As many people already know, a waitlist is for people who have not yet been admitted to an academic program, but who may be admitted at a later date depending on enrollment numbers. Individuals on a waitlist typically have nearly the right credentials to be admitted to a program, but space is limited because spots in a program have been offered to enough people who have not yet rejected an admission offer. Getting off a waitlist can be important to securing the financial aid and scholarship money that may be available at a better school, and individuals should keep certain things in mind about this process.
Letters of Continued Interest
One of the first steps that should be taken when getting off a waitlist is to draft a letter of continued interest. This letter primarily serves to tell a program that you are still interested in enrolling in a program if you are offered a spot off the waitlist. Many applicants apply to numerous schools, and some may not have a genuine interest in attending a given program. A letter of continued interest is designed to distinguish you from these other applicants and convey in no uncertain terms that you would likely accept a position off the waitlist.
A letter of continued interest should also inform the admissions office of any recent accomplishments that you have which may have an impact on your admission to a program. For instance, I wrote a few letters of continued interest when I was waitlisted to programs in law school. I discussed my master’s thesis in such letters and how I was almost done with this work. Moreover, I told the admissions office about recent grades that might not have been reflected in materials already submitted to the admissions office. I got off the waitlist to several schools, and such letters may have had an impact.
Interviews
Another key to getting off a waitlist may be to arrange an interview with an admissions office. Some schools have voluntary interview programs wherein candidates can interview with alumni of a school or professionals at an admissions office of a school. Since applicants on a waitlist should do everything they can to grab the attention of an admissions office, they should accept an offer to interview.
I was waitlisted at a law school that offered admission interviews, and I made sure to take the offer to interview. I ended up having a great interview with the head of the admissions office of the school to which I applied. Shortly after the interview, I was accepted to the program, and I am confident that the interview was a major reason why I was admitted to that school.
Additional Letters of Recommendation
Another tactic that individuals use when getting off a waitlist is to submit additional letters of recommendation. Many programs usually have a minimum number of recommendation letters they require to support an application. Indeed, programs usually only require one or two letters or recommendations and typically at least one of these letters needs to be from an academic source.
However, programs usually allow applicants to submit more than this amount of letters. In fact, at most of the law schools to which I applied, applicants were able to submit up to four letters of recommendation. If an applicant only submitted one or two letters or recommendations when they submitted their application, they should consider submitting additional letters of recommendation after being waitlisted. Such recommenders should be prepared to offer additional information that has not been previously provided so that such additional letters can supplement your application to a program.
Commit to Attending One School
A somewhat risky tactic of getting off a waitlist is to convey to an admissions office that you will definitely attend their school if you are admitted off a waitlist. This shows an intense interest in a given academic program, and ensures that a school’s yield percentage (i.e. the number of accepted applicants who refused to matriculate) is not adversely impacted by accepting a given candidate off of the waitlist.
However, this tactic can be risky. Applicants do not know where else they may be admitted and what other waitlists they may get off of. In fact, candidates may be offered more financial aid or scholarships at other schools. As such, you should only use this tactic in extreme circumstances to keep yourself open to other academic opportunities.
Last Minute Acceptances
If you are willing to matriculate to a school at the last minute, getting off a waitlist may be more of a viable option. Schools may accept candidates off a waitlist in the weeks and even days before an academic semester as individuals who planned to attend that school make other plans. Most individuals on the waitlist have already made plans of their own, so it is difficult to accept an offer off of the waitlist at the last minute. However, if you have such flexibility, you may be able to be accepted into a better academic program because other individuals on the waitlist might not want to change their plans to enroll.
All told, getting off a waitlist is important to reducing educational costs since better schools often have more scholarships and financial aid that can reduce your educational costs. If you keep some strategies in mind, getting off a waitlist can be more achievable.