The Waitlist

Is it a Waitlist or Wait List?

You should be aware of the waitlist, because a large percentage of the freshman class comes in from the waitlist. You have nothing to fear, and be ready for the possibility of being placed on the waitlist.

So, what exactly is the waitlist?

A waitlist is an electronic list of students who want to enroll in a course that has reached maximum capacity (closed). Each waitlist is built on a first-come, first-served basis and is prioritized according to the date and time students were placed (or requested to be placed) on the waitlist option.

When you are waitlisted!

"Dear XYZ... Congratulations... Although we cannot offer you admission at this time, I want to assure you that any student we place on our waitlist is someone who has shown great promise... and we would like to admit if space becomes available in the near future."

Once the projected number of acceptances has been sent out, some applicants will be placed on the waitlist. This is an insurance list that will ensure that the colleges will have enough students to fill their freshman class. It’s an indication that they would like to admit if there’s space. What happens next will depend on the number of students who accept their offers of admission.

The yield

Colleges cannot tell who will accept their offer of admission and who will not. That is the reason they accept more applicants than the size of their class. From past statistics, they can tell that out of X acceptances sent out, Y applicants will say yes. The ratio Y to X is called the ‘yield’.

If the yield is met, i.e enough students say yes to fill their freshman class, then the list will close. No one will be admitted from the waitlist. If – as the most likely scenario – the yield is not met, then some or all of the students will be accepted from the waitlist. Some years a lot more waitlist activity happens than other years; it all depends on the yield.

Express unyielding interest

If you are stuck in waitlist limbo, it’s time for some serious action! First of all you should send the deposit the college that accepted you. The reason is that while you have only until May 1 to send in your deposit, the waitlist decision may come only in June, or July.

Next, think hard about whether pursuing the waitlist is worth the wait or agony. You have the option to pursue, or request to be removed from the waitlist. If you really love a college, don’t give up now. Completely fill out the post card that may have come with the letter from the college to express interest in pursuing the waitlist and send it in.

If I were you, I’d also write a short letter to the admissions director to state how disappointed I am for being placed on the waitlist. I would go on to state specifically why I think the school is a good match for me and my unyielding desire to attend. I'd be honest about the fact that I am awaiting a response. The important thing is to be sincere, firm, and tactful about it. Sometimes, being creative can help, too.

Involve your teacher and guidance counselor

• At this point it is a good idea to get another recommendation letter from a teacher. He or she can be the same teacher who wrote you one before, or a different one altogether.
  
• Update the ADCOMs about your latest achievements and any new significant information. If you have samples of impressive work, send those in.
  
• Don't be shy about mentioning any universities of comparable merit that have accepted you.
  
• Get your guidance counselor to call the school or write on your behalf to make sure that the office is kept up to date about your activities and grades.

• You may also want to call to see if you can arrange a campus interview. It is all about expressing interest in the school. Don’t be afraid to be persuasive. Tell them how much you like to be part of their community.

As seats become available in a course, waitlisted students will be moved from the waitlist automatically according to the waitlist priority. Inability to waitlist or to move from a waitlist may be due to one or more of the following registration restrictions:

• campus
• class level
• student level
• major
• degree program
• time
• test score
• prerequisite/corequsite
• maximum credits allowed exceeded
• the course requires the approval of the instructor, chairperson, or coordinator to register

(Plattsburgh Waitlist basics)