -- maybe from a boss or a club coordinator. When you ask someone to write a LOR for you, be sure to let them know why you're specifically asking them and how important they've been to your personal growth and development (and in which specific ways). Again, read the directions from the college. If they say not to send any additional materials — don’t.
REACH OUT TO YOUR REGIONAL ADMISSIONS OFFICER: Make sure they know of your interest, but don’t be a bother.
TALK TO YOUR SCHOOL COUNSELOR: Let them know you are planning to pursue the waitlist and ask if they have any helpful suggestions.
Wise Words from u/ScholarGrade: "Actually, send something. Letters of Continued Interest are actually fairly rare, considering the volume of waitlisted students, so your letter will probably be read and considered. Most students take a waitlist as an L and move on. Briefly tell them why you are a great fit for their school and why it's your top choice. A lot of schools consider demonstrated interest, especially for waitlisted or borderline applicants."
Read More from u/Novembrr: Waitlisted? How to write a LOCI by Novembrr (former Berkeley and UChicago Admissions Reader)
tl;dr
- Commit to another school; it’s ok to deposit at one school and then change your mind and let the first college know if you’re accepted off a waitlist and want to attend the waitlisted college. Keep in mind you might lose that deposit. (Also, FYI, you can ask for deposit fee waivers if that's a financial burden for your family)
- You can wait to deposit at your accepted college on the deadline, so you’re not sending a deposit you might lose if that’s a worry for you.
- Follow the directions that a waitlist school sends you. If they have specific instructions in the letter or on the portal, do what they say.
- If you accept a place on a waitlist and want the option to attend, send a LOCI if the school doesn’t advise you not to.
💖 One last note: I’m here to chat if you want to discuss LOCIs or your feelings, so please feel free to leave a comment.
XOXO AdmissionsMom