If you didn’t get a straight yes or no from the college yet, you’re on the waitlist. Oh, the dreaded waitlist! You might have been checking your email every day for weeks, even though you knew exactly when the college would send out admission decisions. Maybe you’ve been boiling water just to watch it boil and then accidentally burning it. And now, after all that waiting, the college hasn’t made a final decision about you. It’s frustrating, we know. But this is where you’re at.

So, what’s your next move?

The Wrong Approach to the Waitlist

1. The Do-Nothing Strategy

Many students don’t take action when they’re on the waitlist for college. This approach was adopted 20 years ago and is still being used today. However, not taking any action is never the best approach. In fact, it suggests a college that you’re not very eager to attend. Doing nothing doesn’t make you seem special to that college. Those who don’t take action are unlikely to make a strong impression on college waitlists and get accepted.

2. The Throw-Things-At-The-Wall Strategy

The students who are still on the waiting list know they can’t just sit around. They take action, but they often make mistakes. Some might bug the admissions office with calls. Others might make a video on YouTube to explain why they really want to get in. Some know to send a letter to show they’re still interested—that’s great. But sending a letter isn’t enough. It has to be an outstanding, convincing letter to truly make a difference.

What most students and their parents think should be in a letter is quite different from what actually should be in it. A Letter of Continued Interest shouldn’t be used to show off. It shouldn’t be used to talk about your achievements since you applied in early January. And what has a student really achieved in less than three months since applying? Nothing much.

The Right Approach to the Waitlist

Now that you know how not to approach the waitlist, what’s the right way? It’s simple. Essay Embassy has a two-step plan for waitlisted candidates that has been successful for almost two generations:

1. PostMortem Application Review

When many students and parents contact us after finding out they’re on a waitlist, they often say, “We don’t want to dwell on what went wrong. We need help writing a letter to show we’re still interested.” But they’re mistaken.

Even though a student can’t change their application once they’re on the waitlist, it’s important for us to understand how they presented themselves for admission. Their letter expressing continued interest shouldn’t be unexpected.

For example, if a student focused on astrophysics in their application, they can’t suddenly switch to talking about the timeless value of classics. Additionally, in our discussions with students, we encourage them to reflect on both their successes and shortcomings so they understand why their letter of continued interest is being approached in this way.

2. Letter of Continued Interest Assistance

After reviewing what went well and what didn’t in the past, we gather to come up with ideas for a Letter of Continued Interest. In this meeting, we look at examples of successful letters that students have sent to the school where our current student is waiting to hear back. People often say, “I didn’t expect a Letter of Continued Interest to be like that, but now I get it.”

Next, we’ll give step-by-step advice on how the student should write their own Letter of Continued Interest. They’ll follow these instructions to write the letter on that day. Then, we’ll make big changes to it the next day to make it as convincing as possible before sending it off soon.