Waitlist questions?

Applying to College
1

I was waitlisted at a school that I really love and was already deferred from (EA) back in January, and had a few questions as to how to proceed.

  1. Should I write a letter of appeal? I am working on one right now, but am not sure what to write, other than the fact that I believe that I would be a great addition to the school and that I love it.
  2. What is financial aid like? I know that it varies greatly from school to school, but I have heard that waitlisted students in general rarely get financial aid (should they be accepted), or get pretty horrid offers. Is that true?
  3. Is it in any way possible to be taken off of the waitlist before May 1? Some students may respond to an acceptance just a few days after receiving one, so is it wrong to hope that I'll hear back before May 1?

Thank you!

2

I would love to know also. @T26E4 , or @lookingforward , any advice? And when should the letter of interest be sent?

3
  1. IMO you should not appeal a waitlist decision. It would make more sense to send a letter of continuing interest – let them know that you remain very interested in the school, why you think you would be an asset to the school, let them know if you have any recent accomplishments etc… If it is true you can also write “if accepted I will attend” (if you need aid you can’t write that but you can say something like if affordable the school is your top choice) Keep it short, like one paragraph. Don’t write an opus.
  2. Varies from school to school.
  3. Highly highly doubtful. The school need to see its yield from students already accepted.
4

You should have your gc check in to gain insight if possible. Also look at the common data sets for the past few yrs to see how many kids accept the wl and get off it. It can vary yr to yr, but you may spot a trend. Some schools literally take hundreds off the wl, others may only take a handful

5

Some schools will accept an additional recommendation too.