Still Waitlisted? What To Know About College Waitlists

Forbes

14-05-2025

May 1, also known as National Decision Day, is when high school seniors officially send their enrollment deposit to the college they plan to attend. Now that this deadline has passed, many graduating seniors are preparing for their next chapter: meeting roommates, choosing classes and other logistics.
However, not every student is certain where they will be in the fall. With applications reaching record-breaking numbers, more schools are utilizing waitlists to ensure that they have a full freshman class enrolling in the fall. Here's what students on the waitlist need to understand moving forward.
If a student is placed on a waitlist, it means they haven't been accepted, yet haven't been rejected. The admission officers liked the candidate, but at the same time, didn't have space to offer them a spot in the incoming freshman class.
When a student receives their waitlist admission decision, they won't be automatically placed on the waitlist if they don't follow the correct steps.
For example, to join Case Western Reserve University's waitlist, students had to respond by a certain date and write an essay on why they wanted to attend the university. On the other hand, the University of California-Davis simply wants students to confirm that they want to be on the waitlist; no additional letters of recommendation or essays needed (or wanted).
To be considered, students should read carefully what is required before committing to the waitlist.
The waitlist can be a tough place for students because it feels like admissions purgatory, unsure of what their chances of success will be.
Waitlists can be unpredictable because of various factors like yield rates and institutional needs. Additionally, the number of students on the waitlist can vary greatly. Stanford University placed 414 students on the waitlist and only accepted 25 of them. Carnegie Mellon University placed more than 10,000 on the waitlist and accepted 32.
Students should research the school's history of waitlist acceptances to learn how many applicants are typically accepted. This can help to manage expectations.
While it makes sense for the waitlist to be ranked and accept students in a particular order, that is rarely the case. Some universities do rank their lists, however, most don't. Instead, the admission officers will review the school's institutional priorities like major, geographic diversity or underrepresented demographics, and then decide which students fit those needs best.
If a school is looking for a student who doesn't need financial aid and is a computer science major from the South, the admission officers will first look at students who fit those qualifications. That student may get pulled from the waitlist even if they have lower stats than another student on the waitlist.
For students placed on the waitlist, this isn't the opportunity to inundate admission officers with unsolicited information. The school will give clear instructions on what they want, such as an additional essay, another letter of recommendation or a letter of continued interest.
Contacting the admissions office with unsolicited information will not improve your chances; therefore, once the requested tasks have been done, it is time to sit back and wait.
There is no limit to the number of waitlists a student can be on at any time. Since there is no guarantee one will be accepted off the waitlist, it could make strategic sense to be on many waitlists, as long as the student would consider attending the university.
Another reason a waitlist can feel like purgatory is that there is no clear timeline. Some students get informed that they are accepted off the waitlist before the May 1 enrollment deadline. Others might be notified just a few weeks before the fall semester begins.
At Moon Prep, we have seen students get waitlisted at competitive BS/MD programs. The University of Missouri-Kansas City, Siena College, Union College, Rensselaer Polytechnic University, and the University of South Carolina all utilized the waitlist this year. When students were notified they were accepted off the waitlist, they were given a deadline to decide, typically 48-72 hours before the offer passed to the next student.
Students accepted off the waitlist might still receive scholarships. However, it will likely be need-based aid and not merit-based scholarships. The merit-based scholarships have likely all been distributed. If a student doesn't get merit aid as a freshman, they can talk to the financial aid office to learn what scholarship opportunities will be available to apply to as a sophomore.
Unfortunately, the enrollment deposit is non-refundable. The enrollment deposit is typically less than $500, and could be a relatively small price to pay for getting into a dream school at the last minute.
Being on the waitlist can be stressful, but students should remain realistic. While waiting for a waitlist notification, make sure to move forward with your plans at the school where you made an enrollment deposit. Stay hopeful and keep checking your inbox—you never know when the notification may come.