Waitlist Do’s and Don'ts

Landing on the waitlist can feel disappointing and confusing. Obviously, you’d rather be admitted, but (good news!) you haven’t been outright denied, either.

Here are 9 waitlist do's and don'ts to minimize stress and maximize success, no matter where you end up for college.

What to DO on the Waitlist

Decide whether you want to be on the waitlist.

This may go without saying, but...if you’ve been admitted to a college you love, and if that school is a better fit for you anyway, then you can decline the waitlist offer. Congratulations on making your choice!

Follow directions for opting in.

If you decide to join the waitlist, check your applicant portal or your letter from the admission office for specific instructions for how to claim your spot on the list.

Read carefully, checking for information about submitting (or not submitting) additional materials. Some colleges may ask you to answer a question about why you want to attend their school. This is especially common for colleges that do not ask for supplemental essays in the application, or do not ask a “why us” question. Other colleges may invite you to share updates in a text box in your applicant portal or in a letter of continued interest. Others may ask you not to send any additional materials at all.

Be sure to follow directions! If you’ve been asked to type updates in a text box, then type them in the text box. If you’ve been asked to refrain from sending new information, then don’t send it.

If you don’t see any instructions beyond accepting or declining the waitlist offer – or if updates are encouraged – then write a Letter of Continued Interest.

Write a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI).

Again, you should only write a LOCI if it aligns with the directions for expressing continued interest provided by the college in your applicant portal or waitlist offer letter. 

A Letter of Continued Interest shows admission officers that you are still interested in attending their college. While opting in to the waitlist also demonstrates your willingness to enroll, a LOCI gives you the opportunity to share more information about why you want to attend and what you can contribute to the college community.

In your letter (or in a text-box response, if that’s what the college has asked for), include the following:

• For your top-choice college (and only if this is true): a statement indicating that you will definitely enroll if you are admitted. 

• A short paragraph explaining why you remain interested in this school. Use different language, reasons, and examples than the ones you used in your application essays.

• A list of updates for admission officers, including NEW, meaningful information about your grades or courses, completed or in-process projects that you are especially interested in or proud of, extracurricular or personal accomplishments or awards you have received since you applied, and/or anything else that is NEW and useful information for demonstrating your continued interest in and fit for this college.

• Your Common App ID, college-specific application ID, or other identifying information (besides your first and last name). You can include this at the top of your letter, in the body of the letter, or after your signature at the end.

Aim for about one page, single-spaced (no longer than two pages), and follow any directions provided about how or to whom to send your LOCI. If you don’t see any instructions, then email your letter to your regional admission officer or to the general admission office email address if you don't have contact information for your regional AO.

Send your LOCI around mid-April (and before May 1st).

Also known as “Decision Day,” May 1st is the most common enrollment deposit deadline. By May 1st, admitted students accept or decline admission offers, which means that waitlists are certain to move after that.

Try to send your LOCI by mid-April or – if you're ready – within a week or two of receiving your waitlist news. Students who have been admitted to their top-choice colleges are likely to decline other admission offers much sooner than May 1st, and waitlists often start moving in April. Sharing your strong interest and exciting updates sooner, rather than later, may help you snag early openings.

Attend info sessions or other programming for waitlisted students.

Admission office programming specifically for waitlisted students is not common but sometimes offered. Taking the time and effort to attend such sessions can help you show admission officers that you are serious about enrolling in their school.

Have realistic expectations.

Generally speaking, you are less likely to be admitted from the waitlist than you were to be admitted the first time around. That’s just the truth, and you should be aware that admission from the waitlist is not likely. Possible, but not likely.

Knowing this, review your admission offers from other colleges and universities. Take your enrollment decision seriously: attend admission office programming for admitted students, compare financial aid offers, speak with current students about their experiences, revisit your research on academic offerings and extracurricular opportunities that will enable you to continue exploring interests, build knowledge, and work toward achieving your longer-term goals. 

If you haven't gotten off the waitlist by the deposit deadline, enroll in the college or university that fits you best, and assume that you will ultimately attend and graduate from that school. Know that you can and will achieve your goals if you work hard and take advantage of the resources and opportunities at whichever college you attend.

What NOT TO DO on the Waitlist

Don’t assume you will eventually get off the waitlist.

Waitlist admission is not common. Read above about maintaining realistic expectations.

Don’t visit or contact admission officers against their will.

This includes randomly showing up at or calling the admission office, as well as sending a LOCI when you have been instructed not to do so. (Again, read the directions and follow them!) 

Admission officers are busy, and if they have not invited you to make an appointment or to visit campus, or if they have specifically told you not to send additional materials, doing so will only annoy them. They are even less likely to admit you in this case.

Don’t submit unsolicited essays, letters of recommendation, or other application materials.

Do submit a Letter of Continued Interest with compelling updates to your application (unless you have been instructed not to...). 

Trust that you submitted your very best, most thorough work the first time, and that – aside from your LOCI sharing new and exciting achievements – admission officers have everything they need to make their decision. 

Ultimately, if the college does not admit you, consider that you might be happier anyway at a school that immediately recognized your abilities, accomplishments, and value to their community.

Have more questions? DO shoot me an email at hilltopcollegeconsulting@gmail.com, or schedule a free initial consultation here. I'm looking forward to speaking with you!