The Waitlist: The Friend Zone

Colleges and universities can give you one of three* responses to your application:

1.    I pick you!

2.    Thanks, but no thanks.

3.    We like you. We really, really like you, but we’re just not ready for a relationship. Like a bad date, they still want to play the field.

If you got that third response you’ve sadly been friend-zoned and put on the waitlist. Being waitlisted isn’t the worst option. There’s still hope! Just don’t get your hopes up too high.

Keep this in mind: There’s no #1 on the waitlist. Colleges use the waitlist to “shape” their class. If too many girls accept the offer of admission, then the school will probably take more boys off the waitlist. If too many engineers accept, but not enough English majors, the kid who adores Jane Austen might get the nod. Schools want a balanced student body and the waitlist helps them meet that goal.

If you still want to go to the school that waitlisted you, be sure to write a compelling Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI). The Application Coach can coach you to craft a persuasive one.

*There can also be a fourth response: Grow up some more and come back in a year, aka, the sophomore acceptance. No! You grow up!

To learn how The Application Coach can help you plan your college application strategy, schedule a free 30-minute Discovery Call.