But they can backfire. University Hall Cambridge, MA 02138. This statistic is a testament to the fact that Colgate University is committed to providing opportunities to students who have been waitlisted. If you've been deferred to the regular applicant pool, take time to reevaluate your top college choices. Over 1,400 schools were covered nationwide and evaluated on multiple measures of academic excellence and outcomes to produce the final rankings. Overall, the number of students weve been able to offer admission from the waiting list has been small. College She even had the dean of Swarthmore sign it when she came on a campus tour. Students who apply by the regular admission deadline cannot receive deferral letters. What are the chances of getting accepted after being waitlisted? What's more, 2 in 5 students were willing to attend the college that waitlisted them if offered admission, creating a maddening version of musical chairs for admissions officers. ", "If a student gets into their reach school, they're going, so the percentage accepted from the waitlist will probably be at an all-time low," Harberson said. Because waitlist decisions are typically not released until after May 1, students must choose a backup college in case they don't earn admission to their first-choice school. It could be weeks or months before you receive an official acceptance or rejection. "When a student is waitlisted, there is the tendency to shut down and not take the opportunity to really understand why they were waitlisted," says Thompson. "It keeps you top of mind and allows you to build a relationship with the college.". 1 among national liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report, averages a yield of about 46%, meaning more people turn down the school's offer than accept it. Note that not every school accepts updates, so it is crucial to check and see if your target school allows these. Admissions Statistics. The waitlist. Colleges usually take the strongest candidates from the early admission pools and hedge their bets about average or borderline candidates until they can see what the rest of the applicant pool looks like.