<p>So I wrote a letter to Yale expressing my continued interests. Is there somewhere I can email this letter, or does it need to be faxed?</p>
<p>^^ As per instructions @ <a href=“http://admissions.yale.edu/staff[/url]:”>http://admissions.yale.edu/staff:</a> Please do not send application updates directly to your admissions officer. Information will reach your file most quickly for review if it is faxed to our file room at 203.777.6120.</p>
<p>Should I really write up a letter expressing interest? I think that agreeing taking a spot on the waitlist and the original supplement materials already cover that. I dont think a waitlist letter would make much difference now. It’s really up to what pieces will be missing in the class and who would best fit that role.</p>
<p>Agreeing to stay on Yale’s waitlist of about 1,000 students shows interest in the school, but does not tell the admissions office why they should pick you over someone else or why you would choose Yale over the school that you are now currently going to attend. See: [What</a> to do when you’re on the waitlist? - Google Search](<a href="What to do when you're on the waitlist? What to do when you're on the waitlist? - Google Search)</p>
<p>This just arrived in my inbox from a College Consulting Company; the advice is spot-on.</p>
<p>If you find yourself waitlisted, make sure you take action! Follow the school’s directions for indicating you want to remain on the waitlist, and clearly do NOT stay on any that aren’t of interest. Then, with your school, wage a campaign:</p>
<p>1 – Ask your college counselor to call (but AFTER May 10th or so as the common reply date is May 1st and NO ONE wants to hear about waitlisted students until they figure out yield) and advocate for you. Your counselor will want to say “He/she got into School X, but prefers Y school because…”</p>
<p>2 – Call the admission’s representative who covers your school AND write to follow up and make your case. What do you like particularly about that school? What do you have to offer? The school will oftentimes have guidelines about what they expect in a waitlist letter, but it is important to reiterate why this school remains your top choice.</p>
<p>3 – Ask a teacher from this year to write an extra letter of recommendation to support your continued candidacy. Ask that they speak to any improvements you’ve made, your love of learning, how you go above and beyond in his/her class, and what you would bring to that school in particular such as your contributions to their classics department.</p>
<p>4 – Send any updates to each WL school with additional awards, updated transcripts, etc….
Keep in mind: you will be doing a lot of work and your odds will be low, but it’s certainly worth following up on if you’re determined to get in. You don’t want to be asking yourself “what if?” later on!</p>
<p>So, to sum up…here are some do’s and don’ts for those seniors on wait-lists:</p>
<p>Don’ts
• Don’t be passive – kids who simply fill out the card and hang out on the waitlist never get in.
• Don’t show up on campus and insist to see an admissions officer – no one wants to see you in person at this point
• Don’t send in follow up essays or flood the office with letters of recs – that is just annoying
• Don’t do anything gimmicky – admissions officers have seen it all (no cookies, cakes, etc…)</p>
<p>Do
• Write a brief follow up letter reiterating why the school is your first choice and how badly you want to go there
• Do mention other like schools you got into but emphasize academically why you prefer their school
• Ask your school counselor to call or write in support
• Ask one of your teachers to call or write in support of your application
• Send any updated scores, grades, awards
• Follow up by phone a week or two after you’ve sent materials so you can speak directly to your admissions officer
• If you were wait listed somewhere and are no longer interested – let the school know immediately. </p>
<p>The New York Times’ blog, The Choice, had a recent entry ([What</a> to Do While on a College Wait List - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/what-to-do-while-on-a-college-wait-list/]What”>What to Do While on a College Wait List - The New York Times)) that helps us give our final piece of advice: make the best of your situation. From the blog:</p>
<p>“It’s tough when a dream school defers a student, but being placed on the wait list might be a signal to move on. While there is a chance that a student may be admitted in the late spring or summer, Mr. Brenzel said it is best for students to embrace the schools that have accepted them.</p>
<p>‘Once your letter is off to the school, focus with all your heart on making your best choice among the places you have been admitted,” he said. “Treat the wait-list school as a wild card, something to be addressed if and when it gets dealt.’”</p>
<p>Would you say that being in the international pool really decrease my chance of getting off the waitlist?</p>
<p>I’m not aware of any published information highlighting the chances of international waitlisted students either at Yale or anywhere else.</p>