College waiting lists can be a little bit like purgatory: You’re pretty much just hanging out in limbo until you hear the words “You’re in.”
But the reality is you may never get the green light. Less than 30 percent of the students who agree to stay on a school’s waiting list are ever accepted. And at most selective schools, the percentages can be even lower.
Over the last few years, M.I.T., for example, has accepted at most 40 students in one year from its wait list of several hundred, and in some years has accepted no wait-listed students at all, according to U.S. News & World Report (“How to Get Off the Wait List and Into College,” April 16, 2008).
Have a Backup Plan …
Since your chances of moving up are slim, it’s important to be realistic about your odds and to make sure you have a backup plan: Send a deposit to hold your place at one of your Plan-B schools, and don’t pin all your college hopes on a school where you’ve been wait-listed.
Being pragmatic doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dream school completely, though — especially this year, as even Harvard, Princeton, and others among the country’s most selective schools go deep into their waiting lists to accept students, The New York Times recently reported.
… and a Plan of Action
As you’re waiting out the wait list, keep these suggestions from U.S. News & World Report in mind:
1. Get the scoop.
Find out how the school determines who moves from a place on the wait list to a spot in the freshman class. Some schools use a ranking system — the lower you are on the list, the less likely you are to get in. Other schools use a student-replacement method, moving only those wait-listed students who share desired characteristics, hobbies, or abilities — like a declared field of study, a certain sport, or an artistic talent — with an accepted student who chose not to enroll.
2. Be persistent.
Most admissions officers say you can help your cause by sticking to the school’s rules for wait-listed students. It’s completely reasonable to send a well-written letter updating the school on your personal achievements and explaining why you should be the one to move off the list, just don’t be pushy. And don’t mail any food. A plate of Chocolate-Chip Delights won’t get you in the door and may just creep the admissions officers out.
3. Mean what you say.
If you’ve been wait-listed, the school may ask you to mail a card or letter letting them know you’re still interested in a future shot at admission. Don’t send the card back if you’re happy where you’re at. If you say “yes” to the wait list and you don’t really mean it, you “could effectively be taking somebody else’s spot,” warns Eric Kaplan, dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania.
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