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This year’s admission cycle has presented numerous challenges from a brand new digital SAT, revised FASFA requirements, an increase in application numbers, a lengthening of student college lists, and a continuation and revision to college test-optional policies. These have given rise to a more competitive year at the most selective colleges with many, lengthening their waitlist.
What is a waitlist?
A waitlist leaves many students in limbo: they have not been offered acceptance and they have not been rejected. Universities use waitlists to buffer their admissions numbers and are the least predictable system for the admissions process. For example, the University of Michigan admitted 983 applicants (5%) in Fall 2023 and only 77 applicants (0.5%) in Fall 2022. Stanford on the other hand, admitted 553 applicants to the Fall 2022 waitlist and only 8 students who accepted the waitlist admittance actually earned admission. While that’s only a 1.75% success rate once on the waitlist, that’s a much higher number of students who were granted waitlist status than years prior. What influences this variance? Unfortunately, it’s something that is out of your control and has to do with the year’s admissions conditions as a whole.
What does this mean for me?
This year and the year upcoming we predict that there will be a rise in students who are admitted to the waitlist. Depending on the school’s approach to waitlists, there are several factors that you can change. Let’s go through them below:
- Each school has specific waitlist instructions ranging from accepting and confirming your spot on the waitlist, submitting required documents, writing a Letter of Continued Interest, and more. Make sure you complete all requirements by their deadlines.
- Review your application. It’s important to know that waitlist applications are reviewed by each individual college. Take a look at the mission statement, programs, opportunities, and courses of the major you are applying to, and make sure your application highlights your strengths and potential at the specific college. Admissions officers want to envision what it is like to have you as a student so paint a vision for them. For example, if you are interested in applying to the Business major at Cornell, the college you’d be researching is the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. From there you could discuss the opportunities you’d envision yourself participating in as a business major.
- Emphasize your desire to attend the institution through your accomplishments and qualifications. Update the college on the things you’ve been doing since submitting your initial application creatively. Be intentional about what you choose to write about. Institutions like MIT have word limits and others like Virginia Tech do not request additional materials so make the best out of what you can update. This may also include revising your financial aid application.
What is a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI)?
A LOCI is exactly what it seems–a letter that highlights your desire and potential to attend the institution. This letter is often 1-page and allows readers to envision what you would be like as a prospective student in the specific college within the university. Aside from the LOCI, you want to make sure your school has submitted your most recent senior grades (sometimes this is in the form of a progress report).
When will I find out if I get accepted/rejected?
Waitlist notifications continue throughout July. The specific notification date varies with each institution.
If you need guidance or would like to review your waitlist process together, feel free to contact us at SK Education Consulting.
Key Takeaways
- Waitlist action is predicted to be high this year.
- Waitlist movement is mostly out of your control. You can maximize your chances of admission by including all required and relevant information in a creative way– one that highlights your strengths and displays what you would be like as a student there.
