<p>I was waitlisted at Yale, Columbia, Penn, and Cornell. I will definitely accept waitlist spots at all four of the schools.</p>
<p>I was wondering if anyone could give me tips or point me in the right direction so that I can make my application as appealing as possible to get accepted off of the waitlist. </p>
<p>So far I’m going to do this:
Write a letter stating SPECIFICS about the college and why I want to go there. Also, for schools that I will 100% attend if accepted off the waitlist, to say so. I will also include any significant awards/achievements.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Talk to my guidance counselor and have her call the schools on my behalf. (Maybe)</p></li>
<li><p>Send in an extracurricular letter of recommendation (Boy Scouts)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks in advance,</p>
<p>Rush</p>
<p>P.S. Does anyone have waitlist acceptance numbers for these schools?</p>
<p>Cornell hasnt accepted anyone off the waitlist for years so you can forget about cornell. Not sure about Yale, columbia, and Penn, but you should at least send a letter or email to those schools reiterating your interest and add any updates, if applicable. Maybe a recommendation from a senior year teacher.</p>
<p>Thanks for the honest advice. I completely forgot about recommendations; I think I’ll get an outside recommendation. An interviewer for a scholarship read it and was amazed at how good it was.</p>
<p>As someone who was in almost the exact same position as you last year, I can say that there’s not much else you can do at this point other than just wait it out. Waitlist acceptance varies from year to year, but just know that, statistically, your chances aren’t going to be very high. </p>
<p>Your plan is a good one, though. I’d also contact your admissions officer at each school; if there’s anything significant that’s come up since submitting your application (awards, etc.), make sure to send an update and request that they add the new information to your file.</p>
<p>My advice is probably not what you’re expecting, but if you contact the schools at the end of April and still haven’t gotten in then I think you should write a letter withdrawing from the waitlist. Read a book about psychology and decision making such as “Predictably Irrational” or (even more relevant) “Stumbling on Happiness” and you’ll find that research shows people are actually happier with an irrevocable decision! The reason is once something is settled you accept it and move on. If you linger on the waitlist all summer it will be hard to fully commit to your new college – signing up for orientation and getting to know a few people when you attend, making plans for who brings what with your future roomates, etc. All because doing so is planning for a future you’re still hoping won’t come. On the other hand if the end of April hits and you say goodbye to these schools you’ll be fully committed to the college you picked from the group that accepted you – and, if you believe the research, happier!</p>