The Waiting List

1. Should students ask to remain active on the waiting list?
   Only serious applicants should request in writing, to remain active on a waiting list. Indicate a commitment to attend upon acceptance, if appropriate.
2. When will students be taken off the waiting list?
   Colleges respond to applications in late April, and often wait until the first week of May. Most colleges will finalize the status of students by June 1. Occasionally, colleges will extend to students the opportunity to remain on a waiting list throughout the summer.
3. Should students call?
   No. Until the first week of May colleges rarely have any information about the chance for admission.
4. Do many students on waiting lists receive acceptances?
   Until early May this is an impossible question for even the colleges to answer. Quite simply, they do not know. Colleges must wait to hear from all of the students to whom they have extended an offer of admission. Those students have until May 1 to respond. Often, responses mailed on April 30 do not arrive until May 3rd or 4th. Acceptance depends upon the number of admitted students who enroll before May 1.
5. How many students are on waiting lists?
   Usually, quite a few students are wait listed. Even for small schools, a waiting list of 300-500 is not unusual. Remember, not everybody who is offered a position on the waiting list will wait to be considered. The initial number placed on the waiting list usually melts down significantly.
6. Are waiting lists ranked?
   Colleges will not rank the students on their waiting list until after they have heard from both admitted candidates and wait list candidates.
7. Can a student improve the chances of admission?
   If midyear grades are good, sending them to the colleges may help. If a student has earned any honors, taken on responsibilities or in any other way distinguished her/himself since the application, don't hesitate to let the colleges know. Remember, not all colleges use their waiting lists.
8. Will scheduling a second interview help?
   Colleges rarely permit second interviews, particularly before May 1. A major investment of time and money to visit a college where one has been placed on the waiting list is probably not worth the effort. Consult with your college counselor regarding this matter.
9. What should a student do if placed on a waiting list?
   Statistics clearly indicate the chances of admission for students who are wait-listed are quite a bit less than 50/50. The most important thing is to focus on the available options and make an informed, rational decision regarding those options.
   
   Students may remain on more than one waiting list as long as each is a school that that would be strongly considered if a student is admitted. Only indicate to one school that they are the first choice.