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Wait List Advice for Seniors!

March 2009

The long wait for admission decisions from colleges is almost over! Or is it?

For some students, and perhaps a larger group this year than in previous years, the wait for the final outcome of your application to your top college may continue well into the summer. Many colleges are expected to increase their use of Wait Lists given the uncertainty caused by the poor economy.

Some background:
When colleges send out acceptance letters to applicants in late March, they estimate how many of the students they accept will actually choose to enroll (their "yield"). To protect themselves against a low yield, colleges will place a number of well-qualified applicants on a Wait List until they hear from accepted students by the May 1st notification deadline. If their yield is lower than planned, colleges will go to their Wait List soon after May 1st and offer places to wait-listed students until they have filled their class. Since the use of Wait Lists varies from college to college and from year to year, it is difficult to predict whether a college will go their Wait List and to what extent before May 1st.

What does a Wait List decision mean? It means you are admissible but will have to wait for a final decision that is unlikely to be made before the May 1st enrollment notification deadline, and sometimes much later. Do not call colleges before May 1st to inquire about their Wait List and where you stand because they won't know until then if they will need to go to it.

If you are placed on a Wait List by a college that is high on your list and you want to remain on their wait list, reply immediately and advise them that you remain interested in attending. If the college is your top choice, say so. If you have some recent information - new grades, an award, another teacher recommendation, include that in your reply.

You may accept Wait List offers from more than one college but rank them for yourself in order of preference as you may be offered a place and asked for an immediate decision. If you do not want to remain on a particular Wait List, you should notify that college as soon as possible as it will reduce the waiting period for someone else.

As soon as possible, you must also decide among the colleges that have accepted you where you want to reserve a place for yourself while you wait for news from your higher choice colleges that have wait-listed you. To reserve a place, you must send in your enrollment notification and deposit before May 1st (do not send enrollment deposits to more than one college). You should also notify the other colleges who accepted you that you will not be enrolling. Doing so may free up a space for another student on their Wait Lists.

If your higher choice Wait List college subsequently accepts you, you should notify the college where you sent your enrollment deposit that you will not be attending. Your deposit will be forfeited however.

Although they indicate that a college liked you, Wait Lists are tricky because outcomes are far from certain: you might be taken in late spring or early summer; you might be offered a spot to matriculate in January; or you might not be taken at all. If you respond quickly and reaffirm your interest, your chances will be higher. But there are no guarantees, so be sure to send your deposit into another college before May 1st to protect yourself.

Questions? Call us and we'll try to help you through this process!

Robert Cummings
rcummings@dunbarconsultants.com

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