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1. What Does It Mean to Be Waitlisted?
If you apply through the Regular Decision round, you may receive a waitlist notification from a college. Being waitlisted means that your application is placed on hold—the school is not ready to offer you admission yet, but you haven’t been rejected either. Your application may be reconsidered if space becomes available after admitted students decide whether or not to enroll.
Waitlists exist because of the flexible nature of the U.S. college admissions system. Students can apply to multiple colleges and choose the one they ultimately wish to attend. As a result, colleges often can’t predict precisely how many accepted students will enroll. To manage this uncertainty, schools create waitlists so that if there are still open spots after enrollment decisions come in, they can admit students from this list, typically those whose applications were strong, but not quite as competitive as those who were accepted in the first round.
2. What Does It Mean to Be Deferred?
Unlike being waitlisted, a deferral typically occurs when you apply during a college’s Early Decision or Early Action round, which usually takes place around November, about two months earlier than the Regular Decision deadline.
If you are deferred, it means your application was not strong enough to secure admission in the early round, but the admissions office hasn’t rejected you either. Instead, your application will be moved to the Regular Decision pool and reviewed again alongside all other regular applicants. You’ll receive your final admissions decision at the same time as Regular Decision applicants.
In many cases, colleges may ask you to submit additional materials, such as an updated transcript from the first semester of senior year or an extra letter of recommendation, to help them better assess your candidacy in the next round of evaluations.
3. What’s the Difference Between College Waitlists and College Deferrals?
The key difference lies in when each decision happens. A deferral typically applies to students who apply in early rounds such as Early Decision or Early Action. Meanwhile, a waitlist decision usually occurs during the Regular Decision round.
If you’re deferred from an early admissions round, your application will be reconsidered in the regular pool. After that, it’s still possible to be waitlisted if the school does not offer you admission during the Regular Decision phase. In other words, deferral comes earlier in the process, while waitlisting is often the final step before a college makes a final decision.
4. What to Do If You’ve Been Deferred or Waitlisted
When applying to U.S. colleges, receiving a waitlist or deferral notice is rarely the outcome students hope for. However, it’s important to remember that neither decision is a rejection. Both indicate that the admissions committee sees potential in your application, and you still have a chance of getting into your dream school. Here’s what you can do to increase your chances of admission after receiving a waitlist or deferral decision.
What to Do If You’ve Been Deferred
If you’re deferred from an early application round, start by asking yourself a key question: Is this still a school I genuinely want to attend? If you’ve already been accepted to another college and have decided to enroll there, you can simply write to the deferred school to let them know you’ve made another choice and will be withdrawing your application.
However, if the school that deferred you remains one of your top choices and you want to stay in the running, here are the next steps you should take to strengthen your application in the Regular Decision round:
- Review Your Application: Take a close look at the materials you originally submitted. Is there anything you can improve or update? Consider whether you can submit additional information, such as new achievements, higher test scores, or an updated résumé, that could make your application more compelling.
- Check Your Email Regularly: Schools may reach out asking for additional materials to support their decision-making process, such as an updated transcript, new recommendation letters, or other documents. Be sure to monitor your email frequently so you don’t miss important deadlines or requests.
- Write a Letter of Continued Interest: One of the most important things you can do is show the admissions committee that you are still strongly interested in attending their school. A Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI) gives you a chance to express your enthusiasm, share any recent accomplishments, and reaffirm that the school remains a top choice. (We’ll provide more details on how to write an effective LOCI at the end of this article.)
- Explore Other Options: While it’s important to stay hopeful, it’s also wise to prepare for all outcomes. Consider applying to additional schools during the Regular Decision round to broaden your options in case you don’t get admitted after deferral.
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What to Do If You’ve Been Waitlisted
The first thing you should do after receiving a waitlist decision is decide whether you want to remain on the waitlist or decline the offer and commit to another school. If you’ve already accepted an offer from another university and no longer wish to wait, it’s best to notify the waitlisting school of your decision to withdraw.
However, if you’re still interested in the school and want to remain on the waitlist, here are the steps you should take to improve your chances of admission:
- Formally Accept Your Spot on the Waitlist: Most colleges require you to confirm that you’d like to remain on the waitlist. Make sure to submit your response promptly to ensure your application stays active.
- Write a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI): This letter is your opportunity to demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for the school. Express why the school remains your top choice and include any recent achievements or updates to strengthen your case.
- Maintain Strong Academic Performance: Since admissions officers may revisit your academic records, it’s important to continue performing well in your classes. Any drop in performance could negatively impact your chances.
- Secure a Spot at Another College: Because waitlist decisions often come late in the admission cycle, you should commit to another school by the standard enrollment deadline (usually May 1st). This ensures you have a guaranteed place in case you aren’t admitted from the waitlist.
- Inform the Waitlist School of Your Backup Enrollment: According to recommendations from sources like U.S. News & World Report, it’s a good idea to notify the waitlist school that you’ve enrolled elsewhere as a backup plan. This shows transparency and helps them understand your current situation.
- Be Ready to Act Quickly: If you’re admitted from the waitlist, it may happen with little notice, sometimes as late as June or July. Make sure you have all necessary documents ready and are prepared to make a final decision quickly if the opportunity arises.
5. Top 10 U.S. Colleges with the Highest Waitlist Acceptance Rates
Each university in the U.S. handles waitlisted applicants differently. Understanding the waitlist acceptance rates of different colleges can help you better plan and make informed decisions about where to apply.
According to data from U.S. News, below are the top 10 national universities in the United States with the highest acceptance rates for students on the waitlist:
US News Ranking | Schools | Waitlist Acceptance Rate |
17 | UC Berkeley | 24.7% |
15 | UC Los Angeles | 11.9% |
29 | UC San Diego | 13.5% |
33 | UC Davis | 40.3% |
39 | UC Santa Barbara | 56.8% |
39 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | 61.4% |
46 | University of Washington | 72.4% |
51 | Case Western Reserve University | 14.4% |
58 | University of Massachusetts, Amherst | 25.7% |
58 | Stony Brook University | 88% |
Being deferred or waitlisted doesn’t mean you’ve lost your chance to study at your dream university. Keep hope alive and prepare a strong Letter of Continued Interest to boost your chances of admission. Aralia wishes you the best of luck!
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