by Kennon Dick, former admissions officer at Swarthmore College

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.

The Admission Office’s Perspective

First, the use of a waitlist at any given school can vary dramatically from year to year. A school might take 100 students from the waitlist one year and zero students the next. In general, more selective schools are less likely to use their waitlists because they will have a high percentage of admitted students who accept their offers of admission. They’re therefore much less likely to suffer from a shortage. For all schools, how they use the waitlist depends on the number of students who accept their offer of admission, and that’s not a question they’ll have answered until very close to or after May 1.

Guest Post by Julie Wolf

Talking with parents whose children were waitlisted at one of their top college choices, a handful of words came up repeatedly: Limbo. Nightmare. Horror story. False hope.

I had barely heard of waitlists before my daughter landed on three in spring 2019. The letters went something like this: “This year we saw more incredible applicants than ever before. You were among them. Congratulations! We are delighted to offer you a spot in the Class of 2023—if one opens up! We’ll be in touch after May 1.”

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.

How Much to Borrow, What to do if Waitlisted, and the State of College Admissions

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 latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Ian Fisher and his guests discuss the common pitfalls of college visits and how to avoid them, how to prepare for the college decisions that are about to arrive, and debunking financial aid application myths.

Did you know that tens of thousands of families tune into Getting In: A College Coach Conversation every month? If you’re one of our dedicated listeners, you’re not alone! If you haven’t tuned in before, be sure to check it out—the most recent episode, guest hosted once again by Ian Fisher, was chock full of great information and advice, just like always!

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!

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?