What Should I Do if I Get Waitlisted for College?

Getting waitlisted at your top-choice school can be disappointing, especially when it causes uncertainty about your enrollment plans for the upcoming year.

If you've been waitlisted, you might have a lot of questions about what that means and how to proceed. Perhaps you're even wondering if it's worth pursuing admission to your dream school and when it's time to move on to different options.

This guide will answer some of the big questions about being waitlisted and steps you can take moving forward.

What Does it Mean to be 'Waitlisted'?

When an applicant is waitlisted, it means they've been added to a running list of applicants who may be admitted if spots open up after the enrollment deadline.

Waitlisted students have not been accepted, deferred or denied. They are in a "waiting room," so to speak, hoping for a space to open up in a university's incoming class.

Let's say a school has room to admit 1,000* first-year students, and 1,500* students meet all of the admissions criteria. Through a rigorous review process, the admissions committee will accept the 1,000 applicants they believe will be the best fit — and a number of the remaining 500* qualified students will be added to the waitlist. This process varies school by school. In some instances, students may be asked if they would like to be placed on the waitlist and must formally accept in order to be listed.

At the end of the day, not every student admitted to a university will choose to enroll. As some enroll elsewhere, students from the waitlist may be offered admission to fill those open spots.

*Keep in mind that these numbers are hypothetical since every school has a unique admissions process and size capacity.

When Do Waitlist Decisions Come Out?

Admission offers for waitlisted students will typically be extended after the enrollment deadline. If admitted students are required to submit their decisions by May 1st (regarded by most colleges as National Decision Day), you can expect to hear from an admissions officer sometime between May and July.

What are the Chances of Admission When Waitlisted?

Every school handles waitlists differently, so there's no way to predict the exact odds of admission. There's no magic number that all schools abide by regarding how many first-round admits need to deny enrollment before working through the waitlist. At a school like Bucknell, the waitlist isn't ranked or weighted in any particular order, which places all students on equal footing.

However, it is worth pointing out that 20% of waitlisted students receive admission offers on average, according to the most recent data from the National Association for College Admission Counseling. At the most selective institutions, that figure sits lower at 7%.

What to Do if You're Waitlisted

If you've been waitlisted at your dream school but are still interested in pursuing admission, there is some action you can take.

Let's review some of the next steps for waitlisted applicants.

1. Accept a Spot on the Waitlist

Once notified that you've been waitlisted, you need to accept a spot on the waitlist as soon as possible. Instructions for accepting or denying your spot might have been attached to your admissions decision letter. If you have questions, contact the school's admissions office to clarify the next steps.

2. Submit Requested Materials

Some admissions offices require waitlisted students to submit supplementary materials before extending an official offer of admission.

These materials may include:

• An email expressing their desire to be admitted
• Completed financial aid application (if seeking need-based aid)
• Additional letters of recommendations
• Final transcripts
• Updated test scores

Even if your school doesn't request supplementary materials, it is a good idea to express continued interest. You can reach out to your admissions counselor to share:

• New accomplishments or awards that might make you a stronger candidate
• If you'd like to change your desired major
• Your intention to enroll if offered a spot in the incoming class

We'll discuss more specifics on writing a waitlist letter a little further along in this post.

3. Accept Admission Elsewhere official offer of admission.

As previously mentioned, May 1 is a common enrollment deadline amongst colleges and universities. It may be worth depositing at another school you'd like to attend to feel secure in your plans if you don't make it off the waitlist. But be aware that you may not get that deposit back if you rescind your enrollment later.

4. Wait for an Acceptance

Time for the waiting game — again. But be careful not to sit idly while anticipating the answer you hope for.

If you've submitted a deposit at another school, now's a good time to flesh out your potential plan to attend that college in the fall. Start thinking about housing options and course offerings, and make any decisions that you can without creating too much of a financial commitment.

5. Revert to Plan A

If you receive the news that you've been admitted from the waitlist, take a moment to celebrate. You can now move forward with the enrollment process at your top-choice school. Submit your enrollment deposit, secure housing and get ready to start college.

Don't forget to withdraw your admissions acceptance from your second-choice school, if you deposited. Thank the admissions office for the opportunity to attend, but let them know you've accepted an offer elsewhere.

Waitlist Letters 101

Writing a waitlist letter/email can help keep you top-of-mind for admission consideration.

It is important that your waitlist letter showcases some sort of improvement from the first time you applied or explains an extenuating circumstance that might have put a damper on your application the first time around.

For example, if you were dealing with a serious illness or had experienced a tragedy in the family and it affected your grades, explain it. However, it is inappropriate to make up excuses for a lackluster application, so don't try to spin a sympathetic story.

How to Structure a Waitlist Letter

Structure your waitlist letter in a way that clearly conveys your intentions and your message. You can follow a format like this:

• Introduction: State your intentions to be admitted from the waitlist.
• New accomplishments and updates: Talk about new impressive accomplishments that you didn't include on the first application; If applicable, this is also an appropriate place to talk about any changes to your application information (like your intended major) or extenuating circumstances discussed above.
• Reiterate interest: Emphasize your interest in attending the school and thank the reader for their time.

Again, the point is to appeal to the admissions board and showcase that you'd be a valuable addition to their campus. It is also important to keep things concise and to the point so it doesn't take much of the reader's time to review and process.

Learn More About Admissions at Bucknell

If you're interested in applying to Bucknell University, our Admissions & Aid page is a good place to start. Review our online admissions guides, or contact us at admissions@bucknell.edu to learn more.