If you've been waitlisted and hope to get admitted, writing a letter is the best way to express interest in and passion for the college.
There is no better way for a student to let a college know how they feel than by writing the best letter they have ever written.
Here's how to write a top-notch letter to improve your chances of getting off the waitlist:
- You need to be ready to write the letter. If you're still angry about getting waitlisted, you need to wait. The letter needs to be heartfelt, full of humility, and upbeat.
- If you're willing to enroll if you get admitted off the waitlist, you need to make that abundantly clear at the beginning of the letter. For example, you can state: "X University is my first choice and I plan to enroll if admitted." Colleges don't take chances on waitlisted students. They want to be as close to 100% sure the student will enroll if admitted.
- Listing the college's diversity, location, the strong academic programs, or other common themes is what every student does. Instead, you should get very specific about one or two things that really inspire you about the college. You need to get personal about it too. So, if you're attracted to do cutting edge research, you can relate what transpired or how you felt when you walked into the laboratory the day you visited campus.
- Be human. Share how you're feeling instead of trying to be unemotional. If you want to get admitted more than anything else you've ever wanted, it's important to state that and the reasons why.
- Keep the letter to one page as admissions officer are used to reading one-page essays and they often lose interest when it gets too long. Each sentence should be more deliberate and powerful than the previous sentence. Make every word count.
- Make sure to send in the letter (via email or the online admissions portal) by early to mid-April to show the college clear interest and dedication. Colleges will be carefully tracking enrollment deposits throughout the month of April. If there's room in the class to admit students off the waitlist, they may start reviewing materials as early as the end of April.
