Write Yourself Off The Wait List

We here at CEA are motivated folks who work with may of the country’s most ambitious pre-collegiate minds, so we understand as well as anyone that students on a wait list for their dream school would want to proactively affect the outcome of a college’s final decision.  Last week the New York Times published an article discussing how some recent college-bound overachievers attempt to keep the attention of admissions board as the last open slots for the fall are offered and claimed.

Here are some tactics that absolutely WON’T help you secure one of those final seats at the college of your dreams:

1. Sending admissions officers cookies, cupcakes, or anything unrelated to your scholastic interests.
2. Having a parent obsessively email admissions officers.
3. Offering bribes of any kind (even really big ones).
4. Claiming a school is your first choice, when it really isn’t.
5. Writing non-specific notes about how you “love love love, OMG AM SO OBSESSED WITH” a school.
6. Questioning a college’s judgement, or the quality of accepted students.
7. Camping outside the admissions office in a tent.  Don’t take it from us, listen to the Times.  (Have people actually done this?)

Do you know what WILL work?  Writing the school of your heartfelt desires a pointed and mature letter.  Detail your continued interests and update the admissions office on any new developments and accomplishments since your initial submission.  Admissions officers are still interested in why you would be a better fit for their institution than other candidates, and an appreciation of a school’s curriculum, faculty, school spirit and history all prove genuine interest versus arbitrary obsession.  One well-articulated note is worth 4,000 empty “I love yous,” so sit down and pour your passion onto the page.  Then click “send,” and cross your fingers.  Sincere expression works wonders, and luck often decides the rest.