Waitlisted at your dream school? Here’s what to do next!
Waitlist Strategy
So you’ve been waitlisted from a school you had your heart set on. Take heart! Being placed on the waitlist is not a rejection—it simply means that the school needs more time to evaluate your candidacy. And there’s still something you can do to maximize your chances at your dream school: write and send a letter of continued interest.
What is a letter of continued interest?
A letter of continued interest is a means to let a school know that they are still your first choice, even though you’ve been waitlisted. And while it is generally written at a time when you have many negative emotions swirling due to the hurt of initial rejection and uncertainty going forward, if written correctly, it can be a polite and professional way to keep the school updated on your recent achievements and stand out from the crowd of other applicants awaiting a decision.
While the letter of continued interest is an important way to leverage your chances of admission, it tends to be overlooked by guidance counselors and teachers. Command Education’s Senior Mentors have expertise in helping students to craft compelling and thoughtful letters which have resulted in students ultimately earning acceptance to their dream schools.
How Command Education Senior Mentors
Help Students with LOCIs
Composing a standout letter of continued interest requires a delicate balance—your letter should be short but impactful, it should be sent shortly after you’ve received the news of your waitlisted status, but not so immediate that the admissions office is still inundated. Our Senior Mentors help students strike the perfect balance by:
Targeting their letter to the specific institution.
The letter should not only be personal in its addressee, but it should be tailored to the specific school to which you hope to be accepted. Our Senior Mentors help students to consider the unique aspects of the school’s culture, programs, faculty, and student life that most excite them and coach them to convey the value they will bring to the campus culture as well. While hundreds of applicants may be allured by the university’s prestige or reputation, perhaps you are excited about a quirky student club or the research a faculty member is conducting into how the house fly may hold the secret to curing cancer.
Identifying the most critical information to include.
Colleges are generally looking for updates on students’ academic performance, any extracurricular or athletic leadership positions or awards, and other information that might significantly change their applicant profile. Command Education helps students not only identify the most important updates to include, but also to communicate that information in the most compelling and effective way in order to catch the eye of the admissions committee.
Embracing their own unique voice.
Your objective in writing a LOCI is not only to share a laundry list of your achievements, but to relay your accomplishments in a way that is unique and wholly individual. The letter should give the admissions committee a better sense of who you are and help you to stand out against thousands of other waitlisted applicants. You only have one shot—as applicants should not send more than one letter—so it is imperative that you make an impact.
Schedule Your Strategy Session
The letter of continued interest is a student’s last shot at capturing the attention of the admissions committee and boosting their applicant profile, so it is imperative that students have expert guidance and dedicated support in the drafting process. If your student is navigating the anxiety of the waitlist, schedule a consult with Command Education today!
