You Can Be Accepted off the Waitlist Well Past May 1st
As we approach College Decision Day, May 1st, we’d like to address a question we often get asked: what to do if you’ve been accepted to your second- or third-choice college while being waitlisted for your dream school?
The truth is that colleges can pull from the waitlist as late as July or August–literally last minute in some cases. We’ve seen this happen many times. So, what should you do in the meantime?
Check out our blog post on what to do if you’re waitlisted. It will give you several tips to help increase your chances of admission.
Put down a deposit and accept a spot at the second- or third-choice college to which you have been accepted. This guarantees you a spot so you know you have a place for the fall. Don’t look at this as a failure. Be excited that you’re still going to attend a great college! That’s a huge accomplishment! If you end up getting into your first-choice college off the waitlist, this does mean that you will lose this deposit. But hey, small price to pay for going to your dream college!
As you finish out the rest of this school year, find out if there are any awards or contests (science fairs, academic awards, etc.) to which you can submit. You can report these wins to the college while you wait and this may increase your chances of admission.
Apply for any and all scholarships that are available to you.
KEEP YOUR GRADES UP! Don’t fall into the trap of Senior Spring. You could ruin your chances for scholarships, your college could rescind your admission if you really drop the ball, and it can negatively affect your transfer prospects if that’s something you are considering.
If you’re playing an intense soccer game and your team goes into overtime, do you just give up? Of course not! You keep playing your best so you can win. With any luck, you’ll get accepted from the waitlist and you’ll be enrolling for fall semester before you know it!
