What to do if you are waitlisted

Each college or university has its own policy regarding waitlists: Some schools place hundreds of students on the waitlist and then take only a handful, while others place very few students on the waitlist and usually end up admitting them all. Policies at a given institution can also change from year to year.

 

If a student receives a waitlist notice over spring break and wants to be considered for admission, he or she should follow the directions that accompany the waitlist offer. (This usually means returning a postcard or completing an online notice that the student wishes to remain on the waitlist.) Then the student should contact Ms. Hernandez and make an appointment to meet with his or her counselor as soon as possible after returning from spring break so that together they can decide on the best action plan to help that student maximize his or her chances of being admitted from the waitlist.

Students hoping for a waitlist offer should know that waitlist news is typically released after May 1, and may continue through the summer months. Depending on their calculated enrollment numbers, colleges will either extend offers from the waitlist or continue waiting to see if there is space available, as they experience some summer melt.