As seniors’ final college decisions continue to roll in, they will experience both the joy of acceptance and the disappointment of rejection. Some, however, will find themselves on a third path; the dreaded waitlist. As students cling to the chance of getting off the waitlist, it’s easy to feel frustrated, full of angst, and uncertain of what awaits them after the waitlist. While waitlists can provide a glimmer of hope for students seeking to end up at their dream school, getting off the waitlist is far from certain. That said, here are some tips that will help students avoid feeling paralyzed during the waiting period and empower them to take agency over the rest of their college process.
Decide if you actually want to wait
Remember, just because a college adds you to their waitlist doesn’t mean that you HAVE to wait on it! Seniors should talk with their parents/guardians, counselors, and other support systems to decide if it even makes sense to opt into the waitlist. There are many reasons why students won’t want to join the waitlist; for example, the school may be lower on a student’s list than others they’ve already been accepted to or even they simply don’t want to keep waiting. Also, most schools won’t notify applicants after initial decisions have been made, so some students may want to start moving forward with their decisions at other universities.
Review your priorities!
What’s one great way to keep yourself busy while waiting? Review what factors are TRULY a priority in choosing your future college home. Is financial support, academic prestige, campus location, or any other reasons the MOST important factor when making your college decision? Students should review all of the reasons why they applied to each school, and what they liked prior to getting accepted (or waitlisted). Looking back at and thinking about these priorities can help take some of the emotions out of the decision process, and allow students to make the right decisions for them.
Make a plan and stick to it
Even if you decide to stay on the waitlist, you likely won’t know until weeks after the decision deadlines for other colleges. Students should make their decision under the assumption they will not get off the waitlist. This includes committing and depositing at their top choice school—as well as getting excited about their current college choice! Taking these steps to plan for their future at another college can help students move past the sting of being waitlisted, and into the joy of planning their future.
Let colleges know you’re still interested (and why they should be too)
Even as you prepare for the reality that you may not get off the waitlist, you still must communicate to the college that you want to be on the waitlist (usually done by accepting in their portal). Also, schools will often give students the opportunity to share any updates to their applications when they opt into the waitlist. This is a great time for an applicant to share why they are still interested in their college, what they have done since they applied, and what they’re excited to experience on campus. These updates can also include extracurricular achievements or recent second semester grades. Even if colleges don’t provide you with an option to upload this information via your portal, sharing this information as an email to your admissions rep can also go a long way.
While the waitlist can feel like the end of the world, don’t let it ruin your students’ spring. Take the steps to get off of it if that’s the right choice for you, but then move on and enjoy the end of senior year!
