Waitlisted at Your First Choice College? Here’s What to Do
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What should you do if you’re waitlisted at your first choice school? Accept a spot at your number two choice or the highest choice that you’ve got. A wait list is not a rejection. It’s a maybe.
If the school is genuinely your first choice, accept your spot on the wait list and send a letter of continued interest. Keep applying pressure the right way. Update them on meaningful accomplishments. Reaffirm that you will attend if admitted, and then commit to another school by the May 1st.
Deposit deadline. Schools do pull from wait lists when their yield math comes up short. Your job is to be the easy yes when they do.
Short answer: Accept the spot, then go to work.
Longer answer: A waitlist is not a rejection. It’s a maybe. If the school is genuinely your first choice, accept your spot on the waitlist and send a Letter of Continued Interest. Keep applying pressure the right way — update them on meaningful accomplishments, reaffirm that you will attend if admitted, and then commit to another school by the May 1 deposit deadline. You cannot wait on the waitlist. You have to protect yourself with a confirmed seat somewhere.
Fun fact: Schools pull from waitlists when their yield math comes up short. Your job is to be the easy yes when they do.
Reference: the Common App essay prompts.
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