Imagine this scenario in your head: you’re done applying to all your dream universities and now you’re waiting for the decision to come out. It is either you get accepted, get declined, or sometimes get waitlisted, but what does that mean? When the university puts you on the waitlist it means that they are still undecided whether to accept your or not, but that doesn’t mean you lose hope!
Here are some tips to help you get off the waitlist:
Make up your mind
Before taking any further action to get yourself off the waitlist, sit alone for some time and deeply think if you’re sure and really want to go to this university. Because if you feel like you don’t want to anymore, then you should send an email to the university letting them know you’re not interested anymore, and so that your spot can be given to someone who really wants to get into that university.
Now if you have decided that you still want to attend this university, then here are the tips that you’re looking for to get you off the waitlist:
Accept the invitation
Some universities ask from the students to accept a waitlist invitation to see if the student is still interested or not, and since you made up your mind and you’re sure you still want this university, then you should accept the invitation, but keep in your mind that the faster you accept the invitation, the more you show the university how much you’re still interested.
Go through your application
You should re-assess all the things that you have submitted in your application and try to see whether they can be improved or not. Go through everything and make sure things are looking good and sufficient, because one of the reasons someone gets waitlisted is due to lack of important things in the application, or that the material included is not sufficient.
You can always get help from your teachers or counsellors!
Show them that you’re determined
Submit a letter to the university’s admissions office. This letter should be persuasive enough to make them re-think their decision and think about giving you a spot. In the letter, include some of the skills that you could have such as public speaking and leadership for example. You should also express your interest and determination to enter this university very clearly. This will allow them to notice how interested and determined you are to join the university.
Don’t lose hope
Two words: be patient. Now that you have accepted the waitlist invitation, re-checked and re-evaluated your application and sent a letter to the admissions office, there is nothing else you can do, it is all out of your hands. You did what you could, and now it is the admissions office’s turn to do their job. So, sit back, be patient and hope for the best.
You have done everything in your power to try and get into your dream university, but that doesn’t mean that you stop looking because there is also a possibility that you might not get accepted, so it is also a wise move to look for other universities that you might be interested in and submit your application there. You might think that your dream university is the only good option for you, when in fact, there could be lots of other universities that are way better for you.
Our advice for you?
Be patient, stay positive and never lose hope!