6 Steps to Take After Getting Waitlisted at Your Top Grad School

By Kailey Walters on March 15, 2018

Applying to grad schools is a tough time. You spend all your effort researching the schools, completing applications, writing up essays and personal statements, maybe even preparing for a few interviews here and there… and then all you can do is cross your fingers and hope for the best. You wait and wait, knowing you did everything you could to make your application the best it could be.

And then you get a response from your top grad school, the one you’ve been praying most fervently to get into. Except, it’s really a non-response. You’ve been waitlisted.

If you’re not quite sure how to feel and you don’t know what your next steps are, there are a few things you can do to deal with the situation.

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1. Maintain a realistic perspective and have a backup plan.

Just because you’ve been waitlisted doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world and that future rejection is inevitable. You may not know the reason why you’ve been waitlisted, but in any case, it is not an outright rejection. Perhaps the admissions committee has further questions about your application and will reach out to you again in the near future, or they just need some extra time to reconsider. Whatever the case, keep a clear head and do your best to stay positive. All hope is not lost.

The other side of being realistic, however, is knowing that you have other options as well. Assuming you’ve applied to a number of other grad schools, you should prepare yourself for the possibility of getting rejected from your top choice and consider your other options. Keep an open mind and have a plan, even if it’s just a tentative one, just in case things don’t pan out the way you want.

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2. Write a thank-you letter.

It always pays to be polite. If you want to leave a good impression that could possibly work in your favor, write a personal thank-you note to someone you’ve interacted with during the application process, such as the person who signed your notification letter. Mention how interested you are in the program offered by this school and thank them for their time and consideration. Although it may seem like a fairly small gesture, a little goes a long way. A simple thank-you could make a big difference in leaving a lasting, positive impression on someone in admissions.

3. Follow instructions.

If your top choice school sends you specific instructions on next steps to take, it’s pretty self-explanatory here: take them. Make sure you follow exactly what they tell you, so that you can accomplish things efficiently and don’t have to worry about making avoidable mistakes. On the other hand, if they tell you just to sit tight and wait until they contact you again in the near future, you can have a little peace of mind knowing they will get back to you soon.

4. Attain additional recommendation letters.

This may be a good time to get two or three more recommendation letters; however, don’t send in more than four because you don’t want to overdo it. Generally, having additional recommendation letters could work in your favor by showing that you have still more people who are willing to mention your great assets and why you would be a wonderful addition to the school.

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5. Ask for an on-campus interview.

Requesting an interview could possibly work in your favor by showing how dedicated and serious you are about attending this grad school. By taking initiative in this way, you’ll be showing that you are professional and not afraid to reveal more of who you are to the admissions committee.

6. Don’t appear over-eager or spam the school.

In addition to everything else you should do, one thing you shouldn’t do is spam the people in admissions. Remember, the goal is to appear as professional, calm, and confident as possible, and seeming over-eager or bothersome is definitely not the way to do so. Although it may seem difficult when you’re on the edge of your seat waiting for a response, do your best to remain patient.

If you’ve been waitlisted, don’t spend too much time fretting over what the outcome will be. Simply stick to your plan, know where you stand, and everything will turn out fine.

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