Tips for getting off the waitlist

I just found out I was waitlisted for my top school. I know I should treat this as a “no”, but is there anything I can do besides just wait?

If it is your top school, reach out to the department and let them know! At some schools, showing interest can help if they end up going to the waitlist.

^^^ Agree! These schools do not want to burn through their waitlist. They are much more likely to make an offer to a student they know will accept.

Yes, send a note and schedule a visit if you can. Heard good outcome from doing so.

^^^absolutely reach out to show interest. Also, if they permit you to do so, go sit in on classes. Some programs will allow waitlisted students to spend a day.

My D appears to be the “waitlist” queen… Good advice above.

@crc500 mine were, too. D1 had 4 or 5; D2 - 7!

@crc500 - same for my D2. She came off of one last year that she liked a lot better than her acceptances, so keep the faith. She contacted them to let them know they were a top choice.

My general comments on Waitlists:

Waitlist

  1. Assume you will attend one of the colleges you HAVE gotten into. Accept their offer of admission. Start reading all the info.
  2. For the WL school, tell them that you would like to remain on the waitlist. If you have won any awards or improved grades, send a Letter of Continuing Interest .
  3. If one of those WL schools is your top choice, let them know. Tell them that you would 100% enroll if admitted.
  4. Sometimes you don’t get as much financial aid if admitted off the waitlist. Make sure you understand your family’s budget.
  5. Look on the Common Data Set in Section C2 to see if many students are admitted off the waitlist. If it is usually less than 10, don’t get your hopes up. If it is 400, then that is something else.
  6. If you are admitted, then they would probably ask you if you would enroll if admitted. If you said yes, then you would be admitted.
  7. After you put a deposit down on the WL school, Let the other school know you will not be attending. You may not get your deposit back.
  8. Sometimes schools start taking kids off the WL in late April…but often it is after May 1.

@bopper “Look on the Common Data Set in Section C2” Where is that found? Thanks in advance

The Common Data Set is only going to show total number on waitlist and total number accepted from waitlist in previous years for the college overall, not a MT program, just saying.

@soozievt Where do we find the Common Data Set? On the schools website?

Common Data Set (links provided on site):
http://www.commondataset.org

Please be aware that this is NOT specific AT ALL to musical theater programs, but to the universities themselves.

Bopper, I’m curious about your waitlist recommendation. Are you suggesting putting down a deposit before May 1? If so, what’s your reasoning on that? An acceptance isn’t going to go away, right?

@32barMom I usually google " Common Data Set" to find it.

@MTthreats You can put a deposit on a school you have been admitted to and want to attend any time before May 1. So if you have gotten into school A and are waitlisted on school B, you should accept school A’s offer and put a deposit down before May 1. If you get off the waitlist at school B, then tell A you are withdrawing and accept school B’s offer.

@32barmom @bopper, but you will lose your deposit at school A in that scenario. So while you MUST commit to a school and put down a deposit by May 1, I wouldn’t do it long BEFORE May 1 if you’re hoping to get off a waitlist. I’d wait til April 30, and if you haven’t gotten an offer from the waitlist school at that time, THEN commit to School A (still before the May 1 deadline.) And if the waitlist school comes through later, then yes, accept that school’s offer if you want it, withdraw from school A, and lose the deposit.

Agree with @actorparent1! The last week of April can be the most stressful and eventful of the entire process!

I see what you are saying, bopper. I just wan’t sure what you were saying about the timing of making deposits. I know they are due by May 1. If my child moved off a wait list after May 1, I can see why we might lose a deposit.

And right, actorparent1. Your analysis makes complete sense to me. My child has one acceptance and one waitlist so far, and 11 programs still in play. I don’t expect to make a deposit before April 30 unless her dream school comes through. If that happens, we will declare game over and promptly release the acceptance, wait list. and any others that come through. Otherwise it seems likely that we will be going down to the wire.

Solid advice from musical theater veterans above. MT is it’s own universe. We waited to put money down till May 1. So glad we did D came off her dream schools waitlist April 24th! We started making plans for plan B schools. But waited till very end to do deposits so wouldn’t loose money. It was torture. But had no problems getting top choice dorm as that application opened after May 1st. Some schools dorms go earlier. But we lucked out. But definitely let BFA MT programs your child is waitlisted know you’d except an offer if granted one. Sometimes it’s hard for these schools to gauge an applicants interest. It’s a two way street. Colleges want kids who want them too. Prayers & Faith. That last week in April can be when the opportunities finally open up.

So random waitlist question. I’m torn in how I feel about DD coming off waitlist at her top choice. She has another good offer that was a ‘yes’ from the start. Her waitlist was originally a ‘deferral’ from an early fall audition. Is there something to be said about going to a school you know wanted you without hesitation versus one that seems more of a challenge to get accepted? It’s probably important to point out that the acceptance comes from a school that takes about 30-35 kids, the waitlist is a program that accepts around 13. Thoughts?