What waitlisting for college really means?

Hey guys, I found out that I've been waitlisted at one of my top-choice colleges. Can someone please shed some light on what it means to be waitlisted, and what I can do to improve my chances of getting accepted eventually?

Hi there! Being waitlisted at a college means that the admissions committee found your application to be strong, but due to the limited number of available spots, they're not able to offer you admission at this time.

However, waitlisted applicants still have a chance to be accepted if any spots open up after admitted students make their enrollment decisions, as sometimes fewer students say yes than the school was expecting, and they end up having some spots to fill. So, you are still in consideration for admission, but your chances depend on what other students do with their offers of admission.

To improve your chances of getting accepted from the waitlist, it's essential to demonstrate your continued interest in the college. You can do this by sending a letter of continued interest. In this letter, reaffirm your interest in the school, provide updates on any new achievements since your initial application, and emphasize what you uniquely bring to their community. You can read a more detailed breakdown of how to write one of these letters on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/deferred-or-waitlisted-tips-for-writing-a-letter-of-continued-interest.

Lastly, make sure to have a backup plan in place by accepting an offer from another college where you’ve been accepted. Normally, committing to another school is binding, but being accepted off the waitlist elsewhere is a valid reason to change your commitment.

While it's good to maintain some optimism about your chances of getting off the waitlist, it's important to focus on the opportunities you have now and fully embrace the schools you have already been accepted to. Unfortunately, whether or not schools even draw from the waitlist is out of your control, so you don't want to rely on that pathway.

Overall, keep a positive mindset, and best of luck with the rest of your college journey!