How does Brown waitlist work?

If spaces are available, we expect to begin making admission offers to students on our waitlist by mid-May, and waitlist activity will likely conclude by mid-summer. Students offered a space from the waitlist will be given one to two weeks to reply to the offer of admission.

How likely is it to get off brown waitlist?

Over the last 19 admissions cycles (from 2022 through 2003), Brown's average waitlist acceptance rate has been 12.95%.

What are the odds of getting in if you are waitlisted?

According to recent data from the National Association of College Admissions Counseling, colleges on average admit 20% of students off the waitlist. At the most selective institutions, that figure was 7%.

How do they decide who gets off the waitlist?

If you rank higher, you'll have a greater chance of getting off the waitlist. But some colleges may neither rank waitlisted students nor accept them by priority. Individual colleges may take a more holistic approach. They may make their decision based on factors such as which majors they want represented.

How long until waitlist decisions come out?

How long does it take to get off the waitlist at a college? There's no set timeline for hearing back when you're waitlisted. It could be weeks or months before you receive an official acceptance or rejection. Colleges may accept you from the waitlist as space opens up or wait until after National Decision Day on May 1.

How To Get Into Brown

Is a waitlist a soft rejection?

First, a note: I know getting that waitlist decision can be painful. It is, in lots of ways, a soft rejection and that's by far the healthiest way to look at it, but that's also what makes it sting even more. So, be sure to take care of yourself.

What percent of waitlisted students get admitted?

In a normal year, the odds of getting accepted off the waitlist are not great. Among all colleges that use a waitlist, about 20 percent of students who choose to remain on the waitlist are admitted. At the most selective colleges, only 7 percent are admitted.

How can I increase my chances of getting off a waitlist?

Are college waitlists first come first serve?

The waitlist process uses a "first come, first served" concept, meaning that those earliest in line have a lower waitlist position number. Those in the front of the line will automatically be enrolled when a space opens as long as they meet the enrollment requirement/requisites.

How are people chosen from waitlist?

Once a university can better gauge its enrollment numbers, the school can begin to offer vacant spots to candidates from the waitlist. The waitlist isn't ranked; instead, admissions officers review the school's institutional needs and decide whom to admit from the waitlist based on those factors.

What not to do when waitlisted?

Don't let them think you've got sour grapes. Don't fill out the card stating that you wish to remain on the waitlist and then do nothing else. You need to submit a powerful Letter of Continued Interest as soon as possible.

Is being waitlisted for a college good or bad?

Being waitlisted for college means you have met the requirements for admission, but your application was not strong enough to give you a seat in the first group of admitted applicants. You will be admitted if and when a spot becomes available after other students have responded to their acceptance offers.

Should you wait if you get waitlisted?

If you receive a waitlist decision, take time to consider if that college is still a top choice. Remember that many waitlist acceptances don't come until the end of the spring or even in the early summer, so students will have to decide if they're comfortable with waiting that long to receive a final decision.

How big is Brown waitlist?

We expect 1,000-1,500 students to accept our waitlist invitation. Only students who have affirmed their place on our waitlist will be considered for admission if spaces become available.

Does Brown defer everyone?

Of the 6,244 prospective Brunonians, 67.6% were denied admission and 16.8% were deferred for consideration with the incoming regular decision applicant pool. This continues a pattern of decreasing deferral rates in the past few years: 30% for the class of 2025, 25% for the class of 2026 and 19% for the class of 2027.

Can you get waitlisted at Brown?

It's important to note that admissions waitlists are not ranked; instead, Brown admits students off of the waitlist according to institutional needs and to ensure that the upcoming class is balanced. Students who apply Early Decision cannot get waitlisted.

What happens if I accept a waitlist offer?

Keep in mind that college waitlist offers aren't binding. You won't be required to attend the college if they accept you from the waitlist.

What happens when a college waitlists you?

Waitlisted means that the admissions office has reviewed your college application and determined that you have the academic and personal credentials for admittance, but you were not selected during their first round of admissions.

Can you get waitlisted if you apply early decision?

Yes, students can be deferred in the Early Action/Early Decision round and subsequently waitlisted by the same school after the Regular Decision round. It's more common than some think.

Is it better to be deferred or waitlisted?

In general, you can assume that your odds are better if you've been deferred rather than waitlisted. Deferred students are reconsidered during the regular decision round and should have about the same chance as other regular decision applicants.

Is getting off waitlist random?

Just like in the regular admissions process, colleges need to evaluate their yield, institutional needs, legacy status, and other factors before deciding which students, if any, to admit from the waitlist. Waitlists aren't ranked – meaning there's not a number one student who will definitely get in if there's room.

Do colleges waitlist overqualified applicants?

Waitlisting seemingly overqualified applicants is a factor at some colleges, but being able to pinpoint which ones in particular participate in that ploy is very difficult. One school that has been relatively famous for this in recent years is Washington University in Saint Louis (WUSTL).

How many people usually get on the waitlist?

You might find yourself wondering what this status really means. The truth is, the number of students who are waitlisted changes from year to year, so it's impossible to say how many people will get waitlisted at a certain school. The number can range anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred.

Why am I getting so many waitlists?

Here are the most common reasons applicants are placed on a waitlist: Too few spaces are available. There might have been too many students with your particular set of credentials or academic interests. The admitted applicants were just slightly better than you in some arbitrary way or applied earlier.

Do grades matter for waitlist?

Deferred and Waitlisted Students

That correspondence will include grades from the second semester of your senior year. Colleges and universities look for consistency or improvement when you're in this position, so don't slack.