The hopelessness of college waitlists: A guide

Colleges load up their admissions waitlists with near-misses and donors' children, but the odds of getting off the list and into the school are increasingly low

College student
(Image credit: Jamie Grill/Corbis)

Most college-bound high school seniors will know by May 1 if they got accepted to the school of their choice, or at least made the waitlist. But here's a hard reality check: For most students, being waitlisted is "not much better than a rejection," admissions consultant Elizabeth Heaton tells The Wall Street Journal. Other experts call the waitlist just plain "mean." Here's a look at the pitiful odds game, and what to do if you're placed in admissions limbo.

Just how bad are your chances of advancing past the waitlist?

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