Waitlisted at Your First Choice College? Here’s What to Do

Short answer: Accept the spot, then go to work.

Longer answer: A waitlist is not a rejection. It’s a maybe. If the school is genuinely your first choice, accept your spot on the waitlist and send a Letter of Continued Interest. Keep applying pressure the right way — update them on meaningful accomplishments, reaffirm that you will attend if admitted, and then commit to another school by the May 1 deposit deadline. You cannot wait on the waitlist. You have to protect yourself with a confirmed seat somewhere.

Fun fact: Schools pull from waitlists when their yield math comes up short. Your job is to be the easy yes when they do.

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Not ready? Be the admissions officer — three essays, one seat, who gets in?