<p>I got waitlisted at Brandeis and Skidmore, and REALLY want to get off at least one of these waitlists.
Does anyone have tips for how to get off a waitlist? If I don't get off one of these waitlists, then my only options are my safety schools, and I really don't want to have to go to any of them (I know everyone says you should love your safety schools, but does anyone actually?)</p>
<p>So, my question is, how can I get off these waitlists? Should I send in extra recommendations, grade updates, etc.? Is there a way to make my EC's seem more impressive? I assume I shouldn't suddenly start some new EC, but should I be trying to make my current ones look "better" somehow?</p>
<p>Any answers would be greatly appreciated, I'm desperate at this point.</p>
<p>You first need to understand that you probably won’t get off the waitlists. The longer you put off the “Okay, I can’t go to my top choices, let’s see what other options I have” idea, the less you’re going to want to do it later.</p>
<p>If you don’t understand that it probably won’t work, it could only be harmful to give you advice on how to increase your chances. I’ve seen far too many people just sit there sad for a year because they pinned all their hopes on an unlikely chance.</p>
<p>Completely agree with previous posters that in all likelihood, you will not get off a waitlist and should choose the best school from those you have acceptances to andmake a deposit by May 1.</p>
<p>That being said - there is nothing wrong with trying to show the WL school that you are interested. Send more grades - 3rd quarter or 2nd trimester - depending on which system your school uses and assuming that they are strong. Send another letter of recommendation. Write to your rep at the college and let him/her know that you remain very interested, why you think you can make a contribution to the campus, etc. Be brief - I would not do more than a page.</p>
<p>I work at a private hs and this is what we do for our WL students. We also call - if it is a school we have a good relationship with - and try to prioritize the 1 or 2 students who want to come off the WL the most. This approach might not be possible at a larger hs. Last spring - we did have success getting a few students off the WL - so it is always worth a try. But, don’t obsess about it. If it happens - great - but you need to assume it will not. Good luck.</p>
<p>As other posters have said, the odds of getting off a waitlist aren’t in your favor. That said, while there is no foolproof method of ensuring acceptance off a waitlist, there are certainly ways to maximize your somewhat limited chances. Writing a letter to your admission rep is a great start – you want to continually demonstrate your interest in attending the school at which you were waitlisted. Send additional grades, updated lists of accomplishments, and do everything else you can to ensure that the college has a full picture of the strength of your application. Don’t pin all your hopes on something as unlikely as being removed from the waitlist, but don’t entirely give up either! I agree with everyone who has said that developing some interest in your safety schools wouldn’t be a bad idea, but in regards to the question at hand, certainly some students DO get in off the waitlist. Try your best and good luck in this hellish process, from another stressed-out senior! :)</p>
<p>And … you’ll have slightly better chances if you can get someone at your high school (guidance counselor?) to advocate for you directly, including sending additional colleteral. This (as noted in a previous post) works best if the GC has an established relationship with the colleges.</p>
<p>To the OP – I know you haven’t heard what you wanted to hear and maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones who gets off a waitlist. Most people don’t, my daughter ended up at one of her safety schools and she loves it there, it feels to both of us like the place she was meant to be. But she was lucky because it was a good option. I don’t know anything about your safety schools but there must be something redeeming about one of them.</p>
<p>Send in extra recommendations if you want and also send in a letter to the dean of admissions telling them you are still interested in the school. Explain why you are interested and why you would be a good addition to the college. Make it personal but don’t beg just state how you feel and thank them for putting you on the waiting list, allowing you to still have a chance at whatever school.</p>
<p>My son is in the same boat. I called the school and spoke to the admissions office to ask specific questions, some relating to financial aid. Her advice was, “send us any and all NEW and/or improved information on your academic accomplishments, awards, projects, honors etc. and make sure to send in your deposit at another institution.” “We won’t know how many WL students we will be able to take for a while because some of our accepted students are on other WL’s elsewhere.” “It is a big domino effect from now until the end of July.” My advice is, take a deep breath and pick the best of your accepted options to make a deposit on by May 1. Plan for that school and if you get the call that you are off the WL - decide then what you want to do. You can always transfer next year, if the WL doesn’t work out. Anonymous550 - I know this is hard. Huge disappointment! I feel your need to do anything and everything to get off one of those WL’s. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Get your GC to call the school and let them know you’re still interested/talk you up. If you have any new accomplishments EC-wise, you should write a concise letter/email and send that. Keep your grades up. And, of course, fall in love with your safety.</p>
<p>You can demonstrate additional interest by writing the colleges a personal letter updating them about your achievements since applying, and letting them why you wish to go to the colleges, and if accepted, you’ll attend. You also can have your GC advocate for you.</p>
<p>These strategies have a chance of helping at the type of colleges that waitlisted you. Note to students waitlisted at very top colleges; These strategies don’t tend to help at the very top colleges, which are more concerned about who’ll best contribute to creating active, diverse student bodies than who most wants to attend their college.</p>
<p>How helpful would it be to if my college interviewer sends in a letter for me(we’ve kept in touch since the interview) while I send in my update info? or would that be too weird…</p>
<p>You have nothing to lose by trying anything that you think might work. It would be a waste of time if you were trying for HPY, but may tip you in off the waitlist at the schools that waitlisted you.</p>
<p>Honest answer: Chances are you won’t get off, so look forward to going somewhere else. I’ve been wl by 2 schools and have moved on, despite joining the wait lists. Other than that, send your regional counselor a letter of interest about why you want to attend, that you WOULD absolutely attend if admitted, and new awards/grades you want to share with them.</p>