Was your child recently waitlisted to the American University Class of 2030? If so, you might be wondering what your next move is. Remember that being waitlisted is not tantamount to rejection. As the data over the past few cycles shows, AU regularly accepts students off its waitlist. So, what exactly are your child’s chances of earning admission to AU after being waitlisted, and how can they optimize their odds of admission to this, ahem, most patriotic of institutions? Let’s dive in!

American University’s Waitlist Acceptance Rates and Statistics

The below is AU’s waitlist data for the Class of 2028 through 2026, covering the three most recent years of waitlist statistics that have been published publicly on the Common Data Set. 

American University Class Year	Number of Students Waitlisted to AU	Number of Students Who Chose to Join AU Waitlist	Number of Students Accepted Off AU Waitlist	AU Waitlist Acceptance Rate
AU Class of 2030	Not Yet Published	Not Yet Published	Not Yet Published	Not Yet Published
AU Class of 2029	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
AU Class of 2028	4,079	948	328	34.60%
AU Class of 2027	7,312	1,366	491	35.94%
AU Class of 2026	9,146	2,086	88	4.22%

Your Chances of Admission to American University After Being Waitlisted

Despite having only a limited selection of admission cycles to reference, these three recent cohorts demonstrate the high degree of variability within the American University waitlist acceptance rate from year to year. So what accounts for this variation and is there any way to forecast what the Class of 2030 can expect?

It all boils down to a single figure: the American University yield rate (or the percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll). The higher AU’s yield, the lower the likelihood they reach deep into their waitlist.

As we tell our students at Ivy Coach, there are some things you can control, and there are some things you can’t. How far American will reach down its waitlist for the Class of 2030 is not in a student’s control. But how they approach the waitlist is entirely in their control.

Your Chances of Admission to AmericanU After Being Waitlisted with Ivy Coach’s Help

We at Ivy Coach are well-versed in the art of getting students off the American waitlist and onto AU’s campus? Our success boils down to Ivy Coach’s time-tested method of optimizing a student’s chances for admission after being placed in limbo. That two-step process is as follows:

1. Complete Ivy Coach’s PostMortem application review. We must evaluate what a student did right and what they did wrong. And the narrative we leave you with after doing so is anything but arbitrary. We will help you leverage what you’ve already submitted to AU on the Common Application to transform your application — by positioning you much more compellingly.
2. Submit a compelling Letter of Continued Interest. Most students know they should submit a letter after being placed in limbo to earn admission. And most know they should do so promptly. But most students send the wrong kind of letter. Ivy Coach’s letters to AU contain no brags or updates. It’s a big reason why they’re so successful. We inspire AU admissions officers to go to bat for our students!

What Not To Do If You or Your Child Was Waitlisted by American University

1. Wait to learn your child’s other college decisions that are yet to be released. When students don’t submit Letters of Continued Interest right away, admissions officers, who weren’t born yesterday,  know they’re waiting to hear from colleges they love more.
2. Submit a letter filled with brags and updates.
3. Reach out to the American University admissions office via phone.
4. Send follow-up letters after submitting your Letter of Continued Interest.
5. Take out a bus advertisement in DC imploring American to admit your child off the waitlist. No ridiculous waitlist campaigns!

Getting Started with Ivy Coach on American University Waitlist

If you’re interested in optimizing your case for admission off American University’s waitlist to the Class of 2030 with the help of our team of former elite college admission officers, fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form and indicate that American has waitlisted you. You’ll then hear back from us with an immediate reply. But keep in mind that time is of the essence and that your letter needs to go to American immediately.