In the world of college admissions, nothing may be more frustrating than the waitlist offer. “Thanks so much for applying. I know you were expecting an answer, but we need you to wait for yours just a little bit longer than everyone else.” On this episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, we’ll offer some perspective by reviewing the waitlist trends we saw last year and offering suggestions for how to approach your own waitlist status.

On last week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, Ian shifts the focus of our attention to the juniors and what goes into building the college list. But before we completely close the book on our current seniors, the opening segment explains a bit more about what goes on behind the waitlist process.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Sally Ganga welcomes three College Coach experts to explore how much might be too much to borrow for college, what steps seniors should take if they have received a waitlist admission decision, and NACAC’s national State of College Admission Report. You can listen to the complete show on the Voice America network or by searching for “Getting in: A College Coach Conversation” wherever you get your podcasts.

On the March 30^th episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation was all about the research necessary to help get you pick the right school for you. Whether you’re a junior narrowing down your list of where to apply, or a senior deciding between multiple offers of admission, Beth Heaton once again has the answers!

What the Waitlist Means

Some students would rather be denied than waitlisted and I don’t blame them. For many, the college application process has been a long and protracted ordeal; with a waitlist letter, it’s going to last a few months longer with far less certainty about how it will end.

Over the next couple of months, high school seniors will be receiving lots of college admissions decisions—some good news, some bad news, and some… waitlists?  It’s hard to know what to make of a waitlist decision.  Can a student increase her chances of moving her application from the waitlist into the admitted students’ pile?  Or should she just move on with her college decision—and her life—with the acceptances she has now?

In part one of this blog series, I outlined the reality of the waitlist at Ivy League schools. Today I want to share some quick thoughts on acts that can help or hurt your odds of going from waitlist to admit.

Hoping to take some action to support your application? Try these things:

It’s that time of year again: waitlist season. If you’re currently waitlisted by an Ivy League school (i.e., a member of the most famous sports conference in the world), here are a few things to keep in mind:

The National Candidate Reply Date has come and gone, and you’ve placed your deposit at your chosen school. You’re excitedly preparing for college life at the university you selected. Then you get the call – your dream school, the one at which you were waitlisted, wants to know if you’re still interested. Now what do you do? College Coach admissions expert Elizabeth Heaton tackles this question in her latest blog post for USA Today College.

Still in the early stages of the college admissions process? Our college consulting team of former senior admissions officers can help you stay on track – no matter what year you are in high school! Take a look at our student college admissions timeline to get an idea for what your goals should be at each grade.

The letter from the college wasn’t skinny, but it wasn’t fat either.  It was somewhere in the middle–you’ve been waitlisted.

What landed you on the Waitlist

People are put on waitlists for a variety of reasons, the most common of which is that the admissions committee really liked you, you were a compelling applicant, but there were simply other applicants who were stronger. You were likely a student they knew could do the work and would have contributed nicely to the campus community, but again, other applicants had higher numbers, higher grades, more significant activities, etc.  In the end, you’ll likely never know what got you on the waitlist or how close you were to being admitted, or denied, so don’t spend time ruminating about it. As the adage goes, “It is what it is.”