How to Write a Waitlist Appeal Letter

Some call it a Letter of Continued Interest. Others call it a Letter of Enthusiasm. And still others call it a Waitlist Appeal Letter. Whatever you choose to call it, if a highly selective university has waitlisted you and you want to get off that waitlist, you have to submit a powerful letter that sways admissions officers to root for you. So what exactly is this Waitlist Appeal Letter, and how should you approach it?

What Is a Waitlist Appeal Letter?

It’s a note to express your continued interest in attending. It’s a — hopefully compelling — letter designed to inspire an admissions officer to want to pluck you from the waitlist and offer you a spot in the incoming class.

How to Approach Writing an Appeal Letter for a Waitlist

So how should you craft the letter to give yourself the best chance of admission?

What Should Be Included in a Waitlist Appeal Letter

A Waitlist Appeal Letter should be between 500-650 words (the length of a Personal Statement) and include the following:

• Specific after specific of how a student is going to contribute their singular hook to an institution through the school’s programs, institutes, activities, culture, traditions, etc.
• A demonstrated eagerness to attend the school. They want to know you love them and that you love them for the right reasons. Show, don’t tell.

What Should Not Be Included in a Waitlist Appeal Letter

A Waitlist Appeal Letter should not include the following:

• Brags. Students should not toot their own horns, as doing so will make them unlikeable.
• Updates. What have students achieved in the few months since they submitted their application? And if they have achieved something worth noting, let the counselor mention it during an advocacy call with the admissions office.
• Generic sentences that can apply to any school. “Brown is the school I most wish to attend.” “With its beautiful campus, small class sizes, and diverse student body, Dartmouth is in a class by itself.”
• College acceptance updates. “I thought I’d let you know, as I await word on the Yale waitlist, I’ve earned admission to UPenn, Columbia, and UChicago.” Yes, that will all but assure a student’s rejection.

The Distinction Between Waitlist Appeal Letters and Appeal Letters

Even though we’ve coined it a Waitlist Appeal Letter in this post (since some folks call this letter by this name), it should not be confused with an Appeal Letter.

Most highly selective universities do not accept Appeal Letters (or letters written after a rejection hoping to overturn the verdict). The University of Southern California, the University of California schools, and the University of Texas at Austin are the top schools that allow the submission of an Appeal Letter after a denial.

Your Chances of Admission Off a Highly Selective College’s Waitlist

Below are the waitlist acceptance rates for the Class of 2025 for America’s top national universities of 2023. If a college is not listed, like Harvard University, it didn’t report waitlist data to The Common Data Set.

Below are the waitlist acceptance rates for the Class of 2025 for America’s top liberal arts colleges of 2023. If a college is not listed, like Amherst College, it didn’t report waitlist data to The Common Data Set.

Your Chances of Admission Off a Highly Selective College’s Waitlist with Ivy Coach’s Assistance

Below are the waitlist acceptance rates for schools that reported the data to The Common Data Set for the Class of 2025 and Ivy Coach‘s corresponding waitlist acceptance rates for the Class of 2025.

Top National Universities

Top Liberal Arts Colleges

Getting Started with Ivy Coach on Waitlist Appeal Letters

If you’re interested in Ivy Coach’s assistance in crafting a compelling Waitlist Appeal Letter, fill out our free consultation form, and we’ll get back to you quickly.