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Can you get waitlisted for regular decision?

I'm a current junior and I've heard about people getting deferred after applying early action/early decision. But I was wondering, is it possible to get waitlisted after applying for regular decision? If so, what does the process look like and how do colleges choose who gets offered a spot from the waitlist?

11 months ago

Yes, it is possible to get waitlisted after applying for Regular Decision (RD). When a college's admissions committee cannot make a final decision to accept or reject an application in RD round, they may choose to place applicants on a waitlist. This decision essentially means that the applicant has met some, but not all, of the admission criteria, or, at highly selective schools, that the student is qualified but there were simply not enough spots available for them. Either way, the college has decided they want to keep this applicant under consideration.

The waitlist process varies from college to college, but there are some general steps involved. Typically, when the RD decisions are released, the waitlisted applicants will receive a notification informing them of their waitlist status. They are often given the option to accept or decline a position on the waitlist. If they choose to remain on the list, they will then wait for any additional spots to become available in the incoming class. Openings usually happen as admitted students decline their offers, which leaves space for colleges to admit students from the waitlist.

Whenever a college decides to admit waitlisted students, they are usually chosen based on a combination of factors similar to the original decision process: academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, and how they fit into the college's enrollment goals. Colleges may consider the level of interest expressed by waitlisted students in attending the institution. Demonstrated interest can come in the form of writing a letter of continued interest, or possibly attending any virtual events offered by the college for waitlisted applicants. You can read more about letters of continued interest on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/deferred-or-waitlisted-tips-for-writing-a-letter-of-continued-interest.

It's important to note that being on a waitlist doesn't guarantee admission. The number of students admitted from the waitlist at a particular school fluctuates from year to year and depends on the college's yield (the percentage of students accepting their initial offers). Some years may see a large number of waitlist admits, while other years may see few or none at all. Additionally, some colleges may accept many more students off the waitlist at others - generally speaking, highly selective schools have higher yield rates, and thus are less likely to need to tap into their waitlist.

In the meantime, waitlisted students should prepare to attend a different college where they have been accepted. They'll want to submit a deposit by the May 1st deadline to secure their spot, even while remaining on the waitlist at other schools. If they are eventually offered a place off the waitlist, they can choose to accept the new offer (although they will lose the deposit made at the previous college), or they can decline the new offer and attend the college where they have already committed.

Best of luck with your college process - I hope this information helps you better understand what the waitlist process looks like!

11 months ago

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CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.