Although I write this in response to a certain commenter (thanks Michelle!), it's something that happened to me and something that will happen to a percentage of you all. What did I do when I was waitlisted at Wellesley, my dream school? I got in, as evidenced by this blog, but there was a substantial prequel to that wonderful, wonderful phone call.
Warning: this post has a bit more information that you might like if you're just a casual skimmer.
So please don't just skim!
I remember vividly when I got that waitlisted letter. It was such a small envelope, but fatter than the other rejection letters I had gotten. That at least kept me optimistic as I brought the mail into the house. Wellesley had been a school that I'd had my eyes on since sophomore year in high school, and the fact that maybe, just maybe, I had gotten some sort of alternative answer kept my faint hopes up. As soon as I saw the "You've been waitlisted", the feeling just rushed out of my fingers.
It was awful to see that my dream school didn't see me as being worthy enough to pass through those bronze gates. It's so horrible to remember everything you did to make it in and then realize that it wasn't enough. It just wasn't.
So I guess my first step to dealing with being waitlisted is to let yourself feel it. Yes, it's a putrid feeling, sitting there with the letter and just going over the essays, the tests, the four years of school, the wasted minutes you should have spent studying. I watched a bit of the cheesy movie, "College Roadtrip" starring Raven that night, and even though I didn't watch the entire thing, I remember just starting to cry when she was jumping around the house with her dream college acceptance letter.
Why couldn't that have been me? Instead, I was facing entering into a school that, when I visited overnight, wasn't even able to fall asleep because I disliked the surroundings so much.
I called and let the admissions office know that yes, of course, I'd still like to be kept on the waitlist, but after that, I kind of gave up. I mean, the women that went to Wellesley already seemed so much more qualified than me, so what was the point?
It was with this sense of languishment that I attended a retreat at (where else) Wellesley later that month, and when I told of my woes to a couple of Wellesley juniors, they admonished me for simply clamming up. By that point, I had started my preparations for the school I was going to be entering that fall, even though when I imagined my life as a student there, I just couldn't. So when I heard those girls tell me that I should contact my admissions counselor with news of what I was up to academically, I hesitantly agreed to do so. I started sending my counselor constructive updates, letting her know how I was still very passionate about attending Wellesley and how I would make my place in Wellesley one to remember.
I did all I could to make sure admissions knew who I was. I remember one last-ditch attempt happened when I drove down from my hometown (about 1.5 hours north) down to the college to deliver them a photo of me and my siblings. I stayed there for maybe 15 minutes, just to make sure someone substantial had the photo.
I'm not saying that sending a photo of yourself is the answer to being waitlisted, but making contact with your counselor and proving your worth can help out.
A month passed and it was now May. I had begun a nanny job, so I wasn't home when my counselor called to speak with me. My mom called me and told me that Heather had called with a question, and stupid girl that I was, I thought she was talking about one of my sister's friends, and called the number thinking to speak with a preteen.
Imagine my surprise when I reached my Wellesley counselor!
I will spare you the details of what happened in the phone call, but I know when she told me I had a spot, I couldn't believe it. I simply could not. Haha, I even told her that "you made my year!", and after we finished talking, I let out a scream that probably shocked the uptight neighborhood!
It was the best day of my life. One of the best days. Ever.
And I know that not everyone will make it off the waitlist. It's just how it is. But if you're on the waitlist, and you feel like Wellesley is THE ONE, then make the effort. It might just make a difference.