Oh! the month of March - it's a BIG one in the world of college admissions. It's the final inning, the 2-minute warning, the rolling of the credits. If you feel an ominous pressure as of late, it's probably not just the changing barometer - it's the final countdown! The air wafts with the scent of Spring rain showers and high school seniors' tears. They settle in logging into their applicant portals, and they anticipate either "Congratulations..." or "Thank you for your interest, but..." Either way, it's a definitive answer. But, many unfortunate souls could get the dreaded answer of "WAITLISTED." Basically, it's the purgatory of college admissions.
What The College Driven Corgi thinks of Waitlisted decisions.
Adopt the Right Mindset
If you're opening your applicant portal to get your admissions answer in the month of March, it's more than likely you applied to highly selective colleges since the majority of those schools don't have an Early Action option. The competition amongst these schools is fierce. With a waitlisted decision you'll be asking yourself, "What did I do wrong?" YOU DID NOTHING WRONG! In fact, you did everything right. So right, they couldn't just give you an outright decision of "Denied" because you were too strong of a candidate. You are qualified to be a student at that school. But, the reality is, there just aren't enough spots for ALL the applicants who are qualified. And, that's what you must understand. It's truly nothing against you.
Understand the Reality of the Situation - Move On!
In this weird world of being waitlisted, you're in this state of limbo; don't be! The word "waitlisted" is synonymous with the words "Let it go; you gotta move on!" I know parents, especially, want to hold on to any glimmer of hope that an acceptance MAY arrive in July, but directly speaking, it's an impossibility. Waitlists are the school's insurance policy in making sure the incoming class is filled to full capacity. Unless we have another worldwide pandemic and 50% of students decide to take an unexpected gap year or defer for a year, the chances are highly unlikely you'll get off the waitlist with an acceptance letter. I'm not saying to do nothing. Go through the motions if you really want to still be considered:
Fill out the form that says you accept your place on their waitlist
If you have anything new to add to your application, send it.
Have your high school send your final transcript to the school, just in case.
Now, forget about the school where you've been waitlisted and move on.
Miracles can happen. But that's exactly the odds of it happening; getting an acceptance off the waitlist would take a miracle. You can't have false hope. Stop pining away for the college that just wasn't sure about you, and start loving the college that wants YOU there in the fall.