After waiting for months, you finally received a response from your first-choice college. The excitement of acceptance rushes through your body, but the fear of rejection creeps up behind it.  Instead of bursting with excitement or deflating from rejection, you find out that the admissions team placed you on the waitlist.

What are you supposed to do now? Don’t worry. Thousands of students end up on a college waitlist every year and still receive that coveted acceptance letter. But what should you in the meantime? Furthermore, what happens if you never receive an acceptance letter? Here’s what you need to know in case you ever land on a college waitlist.

Show Continued Interest In The College

Just because you landed on the college waitlist doesn’t you’ve finished your journey. Keep your head up! There is still hope that you can get into your first-choice school, but you have to stay proactive. Though you may feel stranded in limbo, don’t let that dissuade you from taking big steps forward. Make sure you respond to the letter as quickly as possible so that the college admissions team knows you’re still interested.

Send them updates with any achievements you deem noteworthy. Better grades, distinguished awards, and accomplishments, or even another letter of recommendation all show the college admission team that you have your heart set on attending. But remember to respect their limits and avoid bombarding them with unnecessary updates.

Always Keep Your Options Open

There are hundreds of colleges all over the country that can each give you a unique and memorable education. Instead of only waiting to hear back from one school, start searching for backup schools. You need to make the best out of a not-so-ideal situation by opening your eyes to other possibilities.

You may discover that the dining halls and dorms are nicer at a backup school than at your top-choice university. The cost of tuition may be significantly cheaper at your safety school, which can help you save money in the long run.  Always remember to keep an open mind. You’ll still receive a quality education, make new friends, and have the time of your life – even if that means attending your second-choice college.

Don’t Let Your Dream School Transform Into a Waiting Nightmare

Waiting for another letter around the clock or refreshing your email every 5 minutes will not make the final decision happen any sooner. Instead, think of a realistic backup plan and stay positive about the future. The worst thing you can do is stress out over something that is out of your control. We recommend trying to find activities take your mind off the waiting process remove some stress.

Off The Waitlist and Into College

College acceptance can be a wild ride, so keep your head high because a great college experience looms on the horizon. Landing on a college waitlist is not the end of the world, and it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong; it just means your top-pick received a record number of applications. Do what you can to make your way to the top of the list, but make sure to stay positive. For more helpful college admission tips, make sure to subscribe to our blog!