Is the Waiting Game Over?

The one decision that hundreds of thousands of college applicants loathe every year—perhaps even more so than the definitive rejection—is the “waitlisted” decision. Ambivalence strikes and leaves many befuddled on what to do next. In a recent article by Kevin Kiley of InsideHigherEd.com, he noted that admissions counselors are trying to amend colleges’ wait-listing practices in order to maintain college decisional transparency. Each year, more and more students are placed on the waitlist with no transparency or idea of whether they will be eventually admitted or cut from the university rosters. Officials at the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) are trying to increase institutional transparency so that students who have applied to various institutions—particularly those that have applied early decision or early action—know how they can proceed if their preferred institution decides not to eventually accept them.

For students who are currently in the application cycle—or will be—it is critical to focus on the four major areas that colleges examine for scholastic achievement: grade point average, extracurricular activities, SAT score, and personal statement. Cornerstone Academic Services provides assistance in each of these fields.