Hey guys, can anyone explain to me what it means to be waitlisted for a college? How does it work and what are my chances of getting in if I'm on the waitlist? Trying not to freak out over here but I'm kinda stressed about it.
Absolutely, happy to explain. When you're waitlisted at a college, it means that you meet the school's admission requirements and are considered a strong candidate, but the college didn't have enough spots to offer admission to all qualified applicants.
In essence, waitlisting is the college saying "We liked your application, and under different circumstances, you'd likely be admitted. However, we need to see how many of our admitted students accept our offer before we consider more applicants."
Students accepted to a college have until May 1st to accept or decline the offer. After this date, colleges review the number of acceptances they received. If the number is lower than anticipated, that's where the waitlist comes into play. Colleges turn to their waitlists to fill up any remaining spots.
Your chances of being accepted off the waitlist can vary greatly depending on the college and the year. Some schools might admit a handful of students off the waitlist, while others might admit hundreds. Unfortunately, there is no concrete answer to this as it's hard to predict how many students will accept their admissions offer in a given year.
Waitlisted students often hear back in late May or June, but there have been cases where students have even been admitted off the waitlist days before a semester starts. If you've been waitlisted, you should definitely confirm your place on the list if you're still interested in attending that school. However, continue with other plans and accept an offer from another college you've been admitted to.
Remember, being waitlisted isn't a rejection. It's a sign that the college found your application impressive, but they just didn't have enough seats at the time they reviewed it. It's always stressful, but there's hope. Good luck!
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