College Waitlists and Playing Your Hand

If you are a high school senior, you are in the thick of hearing from colleges, particularly schools that are more selective (sometimes referred to as “highly selective” or “highly rejective.”) From now until the first week of April, the remainder of colleges will be releasing admission notifications. It's a little like playing poker and waiting to see what cards you've been dealt so that you know how to play your hand. Sure, in poker, some hands are better than others, but in the college journey, if you've built your list of colleges based on the combination of your strengths and aspirations with realistic expectations, you may be looking at a whole lot of ways to play your hand – and a handful of colleges to choose from. As has been the case for the past few years, waitlists may hold your attention like waiting for the elusive "Ace" in the deck. For some students, opting into a waitlist and "waiting it out" will be factored into decision-making. Everyone is trying to hedge their bets.

With so many unknowns, applying broadly may have been the best play to create options and opportunities. But "more" is not always "better." Instead, "more" may end up being more waitlists, more disappointment, and possibly more acceptances, depending on your list of schools and how balanced your list was. Applications continue to be up with more students applying this year, potentially making it more difficult for colleges to know who would enroll if accepted. With that in mind, many colleges may be playing their hand through the waitlist – trying to ensure they hit their enrollment numbers. A waitlist offer can feel like a door is still open, which it is. It also might slow down your decision-making process, stifling your ability to move forward.

The waitlist might be moot for highly selective schools which leveraged their admission primarily through ED and EA pathways, leaving little room for students applying during Regular Decision. Other colleges may have limited their admission percentages, knowing they would draw from a large waitlist pool. For example, in 2024, Amherst admitted eight students off the waitlist out of 623 students who had accepted a spot. Conversely, in Fall 2023, UC Davis admitted 4387 out of the 10,898 applicants who opted into their waitlist, which started with 19,446 waitlist offers.

In the past few years, opting into a waitlist may have been as easy as checking a box. Don't be surprised if you see a mix of what colleges ask for, including a supplemental essay addressing why the school should accept you, what you have been doing since you applied, simply checking a box to opt in, or colleges boldly stating - "Please Don't Send Anything Else." If you have new information or updates not included in your application, and a school offers you the opportunity to send that information or a Letter of Continuing Interest (LOCI), take advantage of the offer and do that quickly. Providing a college with additional information may strengthen your application and help the college assess your seriousness about that school and whether you will enroll if offered a spot. While you may feel like you're bobbing between waves of decisions each week, here are a few ideas for next steps to keep you moving forward:

Go back to your list of acceptances (and waitlist schools) and do a deep dive to find out what you need to know to see which school is floating to the top of your list. This will include looking at some or all of the following:

•Costs for each school.

•Location - Do you still like the cold, heat, city, or rolling hills?

•Details about curriculum, courses, and program requirements.

•Process and timing for declaring majors and flexibility to change.

•Opportunities to cross-enroll across colleges or campuses.

•College vibe

•Campus resources – health, academic support, internships or career placement, etc.

•Housing - years that are guaranteed or mandatory.

•Anything new or changing for the upcoming years, e.g., moving from quarter system to semesters, etc.

If you're on a waitlist for a school that you are serious about, opt in, especially if it's as easy as checking a box. Take the time to continue reviewing your accepted and waitlist schools. Develop realistic expectations and consider how long you can reasonably “wait” out a waitlist. While news about the number of applicants and possibly the size of waitlists may trickle out in the upcoming weeks, remembering that every application cycle is unique and that prior waitlist activity may not be predictive for this year can help students know how to play their hand.

If there's an additional essay, start brainstorming and writing. You want to submit new information not included in your application, and this submission should be thoughtful and polished. If the idea of a supplemental essay gives you grief and you're not so excited by the prospect of writing another essay, think about what that might mean. Consider whether a school where you are on a waitlist (rather than a school where you have been accepted) has a different draw than it did when you first built your college list. Having actual options to make comparisons can be telling, and you can use that information to decide to "hold" or move on.

Focus your energy over the next few weeks on the schools where you have been admitted. Regardless of how many waitlists you are on, you want to choose a school from your admitted list, submit a deposit by the deadline, sign up for housing, and start planning to attend. These steps will ensure you have secured a spot and help you prepare for school next fall. Could things shift if you are admitted to another school from a waitlist? Absolutely, but waitlists may not move until after the deadline to submit deposits, typically May 1st.

Once again, I want to remind you that you will be successful wherever you go, and you get to decide where that will be. That may take some reflection, a little "homework," and the ability to "let go" and move forward, so give yourself the time to do that.

Looking for more insights on how to ride the waves of waitlists and college admission decisions, these podcasts, articles, and experts will help:

Dealing with Disappointing College Admissions. What helps? Ask Lisa

Getting into College with Special Guest Rick Clark Ask Lisa

Waitlisted admissionsmom on IG

What if your #1 college isn’t YOUR #1 college?

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