Uncertainty is frustrating, especially when it concerns the college admissions process.

After waiting months to hear back from your dream school, you are finally informed that your application has been placed on the waitlist.

The admissions committee has finished reviewing your file but cannot offer you admission at this time for one reason or another. Nevertheless, the college still believes you possess the academic credentials to attend.

However, it is important to keep in mind that the university has not denied your admission; this is the admissions committee’s notification that your final decision remains pending.

Essentially, from here on out, it is a waiting game.

But the waitlisting process instills a sense of false hope within students. Colleges will not inform students of the school’s final decision until after May 1– the deadline for high school seniors to pay deposits and secure their spot at a college. While prospective students hope for good news from their dream schools, they must be proactive by preparing a plan B and securing arrangements to attend a different institution.

Senior Aman Manazir calls the entire waitlist process a “necessary evil.”  

Schools use a waitlist to account for the uncertainty of the college admissions process, since it is not realistic for schools to assume that every student offered admission will enroll. The waitlist is a tool colleges use to ensure flexibility in their class sizes. Manazir added, “[Without the waitlist] colleges would have no way to keep their numbers fairly consistent.”

So the truth is, these universities are playing a waiting game of their own.

Only when initially-accepted students inform schools of their final decisions do spots open up for any waitlisted students.

Pleasant Valley counselor Valerie Tucker despises the uncertainty of the entire process. “It’s excruciating,” she said.  In some ways, a straightforward “no” would be better than a “maybe,” because you can accept the “no” and move on. However, a “maybe” gives you hope that it might become a “yes,” but makes you behave like it is already a “no.” Tucker added, “I really appreciate those schools who have done away with waitlists to allow students to just move on with their lives.”

If you find yourself on the waitlist for your dream school, the best thing you can do is solidify your plan B. While it may not be what you had envisioned, your dream school is not the only path to your future success.

Many high schoolers across the nation are being waitlisted to top tier universities. At first, this may lead one to dismay, but students can do a few important things that may give them a chance of attending a university at which they have been waitlisted.

1. Make sure to accept your position on the waitlist.

After colleges evaluate applications, most upper tier universities place students into 3 categories: denied, waitlisted, or accepted. For the accepted students, the student is responsible to officially accept the college’s offer.

This process is the same for waitlisted students. Often times students will only read the first few lines of acceptance letters, notice they are waitlisted, and then throw it aside. However, colleges require that students formally accept their position on the waitlist in order to have a chance of being admitted.

2. Write to the college.

Depending on what college you have been waitlisted to, writing a letter can immensely help you get into the college of your choice. Aside from some very popular schools such as UCLA or Harvard, colleges love to see that a student cares enough about their college to write a letter.

In the letter, update college counselors on your academic and extracurricular progress and make sure to highlight your desire to attend their college. They notice when you take the time to reiterate your passion for their specific school. Counselor Kellley Christman spoke about why it is important to follow up to colleges. “A letter shows continued interest in the university. Students can also include recent accomplishments that were not included in their initial application,” said Christman.

Make a case for how you can contribute to their college. According to the College Board, “Now’s the time to mention any additional nonacademic factors that might help your case — any new achievements or supplemental information.” It should be your goal to have the college try to recruit you instead of the other way around.

3. Once you have completed these steps, move on.

It may sound blunt, but after you have done everything possible to improve your chances at a waitlisted college, step away. Reconsider your previous acceptances and pretend those are your only options. It is better to let an acceptance from the waitlist come as a pleasant surprise than wait anxiously just to not hear back from them.

As the college-decision season comes to an end, relax, take a step back and realize just how much you have accomplished this year. Whether you get into the college of your choice or not, you can still find success in what you do. If you follow the steps above and stay calm during this college decision season, you will most likely end up happy with whatever happens.

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