Reasons Why You Might Have Been Waitlisted
If you've been waitlisted, don't panic. We know it’s not the decision you were hoping for, but it’s also not a rejection. And yes, you still have a real chance of getting accepted. Or you can return to considering other schools, like those with rolling admission application deadlines.
Before you decide what to do, it’s important to understand what it means to be waitlisted and how it affects your next steps. Let’s walk through what “waitlisted” means, why it happens, and what actions to take now, with expert tips and insights from admissions leaders at Pomona College and the University of Vermont.
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What Does Waitlisted Mean?
The meaning of waitlisted is pretty simple: you haven't been offered acceptance, but you haven’t been rejected either. You are currently being held on a waitlist and might eventually be accepted if a spot opens up.
College admissions offices use the waitlist because they never know exactly how many accepted students will choose to enroll, or how much space they’ll have. As former Director of Admissions at Tulane University, Jeff Schiffman, explains,
"Every year, colleges and universities have a group of students who are qualified to gain admission, yet these institutions are unsure if they have space available to enroll these students.
Colleges monitor the number of students who accept their offer of admission and will pull from their waitlist in order to create the size and desired makeup of their incoming class.It's a necessary part of the enrollment management process at many schools, yet it's an understandable frustration for applicants."
Just as students do not know whether they will be admitted, admissions offices do not know how many of the admitted students will accept offers of admission.
Too many students enrolling can be just as bad as too few. However, a waitlist gives the admissions office flexibility to maintain a good class size of incoming students.
As Jeff explained, once a school has instituted a waitlist, the admissions office will admit students off the waitlist as needed until they have filled the incoming class. The school also might use the waitlist to fill specific gaps in the student body, such as too few students interested in particular academic majors.
It's important to note that being waitlisted is different than being deferred. You can read more about that in this article, Deferred vs. Waitlisted for College Admissions.
Why Did I Get Waitlisted?
Students get waitlisted for lots of reasons, most of which have nothing to do with mistakes or weaknesses in their application. Here are the most common reasons applicants are placed on a waitlist:
The seats filled up
There might have been too many students with your particular set of credentials or academic interests. The admitted applicants were just slightly better than you in some arbitrary way, or applied earlier.
A courtesy waitlist
If your parents are alumni, employees, or connections of the college, you may be waitlisted instead of denied to soften the decision.
You were too strong a candidate.
Believe it or not, colleges sometimes waitlist candidates they assume will choose a more selective school. The admissions office might have been concerned about your commitment to enrolling at their college and placed you on a waiting list to determine how keen you are to be accepted.
Your application was borderline.
Your application may have flaws that make you a borderline candidate. Maybe your grades weren’t strong enough. Maybe your participation in extracurricular and volunteer activities lacked depth.
Your major was overcrowded.
Many schools look for a balanced makeup of their freshman class in terms of area of study. If there are too many students with your intended major, you might be placed on a waitlist while the school attempts to accept more candidates from other majors.
Is Being Waitlisted Bad?
Being waitlisted isn't terrible if you can be patient and have a backup plan. You are certainly not cooked for college. You can choose to back out and move on. If you were waitlisted by one of your reach schools, you might have already been planning for the alternatives. So, usually, being waitlisted isn't bad.
Being waitlisted can feel stressful, but it’s still better than a rejection. And if the school is one of your reach schools, you probably already have alternatives in mind.
The key is to understand that while you might be admitted, you shouldn’t rely on the waitlist alone. Keep moving forward with your other acceptances while staying open to the possibility.
What To Do if You've Been Waitlisted?
If you’ve been waitlisted, you have two choices:
- stay on the waitlist, or
- walk away and move forward with other options.
If you’re unsure what to do, consider where this school sits on your list. Is it a dream? A reach? A “nice to have”? Knowing that will clarify your next steps.
We reached out to a few admissions experts to see what they recommend:
We sought additional advice from Adam Sapp, Assistant Vice President and Director of Admissions at Pomona College. He told us that students should follow up once immediately after being waitlisted or deferred. Then they should reach out again monthly to check in and share something new and factual. The process of doing these things to stay top of mind is known as demonstrating interest.
“Bragging a little is fine. There's no penalty for bragging in these follow-up emails. Recommit your interest and, of course, keep the follow-ups short.”
Moses Murphy, Director of Admissions at the University of Vermont, stressed the importance of keeping your grades up. He also suggested reaching out to update the school with your most recent grades as they become available, which you can do with a letter of continued interest.
Jeff Schiffman added,
"I tell students to only stay on the waitlist if you are pretty sure you'll enroll here if you are offered a spot."
If your heart isn’t in it, stepping off the waitlist allows you to focus your energy on the schools you’re truly interested in attending and helps the college move through their list more efficiently.
Appily Can Help You Navigate the Wait
If your dream school waitlisted you, it might be worth waiting to see what happens. You could review your list of safety schools and be ready to apply to them, just in case.
Or, if you were waitlisted by a reach school and you still have some other great options to explore, maybe backing out will free up the space to put all your effort into the other schools on your list.
How likely are you to get into other colleges?
It's always a good idea to be prepared to apply to other schools. See your chances of getting admitted to any college so that you can apply with confidence.
FAQs on the Waitlist Process
Do waitlisted students get accepted?
Yes…sometimes. Colleges admit waitlisted students when fewer accepted applicants enroll than expected. The number accepted varies by school and by year, so there is never a guaranteed outcome.
How likely is it to get off a college waitlist?
It depends on the school. Some colleges admit many students off the waitlist, while others may take only a few, or none. Factors like your intended major, your continued interest, and how full the class is can all affect your chances.
How long does it take to hear back from a waitlist?
Most waitlist activity happens between April and June, but some colleges admit students as late as July or August. Colleges typically notify students if they won’t be pulling more applicants from the waitlist.
Should I stay on a college waitlist?
Only if you would seriously consider enrolling if admitted. If the school is still a top choice, it’s worth staying on and submitting updates. If your interest has shifted, it’s okay to decline your spot and focus on colleges that already accepted you.
How do I show a college I’m still interested after being waitlisted?
Send a thoughtful Letter of Continued Interest, provide new academic updates, and email the admissions office with meaningful updates (once a month is usually enough). Keep communication brief, positive, and relevant.
Is being waitlisted the same as being deferred?
No.
- Deferred means your application will be reviewed again later (usually from early action/early decision into the regular pool).
- Waitlisted means your application was reviewed and held for a possible opening after the main admission decisions.
Do waitlisted students get financial aid?
Yes. If you are admitted from a waitlist, you are eligible for financial aid. However, some merit scholarships may be limited because funds can run out earlier in the admissions cycle.
