A waitlist means you have neither been accepted nor rejected into a school. However, if a spot opens up you MAY get accepted. Unlike a rejection where you are sure you don’t stand a chance to get into a school, a waitlist may be pretty confusing as it poses great uncertainty to one. Below are a few tips that may help you get off a college waitlist; if you are lucky enough!
Acceptance
Once you have been offered a spot in the waitlist, it is important to decide if you want to accept it or decline it. Take some time to reflect on the pros and cons that come with rejecting or accepting it. It is advisable that you think about this after your mind is clear of the fact that you have not been accepted. Once you are sure that you want to stay on the waitlist, then you can go ahead and accept that spot.
Letter of Continued Interest
After accepting your spot in the waitlist, start thinking about writing a letter to demonstrate continued interest. You may not know much about this letter, and it is therefore important that you look it up on the internet and find tips on how to come up with a good letter. In the letter, you are basically explaining why the school should take you, and why you are a good fit for the school, together with the benefits you would add to the school. Even as you write this letter, write it with utter enthusiasm.
Extra Activities, Letters of Recommendation and Resume
Extra activities would go a long way to get you off a waitlist. If you have taken part in any activities between the application and decision period, you could submit the activities to the school. You could also get an extra letter of recommendation from an employer, mentor or advisor. If you have taken any job before the decisions, you may also update your resume and submit an updated version.
Request an Interview
If the school gives interviews, you could request another interview. This will be an opportune time to further bolster their confidence in you. Therefore, prepare for that interview adequately. Look up resources on the internet that may help you and consult with your college mentors and counselors. However, if your school does not give you an interview, then that is not a problem at all on your side. Maybe the school did not have adequate time to conduct interviews, or they did not have enough interviewers. There is no cause for alarm if you have not been given an interview.
Have a back-up plan
You should have a fall back plan in the event that you are not gotten off the waitlist. If you have been offered admission spots at other schools, it is important to accept them as you await your waitlist decisions. That way, even if you are not off the waitlist, joining college will still be a guarantee. However, if you do not have any acceptance, it is important to start brainstorming solutions for the problem at hand.