Irvine Private College Tutor Tips: Waitlisted? 5 Ways to Cope

One thing students will have to deal with in the competitive college application process is the possibility of being waitlisted. What exactly does this mean? Students who are waitlisted meet the qualifications that the university required but was not offered immediate acceptance. The university knows that some of their accepted applicants will choose to attend another university, and they have a list of students who can gain acceptance if somebody else declines. This can be a very stressful time for students who need to make a final decision regarding their future education. Although nerve-racking, there are a few ways students can deal with being waitlisted – still applying to college? Our private Irvine college tutoring will help you get into your dream school.

irvine-college-tutoring-waitlisted

1. Waitlisted from you dream school?

Students who are waitlisted from their dream school will be tempted to spend countless hours hoping that everything will work out okay. Truth be told, everything will work out okay because there are tons of universities where students can get a great education. If a student is sure they would choose the waitlist college as their first choice, they should still consider which other universities look interesting and have a second and third choice. Preparation is the key to success in this type of situation (READ: “Santa Ana Tutor: 4 Tips to Solve College Acceptance Issues”).

2. Plan A and Plan B

Waitlisted students are also encouraged to have a plan A and plan B. In most situations plan A will be attending the University that they’re waitlisted from but a good second option may be harder to determine. Some students have chosen three or four schools that tie for the second choice, and they’ll have a lot of contemplation to do before making a final decision. When students find out if they’re ultimately accepted to their first choice school, they will only have a short time to make a decision. It’s better to be over prepared in a situation of this magnitude.

3. Waitlisted from a target school?

Sometimes students will be waitlisted from one of their target schools. In this circumstance, there may be multiple schools of interest, which can make the choice a challenge. If a student is having trouble deciding between two schools, they’ll have to be prepared to make a decision when they find out whether or not they’re off the waitlist. Choosing between two target schools due to a waitlist is not as common because students tend to be waitlisted from one of their dream schools; however, it’s starting to become an issue since students are applying to so many universities these days.

4. Live in the moment

Although difficult, it’s important for students to live in the moment while they wait to find out if they will be taken off the waitlist of their first choice college. One way students can distract themselves is to focus on things that need to get done the second semester of their senior year. They will still need to excel on their advanced placement exams and keep their grades up, so they maintain acceptance to colleges. They will also be pretty busy completing their graduation requirements and preparing for the summer after high school. Focusing on day-to-day activities is a great way to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Whether students are studying on their own, working with the help of a study group or tutor, or spending quality time with family and friends before they move away to college, staying busy is a good idea during this exciting yet stressful time.

5. Make a checklist

Students can make a checklist to help determine which of their target schools will make a good alternate choice. A list of pros and cons can make a decision logical and precise during an extremely emotional time. Which college offers scholarship money? Which has a social and exciting campus? Which school has the degree programs the student wants? Etc… Breaking the situation down into various smaller parts can make the long-term decision easier.

tutor logo Ask A Nerd! SAT Subject Tests All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are

Call Us at (949) 510-9361 To Get Started Immediately

…or fill out the form and we will get back to you.


    100% Satisfaction Guarantee
    You’ll love your tutor, or you don’t pay.


    Great Job!
    We applied to St. Margaret’s, Sage Hills, Santa Margret’s, and JSerra/ Engineer magnet program. We were pleased to get acceptance from all of them.