Waitlisted/Deferred

What does the waitlist mean?

Waitlisted means that your application with your academic and personal experiences aligned with the school’s, but you weren’t one of the students admitted within the first round of acceptances. These could be due to lack of space and not necessarily a personal issue, though it shouldn’t be a concern because, with 10% placed on them, they end up admitting 20% later.

What does deferred mean?

Deferring happens to applicants needing more time for their applications to get reviewed. It’s preferable to apply to early action (you get results late winter rather than the spring), so if you happened to be deferred or waitlisted, they could review it during the regular administration period — you get the results much quicker. However, I can’t give statistics for deferrals because schools typically don’t release that information.

What should I do if I was waitlisted?

(These tips are mainly for waitlisted applicants, though some can if you’re deferred)

Accept your waitlist; schools offer you a chance to be considered for the school, so an unanswered question will remove you from being an option completely — this typically involves you completing a form.

Stand out; reach out to the admissions office and talk about your achievements and qualities that you can personalize to meet the university’s goals. You want the university to notice your dedication to the school. Both parties who’ve been waitlisted and deferred should ask questions to your school’s advisor, but DON’T ask questions that are on the “Frequently Asked Questions” because it shows you didn’t take time to read thoroughly about them before reaching out.

Think about all your options, you don’t want to just rely on an acceptance from this school. Review different financial aid offers accessible to you or your second-best college that you can opt for if you’re rejected.

Wait listings could take weeks, and you can miss out on another opportunity for schools you’ve been accepted to. For security purposes, you could leave an enrollment deposit for another school that is your second best, so you will 100% be enrolled in a school for the upcoming fall. However, if your dream school accepts you, you can sacrifice your deposit (they tend to be non-refundable) to make the switch; just briefly let the school know you’re not attending, but do not request your deposit back. Deposits could vary from $50 to $500, so take your time choosing a school you wouldn’t mind attending that meets your best interest (preferably one).

Schools offer many optional additional attachments you could add that could enhance your character, so submit your SATS and letter of recommendation letters of people who can demonstrate your skills the best. Retake your SATS, do well in your senior year, prove to the admissions office that you’re actively improving, and give them a reason to choose you over other candidates.

If you’ve been waitlisted or deferred you should reach out after a couple weeks if you haven’t received a response. Check-in; ask about the status of your application with questions on what you could adjust to quicken the process.

Once you’ve done these steps, take a break. You’ve made yourself the best you could be, and now it’s just a patience game.