May 3, 2008

ON COLLEGE: Tips for getting off wait list

By Jason Katz / Daily News columnist

Q: I have been accepted to six colleges and wait-listed by one. Do you have any suggestions for how I can get off the wait list and onto the accepted list at this one particular college?



A: My first suggestion would be to seriously consider one of the six colleges to which you have been accepted. Being accepted to six colleges is no small feat, and after examining your choices, you may realize that you like one of the six you have been accepted to just as much as the one that put you on the wait list.

If, after doing some soul searching, you still believe that the college that wait-listed you is your top choice, here are some suggestions for getting off the waitlist.

Before I make these suggestions, however, I should note that according to a recent National Association for College Admission Counseling study, only approximately 29 percent of those applicants who have been wait-listed ultimately get admitted. At the nation's most elite schools, that figure drops to approximately 13 percent.

First, you should call the admissions office of the college that wait-listed you and find out if they rank the applicants on the wait list. If they do a ranking, find out where you are on the list. If you are near the top you may have a shot at being accepted; however if you are near the bottom, it is probably time to look at the colleges that accepted you and forget about this particular school.

Many schools, however, do not rank their wait list. If this is the case, it can still be helpful to call the admissions office to find out how many students were accepted off the wait list in recent years.

Second, you should write a letter to the admissions office. In this letter you should mention any new, extenuating or compelling circumstances that have occurred since you submitted your application. This information can include any new honors or awards you have received or higher third-quarter grades.

Additionally, you should show interest in the college. If this is your first- choice college, mention this in the letter and explicitly state that if accepted, you will attend this college.

According to a recent U.S. News and World Report article, the students on the wait list at some colleges and universities, such as Emory University in Atlanta, "are typically those with academic credentials matching those of students who were admitted but who didn't demonstrate any special interest in or affection for Emory by, for example, visiting the campus or attending a local recruiting session."

Not only do colleges want to accept the best and the brightest, but they want to accept students who are going to end up attending their school. This is true of both regular applicants and those on the wait list.



Jason Katz is an independent college counselor and is founder of JKatz College Counseling in Redwood City. E-mail Katz at jkatz@jkatzcollegecounseling.com.