How Test Prep Can Help Students Get Off the Waitlist
In a recent post, we shared some advice to help support you and your clients in dealing with college rejection. Similar to rejections, you may have clients that have received offers to be waitlisted from their choice schools. In this post, we’ll explain what it means to get waitlisted, how you can help your students navigate waitlist offers, and what students can do to increase their odds of getting off of the waitlist.
Getting Waitlisted - What Does It Mean?
When a student receives an offer to be waitlisted, it means that the student’s application was reviewed by the college’s admissions committee and found to have the academic and personal qualifications required for acceptance; however, the student was not accepted during the school’s first round of admissions. This can be frustrating for students, since it’s not always made clear why they’ve been considered for the waitlist and not for admission, leaving them in a state of limbo.
Offers to be waitlisted are common for suitable applicants and can be due to a few different reasons:
Not enough available seats
Admissions committee is concerned about the student’s commitment to enrolling at their school
Flaws in the application (e.g., borderline grades/GPA/test scores or not enough extracurriculars/volunteer work)
Nevertheless, it’s important for students to understand that being waitlisted is not at all the same as being deferred or rejected. There are some moves left to make that will help students increase their odds of getting off of the waitlist and earning admission.
The Pros and Cons of Getting Waitlisted
Before students make the decision to accept their spot on the waitlist, they must, of course, weigh the boons and the banes of getting on that list.
Pros:
Getting waitlisted is much more favorable than getting deferred. Deferred means that the student’s application has not yet been determined to be satisfactory, and the admissions committee requires more time to review and consider the student.
The student has learned that they have all of the necessary qualifications to get accepted to the school, they’re just either waiting for an available spot to open or need a slight boost to get them accepted.
There is still a chance that the student will gain admission to their choice school.
Cons:
The timeline for the waitlist varies by school.
The allotted time it takes for a college admissions committee to make their final decision is completely arbitrary, which can conflict with a student’s ability to move on to another school, if need be.
Students need to be prepared to knuckle down and put in some work if they want to improve their chances of getting admitted for the upcoming school year.
Accepting a Spot on the Waitlist
First and foremost, a student must formally accept to be waitlisted. The school has offered a spot on their waitlist and needs to be informed if the student chooses to accept or reject the offered spot. Once the student has formally accepted the school’s offer, they can begin to turn the tide.
Getting off of the Waitlist
There is no guarantee that a student will get off of the waitlist and earn admission - that is a decision that solely depends on the school and the available seats for their incoming class. That said, here are some ways that students can increase their odds:
Write a letter of continued interest. After they’ve accepted their waitlist status, advise your client to reach out to the school to express their continued interest. Doing so displays a commitment to the school, and shows the admissions committee that the student would enroll if given the opportunity.
The best way to do this is by writing a well-constructed, one-of-a-kind letter directly to either the admissions officer responsible for the student’s evaluation, if possible, or to the admissions committee in general.
In the letter, the student should express not only their interest in the school as an institution, but in what it would mean to be a student there. The letter should be as tailored to the school as possible. They can detail why they’ve set their hearts on this particular school, and how they envision themselves fulfilling their educational and personal ambitions there. This is a prime opportunity for the student to expand on information they’ve provided in their application, and convey the unique value they would bring to the school if accepted.
A letter of this magnitude should communicate feelings of gratitude, hopefulness, and enthusiasm. It should avoid any and all rehashing of information already provided in their application as well as any negative emotions.
Send additional letters of recommendation. This is a tricky one because the idea here is to provide the admissions committee with new insight into what the student can offer the school. Sending letters of recommendation that restate what their original letters of recommendation said aren’t going to add any value at this point. However, new strong, credible endorsements from someone like a coach, boss, personal mentor, or their tutor [yup, looking at you!] that speaks to the character and work ethic of the student could make a considerable difference and potentially move the dial in the right direction.
Keep those grades UP! Students can help themselves get off of the waitlist by submitting improved grades. Since submitting their application, students have had time to further demonstrate their academic prowess through projects, exams, and finals. Encourage them to submit those high grades to the admissions committee and improve their chances. This is another notable benefit you can use to promote ongoing tutoring.
Send updates. In addition to improved grades, students should continue to provide the admissions committee with updates on their personal achievements. Any additional accolades - honors or awards - should be brought to the attention of the admissions committee. Maybe this student has their sights set on joining the college’s swim team. Let the college know that they’ve recently taken an individual title in the backstroke. Personal achievements matter. They set the students apart from one another. They show admissions that this student is not only committed to their sport/club/activity, but would make an excellent addition to the school’s incoming class.
Test scores matter. Want to really improve the odds? Advise your clients to retake the ACT® or SAT®. Regardless of the college’s stance on standardized testing (i.e., test-optional, test-blind, test-flexible policies), a solid test score will always catch the eye of an admissions officer. A strong test score allows for a quick metric and a reliable basis to determine the student’s academic strengths. A student who can achieve an even higher score than the one originally submitted has a greater chance of swaying the final decision in their favor.
The college admissions process can be a byzantine path at times. The best we can do is offer our support and guidance to help our students succeed. That’s why at Clear Choice Prep, we want to provide our fellow test-prep professionals with the best tools available to increase score improvements and drive growth to your tutoring business.
The best test-prep plan is one that is personally tailored to the students; taking into account their unique strengths and weaknesses to help boost their test scores, enhance their academic performance, and develop the skills they need to thrive. That’s why CCP offers 100% white label test-prep products that can be customized for your company and individualized for your students. Want to learn more about how CCP can help you, your clients, and your business? Schedule a free demo today!