Why Colleges Use Waiting Lists

In tandem with my last post and video about waiting lists, I figured I would also tell you why colleges use them in the first place.

A waiting list decision is not a yes and it's not a no. It's a wait and we will see. The waitlist is a tool that is used for a pool of students who may have been admitted to a university, but, regardless, they've been, there are levels of enrollment that have to be considered and colleges use this as a tool to manage their enrollment. So it's not a no but they're trying to figure out who's going to accept their offer and who's not.

The length of the list varies between institutions and it can be from 100 or to 1000 but there are many reasons why you, who should be waitlisted, should consider being in contact with the school.

The college is not sure if they will meet their enrollment goal. They may have a limited financial aid budget. They're waiting for somebody else's final grades and they're just curious to see how interested you really are in their institution. So again, a variety of reasons.

A college won't tell you why they're on their waitlist, but your guidance may be able to get some extra information. Please, ask your school counselor to contact the admissions officer to see how high your chances are of getting off a waitlist might be. If you confirm with them, via your reply card that you really want to be there and writing a letter and sending an email and being in contact with them, I really hope that it works in your favor. So, please. Check out our guide, which is on our website, at https://www.strategicadmissionsadvice.com/blog. 

I know it can be nerve-wracking to deal with the uncertainty of being on a waitlist but don't panic. Regardless of the reason why you're on a waitlist, your presence on it represents that you have a chance of attending that institution. Remember, you also can't be complacent. Once you're on a waitlist, it's your job to take the necessary steps to finally get the acceptance that you want. Check out our guide on our website, https://www.strategicadmissionsadvice.com/blog for more information.