Most US universities have released their decisions from the regular application round. If you applied, I am sure you are relieved to finally learn if you were admitted, denied or waitlisted. The post is a brief overview of what to expect with each option.
Admitted
If you were offered admission, congratulations! Use this time wisely to understand and compare your offers.
Revisit all the reasons you applied in the first place to see if the university still measures up to your current objectives. Take into consideration that you have grown and matured since you applied, and you may have changed your mind about a few things.
Read the offer of admission carefully. The letter will include details or options about when and where you are admitted, as some universities might offer a first semester abroad, or a Spring semester start.
Take advantage of admitted students events online and/or in person. They are a great way to understand the finer aspects of the university. Don’t be shy to ask questions, connect with current students and other admitted students who are also trying to decide.
Compare merit scholarships and financial aid awards, which may be communicated with the admission decision, or some time afterward.
Compare the finer differences between academic programs, degree requirements, student supports like wellness and career services.
In almost all cases you have until May 1 to respond to your offer, and make a deposit to secure your place in the class. You might also need to deposit by May 1 to secure housing.
Once you accept your offer and make the deposit, you can begin the process of obtaining your visa if necessary, completing the housing application, placement testing, orientation and making arrangements to travel.
Share the news of your admission with grace, keeping in mind that those around are processing a whole range of emotions from their decisions. Be sensitive as you celebrate.
Denied
If your application was denied, give yourself time to process the decision. If it was your “dream school” please don’t feel terrible if you need a day or two to work through your feelings. However, please remember that you were not denied. Your application was denied based on multiple factors, most of which are not within your control, including the number of applicants, number of spots and the university’s institutional priorities. Focus your energies on what you can do, like getting to know the schools that did admit you. Put that denial in the rear-view mirror.
If you are truly unsatisfied with any of your options, do not despair. Use the time to make your application more robust, and apply in the next round to a list of universities that fit your needs.
Waitlisted
If you received an offer to be on the waitlist you might be confused about what to do. Policies and practices vary from one university to the other, so read the instructions in the waitlist letter very carefully.
Here are several things to keep in mind when faced with the option to be on the waitlist.
First, if you are already content with your offers of admission, and are preparing to secure your spot with a deposit, and the school that offered you a spot on their waitlist was never a top choice, then please don’t take the spot. Leave it for another applicant. Don’t use the waitlist for trophy-hunting.
According to the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC), in 2020 almost half of universities in the US used waitlists, and approximately 10% of applicants were offered a spot on a waitlist. That doesn’t translate to every university waitlisting 10% of their applicants. About half of applicants given the option accepted a spot on the waitlist. Overall, 20% of waitlisted applicants were offered admission. At selective universities only 7% of waitlisted applicants were offered admission. These data indicate general trends from 2020. Data from any one institution may vary greatly from year to year.
Many public universities are transparent about their waitlists and publish data on their websites. However, many private institutions do not.
Keep in mind that universities use waitlists to fill any remaining institutional priorities such as making sure they have enough students in a certain major, or bassoonists for the orchestra.
Very often there is little or no financial aid offered to applicants admitted from the waitlist. Financial aid policies do not apply to the waitlist admits and funding is often exhausted after regular round admissions. If you were counting on a university to meet your financial need, check with the admissions office about their financial aid policies for waitlist admits.
If you decide to take a chance on the waitlist, first you must accept the offer to be on the waitlist. Usually this is done through the application portal. Some universities may ask you to check a box and nothing more, while others may ask for a brief letter of continued interest. Some universities might ask for an additional piece of information or action. Follow their specific directions.
If they ask for a letter of continued interest, write a few brief paragraphs pertaining to the information they request, which pertain to updates to academic coursework and grades, or updates to activities and achievements. Do not write an essay. Do not send an additional letter of recommendation, unless specifically requested to do so. Do not try to leverage an admission by saying where else you were admitted.
Universities usually go to their waitlist after May 1. But some may begin soon after regular decision is released.
For international applicants, universities are sensitive to the time needed for processing visas, and will usually use waitlist through June. If you have secured your spot at another university, and have started the visa process with them, and another university offers you admission off their waitlist, contact admissions about this to coordinate visa processing.
Universities usually call applicants to offer admission off the waitlist. They often follow up with an email. However, the window to accept the offer of admission is usually very short - a few days. Guard yourself emotionally for this. It is wise for to put the waitlist school in the background and focus their attention on a school that has admitted them. Meanwhile, the waitlisted applicant needs to pay attention every time their phone rings. Waitlists are a special mini-coaster within the amusement park of emotions that is college admissions.
If you would like help navigating your admissions decisions Explorers can help. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation today.