7 Steps to A Successful Waitlist Letter

7 Steps to A Successful Waitlist Letter

The waitlist letter is your last chance to show “demonstrated interest” and maybe get on the admit list if enough students don’t accept. In fact, some colleges are notorious for accepting fewer students than they need and then filling up their freshman class with the waitlist (this way, they get higher on the US News & World rankings…sneaky, I know). So you may have a better shot than you think. Especially this year when your chances of getting in are better than ever. At the very least, you’ll know you’ve done everything you could.

1) Find Your Specific Admissions Representative

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You Just Got Deferred. Now What?

You Just Got Deferred. Now What?

1) Make a list of all your updates since you submitted the original application

Start by thinking through every category of your life - academics, extracurriculars, personal, etc. Then write a bullet point list of every update you can think of for each category. Once you’re done, pick the most exciting and impressive updates to share for one powerhouse paragraph of examples. Think: winning an award, receiving a grant, making it to the championship, etc. The goal with the update paragraph is to show why you’re a great pick for the college. Another great way of using the update info is to craft your narrative and remind the admissions officers that you’re passionate about climate change, for example. Remember to tie in academics too: how you were able to maintain or improve your grades despite harder classes and more extracurricular involvement. Don’t forget to leave anything out that they’ve already seen in your original application - the focus here should be on new information only.

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