While many high school seniors are relieved to have found out whether they were accepted or rejected, others have had that wait extended. In a year in which Yale’s wait list holds 1,001 students in limbo and Princeton’s has deferred 1,472 students, many applicants are wondering what they can do to get off those lists.
The Choice has some great resources for students who have been wait-listed. Here is a compilation of expert advice from the past, as well as fresh tips from William Conley, the dean of enrollment and academic services at Johns Hopkins University, and Jeffrey Brenzel, the dean of admissions at Yale:
Re-evaluate Your List
Mr. Conley, who has been in the college admissions game for more than 30 years, advised that students carefully evaluate their list of schools, now that they’ve heard back. He suggested that students who have been wait-listed at several schools should only respond to the schools that they would realistically attend.
“Prioritize those wait lists,” Mr. Conley said. “Which is the top one?”
Respond Quickly and Honestly
Students should first decide whether they should accept their position on a wait list. One veteran college counselor, Ted de Villefranca of the Peddie School in New Jersey, explained why quick responses are important:
First, respond swiftly to the waiting list. Some places look at response time.
With that response to the waiting list (sometimes by mail and sometimes electronically) also comes an opportunity to write a follow-up letter about why said college is a great fit and why you want to be there.
If you are on the waiting list, you know you want others to do that because it might impact your future — so, bottom line, let places know you aren’t coming — again, it’s the right thing to do.
Be Realistic
Although a position on a waiting list does offer hope from rejection, students should be realistic. In 2010, Duke University offered a record number of positions on the wait list: 3,382. Duke, however, estimated that no more than 60 would would be admitted from that list. Of the 996 students who Yale wait-listed last year, only 103 of them were accepted.
Keep in Touch, but Don’t Overdo It
Mr. Brenzel cautioned against using gimmicks in a wait-list letter.
“If something substantive and new has taken place since you last wrote, mention it, but don’t belabor it,” he said.
Mr. Conley warned against finding the e-mail address of the dean of admissions and sending messages on a weekly or even daily basis. Admissions officers haven’t forgotten about you — they are in the process of seeing where they might need to admit students, he said. In fact, Mr. Conley added, constantly e-mailing admissions officers is “more likely to turn an admissions officer off.”
Know That the Decision Is Out of Your Hands
Christoph Guttentag, the dean of undergraduate admissions at Duke, sat down with Jacques Steinberg to offer a dose of realism and detail what admissions officers really want from deferred students at this point:
While Mr. Guttentag encourages students on the waiting list to send him a one-page letter — or a video of 60 seconds or less — letting him know how strongly they wish to attend, and why, they can do little to improve their chances.
“The student can’t know, ‘Gee, did all the violinists decide to turn us down?’ ” he said. “They can’t affect this very much at this point.”
Make the Best of Your Situation
It’s tough when a dream school defers a student, but being placed on the wait list might be a signal to move on. While there is a chance that a student may be admitted in the late spring or summer, Mr. Brenzel said it is best for students to embrace the schools that have accepted them.
“Once your letter is off to the school, focus with all your heart on making your best choice among the places you have been admitted,” he said. “Treat the wait-list school as a wild card, something to be addressed if and when it gets dealt.”
Jeff Haig, MBA
Educational Consultant
Strategic College Consulting, LLC
“The Experts in College Planning & Student Success”
www.StrategicCollegeConsulting.com
Professional Member: IECA, NACAC, HECA, WACAC, NICCP
