Have You Been Waitlisted?

This time of year many graduate school applicants are placed on the waitlist at one or more of the schools they applied to.  This presents a stressful situation for many people, as they may have been waitlisted at their first-choice program, and accepted at backup schools.  With enrollment confirmation and deposit deadlines looming, it is difficult to decide whether to continue waiting for your first-choice school, or accept another offer that you have received. 

First it is good to understand the waitlist game.  The waitlist is used because not all accepted applicants will enroll in the program; therefore the waitlist provides a pool of additional applicants that can be drawn upon if spaces become available.  Therefore, waitlisted applicants will only be admitted if other accepted applicants reject the school’s offer.  The frustrating part is that schools normally do not release information regarding how many people are on the waitlist, or when the applicant will be notified whether they will be accepted or finally rejected.  Waitlists are normally not ranked; instead the waitlist will be drawn upon to fill specific needs and balance the class, such as an international finance expert, or a future entrepreneur.  

So what can you do to improve your chances of receiving one of the coveted waitlist offers?  To improve their yield (which directly impacts the school’s ranking), schools want to be absolutely sure that when they go to the waitlist the person will accept their offer.  Therefore, a waitlisted applicant should send additional materials reiterating their strong desire to attend the program and list their recent growth areas and important activities.  Be careful though – some schools do not want to receive additional materials so be sure to read their waitlist policy closely. 

Here is a summary of appropriate supplemental materials that can be sent to the school:

-     A carefully crafted essay.  The essay must show great enthusiasm and convince the school that they are truly your first choice.  To do so talk about the action you have taken to learn more about the program, and how you will fit into this learning environment and make a valuable contribution.  Also be sure to give updates regarding significant career developments such as accomplishments, promotions, increased responsibilities, new skills developed, etc.  It is crucial to then show how these new experiences will help facilitate your career goals. In addition, discuss recent community service and other extra-curricular involvement and why these experiences were meaningful to you.  The tone of the essay must be upbeat and optimistic and should be limited to approximately two pages.  

-     An additional letter of recommendation (LOR).  The LOR should touch on some new information not discussed in your application package, particularly recent accomplishments, if possible.

-     New TOEFL and GMAT/GRE scores.

-     Updated academic accomplishments. For example, courses you have taken to supplement deficiencies in your application like weak quantitative ability.
-    An updated resume.  Highlighting recent accomplishments, leadership activities and community involvement.

Taking this action will make a positive impression and clearly show the admissions committee that you are very serious about their school.  Getting off the waitlist is difficult, but it can be done. Submitting additional materials highlighting your strengths and enthusiasm and giving the admissions committee a clearer picture of your personality and uniqueness is the best way to improve your chances of receiving the acceptance letter that you have been waiting for.