Life After Being Wait Listed
What to do if your senior gets wait listed at college: I recently interviewed college admissions officers at some top schools about this. The consensus? A student must make it abundantly clear that s/he ardently wants to attend that school more than ever, then submit additional materials to show how worthy s/he is. An applicant must stand out and be memorable. But be careful.
Don’t Do This: An admissions officer at Brown, my alma mater, told me of a waitlisted student who showed up uninvited at the admissions office. He wore a ridiculous, flamboyant costume, hoping to get noticed. He got noticed all right. One by one, admissions officers emerged, jaws dropping, to gawk at him. They winced in sympathetic pain, knowing that his poor judgment destroyed his chances for acceptance. He should have known that even without that costume his invasion was unwise, for Brown no longer conducts any campus interviews. Their 23 admissions officers handle 29,000 applications per year. Ask your high schooler to do the math.
What Can You Do: Most importantly, what can the applicant— not the parent— do? First, ask your college advisor. Consider submitting more great schoolwork, additional testimonials from teachers or mentors, a supplemental arts portfolio, and, if you haven’t already, make a short video showcasing talents or revealing unique passions. But be careful. Nothing embarrassing or clichéd. Don’t let your student make the video faux pas equivalent of the guy in bizarre costume.
How We Help: Family Tribute Film can help you decide whether video will enhance your student’s application and whether it’s appropriate for that particular college. We also advise on how to create the best possible video to make your case. Then we collaborate to produce a creative, customized video, and output it correctly for you to send directly to the college.
The Takeaway: Before you occupy the admissions office or barrage them with unwanted support materials, know what that college accepts and make sure your submissions will help.