Wait-listed: What it means and why it’s not the end of the world

For the last year or so, you’ve been navigating your way through the winding road that is the college admissions process for the arts. It started with college visits, meeting with faculty and current students, and ultimately narrowing down your choices to dream schools, best fit schools, and safety schools. Then came application after application, digital portfolios, prescreen recordings, auditions, interviews, and finally the moment of truth when you find out if all that hard work paid off. But what if you don’t find out? What if you’re not accepted and not rejected? What if you’re wait-listed?

Here’s what it means

Being wait-listed isn’t the end of the world, but it can be tough news to get. If you’ve been placed on a waiting list it’s because the college or program saw something in you that they liked. This is good news. But for one reason or another, they don’t have room for you right now. This isn’t the greatest news, but it isn’t necessarily bad news.

A college or program will place applicants on a waiting list if they’ve already accepted the number of applicants they have room for. It doesn’t mean that everyone they’ve extended an offer to will actually accept that spot, though. That’s where the waiting list comes in. Because it's composed of applicants who would be good for the program anyway, colleges can use their waiting list to fill open spots.

Now, there is no guarantee that if you’re wait-listed you’ll be offered a spot. Usually wait lists are prioritized, and the higher up you are on the list the more likely you are to get a spot. Most admissions offices can provide you with that kind of information if you ask them. They can also tell you if there are any conditions to accepting a spot after you’ve been wait-listed. For example, in some cases you won’t be eligible for the same financial aid packages because you’ll be accepting late. Again, not guaranteed but definitely worth the ask.

Here’s what you can do

If you’ve been wait-listed to your dream school, you shouldn’t give up hope, but you should also be ready to attend another program. This could mean accepting a spot and sending in a deposit to one of your best fit or safety schools, even if it’s nonrefundable. The ultimate goal is for you to attend an arts program where you’ll be successful and happy, and all the schools you applied to should meet that basic criteria.

If you’re determined to go to the program that wait-listed you, reach out to them. Speak to the department chair of the program you want to attend about why you’d be a great fit. It’s important that they know how much you want to be a part of their school. It could help boost your priority.

It can be frustrating to find out you’re wait-listed, but remember that you still have options. Even if you decide not to go with any of your other college choices, there are still programs accepting applications into the summer. If the arts are your passion, you can’t let a little thing like a waiting list get in your way.