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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, uc waitlist essay tips.

Hey everyone! So, I just got waitlisted at one of my top UC schools. I know I need to write a waitlist essay to boost my chances of getting admitted. Can you guys share any tips or experiences on how to write an effective UC waitlist essay? Thanks a lot!

Hello! Congratulations on being waitlisted at one of your top UC schools! The waitlist essay can definitely play an important role in getting off the waitlist, so let's explore some tips for writing an effective essay for this specific situation:

1. Be specific about your interest in the school: Explain why you want to attend this particular UC and how it aligns with your academic and professional goals. Mention specific programs, courses, or professors you’re interested in and discuss how they would contribute to your success.

2. Update on achievements: Use the essay as an opportunity to showcase any accomplishments, awards, or extracurricular activities you've taken part in since submitting your original application. This can demonstrate growth and reaffirm your dedication to your goals.

3. Demonstrate your fit with the school: Explain how you’ll be a valuable addition to the campus community, both academically and socially. This can include referencing clubs, organizations, or volunteer opportunities you'd like to join, as well as describing the personal qualities you possess that would mesh well with the school's culture and values.

4. Keep it concise and focused: Since waitlist essays are typically shorter than regular personal statements, aim to make every sentence count. Use clear and concise language to convey your points. Focus on two or three main ideas to avoid diluting the impact of your essay.

5. Show gratitude and enthusiasm: Start your essay by thanking the admissions committee for considering you for the waitlist and end it by reiterating your excitement about the possibility of attending the school. Remember that being on the waitlist means you were seen as a strong candidate, so displaying enthusiasm could work in your favor.

6. Edit and proofread: Take the time to craft a well-polished essay. Eliminate any grammar or spelling mistakes, and ensure that your language flows naturally. Having someone else read it over can help you catch errors you might have missed.

7. Follow submission guidelines: Make sure you adhere to any word limits or other requirements set by the UC for waitlist essays. Do not miss deadlines, as this can negatively impact your chances of admission.

Keep these tips in mind as you write your UC waitlist essay, and best of luck in your admissions journey!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Application FAQs

** COSMOS is planning for a full residential in-person 2024 program. In case of sudden circumstances that prevent in-person instruction of the planned curriculum, COSMOS may decide to change the instructional format, temporarily or for the remaining duration of the program to, e.g., remote instruction to complete the program for the affected students **

PROGRAM FAQ

What if I receive different information from different COSMOS sources?

Immediately contact the COSMOS Statewide office .  While COSMOS strives to provide precise, accurate, and updated information, the program communicates from several sites across the state and through various media.  All these sources may not be updated or informed at the same time.  The COSMOS Statewide office is the final arbiter and issuer of superseding information in cases of inconsistency or uncertainty, and it is the COSMOS Statewide office that will resolve the matter. 

COSMOS is limited to California High School Students only. Please review the program policy for additional information. If you have questions, please get in touch with Statewide directly.

APPLICATION

Can I apply to multiple campuses? No. You may only apply to one campus and select one first-choice cluster and one second-choice cluster.

Will SAT or ACT test scores be used for admission? No. COSMOS will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admission decisions or awarding financial aid.

Can I apply if I have attended COSMOS before? No.

What is a CASSID? This is your California student identification number. Please ask your school registrar or counselor if you don't know this number.CASSID does not apply to out-of-state or international students, 

How do I know if my high school class meets the cluster prerequisites? Admissions decisions and clusters are administered at the campus level. Don't hesitate to contact the campus directly if you have any questions regarding prerequisites. Please carefully review cluster information on the campus websites.

How to submit the application fee? The application fee is payable only in the Parent/Guardian Portal. Parents will be notified by email that they can create a login and password. They can then make payments, submit their electronic signature (and submit optional financial aid information).

I applied last year. Can I use my same login ID? Yes. You will need to create a new application each year, as the application may vary yearly, but you may log in with the same account.

If admitted, do I have to live on campus? Yes, The residential experience is an integral part of the program, and all students are required to live on the campus they are admitted to.

Is the application fee refundable? No, the $42 application fee is a non-refundable administrative fee. Please review the program policy page for additional information. 

Is the program cost refundable? No, all COSMOS payments are non-refundable after the due deadline. Please review the program policy page for additional information. 

MISSED DEADLINES

Can I send late application materials? Due to the competitive nature of our program and to create a fair application process for all, we do not accept late materials or payments. Materials must be submitted by the posted deadline for application review. Late materials received will render your application incomplete and not be reviewed for admission.

What if my school is on holiday during the week of the deadline? As many schools have holiday schedules during January, plan and speak with your teachers and transcript officials early to avoid school closures. Unfortunately, we do not accept late materials.

APPLICATION ESSAY

What should I write in my application essay? The essay is your statement about yourself. You tell us what you want us to know about you, simple as that.

Is there a word limit to the essay? Yes, it is given by the text box in the application.

Is there a word limit to the cluster choice essay(s)? Yes, it is given by the text box in the application.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Does applying for financial aid affect the admissions decision? No. The reviews of admission and financial aid are done separately.  Please review the financial aid page for additional information. 

When will I know if I've received financial aid? Financial aid notification will come with your admission decision.

Where do I send my financial aid application and supporting materials? COSMOS Statewide will evaluate financial aid upon admissions recommendations of the faculty. All financial aid documentation must be sent directly to the Statewide Office.  Please see here for the mailing address.  COSMOS is not responsible for lost, held, or damaged mail. COSMOS is not responsible for delivery errors via carrier or incorrect shipping info. PLEASE CHECK YOUR INFORMATION, and do not request receiving a signature upon delivery. COSMOS strongly recommends registered or certified mail with tracking.  

TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS Do the recommendations need to come from a STEM teacher? Yes  — one MUST be a  STEM teacher ; Counselors or other individuals who can speak to your academic achievement are acceptable as a SECOND (non-required) recommendation.

What information will I need to request teacher recommendations? 1) Your teachers' names and 2) their work email addresses.  Upon completing the reference portion of your application, teachers will be notified that they have been requested to submit a recommendation on your behalf.

Will teachers be asked to submit or upload a letter? Teachers will be asked to answer several questions about the applicants' performance and abilities in STEM-related topics and rank them in relation to their peers. There will be an optional text box for additional comments, but there is no requirement for a formal letter of recommendation requirement.

Will I know when my teachers have submitted a recommendation on my behalf? Yes, you can see if a recommendation has been submitted on your login checklist.  

My teacher didn't get an email to upload their recommendation. Some school districts mark certain emails as spam. Please have your teacher request the school or district IT staff to whitelist our email. 

When are teacher recommendations due? All references must be submitted by the application deadline.

ADMISSIONS DECISIONS

When are admissions decisions available? See our Dates and Deadlines page for more information.

Does COSMOS have a waitlist? Yes

If not admitted, can I apply again? If you meet the 8-12th grade criteria, you may apply again if you've been denied. Your denial will not impact future applications to COSMOS. Do I need to send official transcripts? Official transcripts will be required of students who are admitted to the program. They will need to be sent by the deadline indicated by your acceptance email. The best option is to email the official transcript to the campus you will be attending. Please see below.

What are official transcripts? Official versions are often sent directly by your high school counselor or registrar through regular mail to the COSMOS program you are applying to (details provided in the application). Your school may also give you an official version of your transcript inside a sealed envelope for you to send yourself. If so, do not open this envelope; it must remain sealed to be considered official.

Where do I mail the official transcripts? You must send transcripts directly to the COSMOS program you are applying to. Official transcripts will be accepted via email but must be sent by a school official from their school email address to the correct campus address listed below.  

Do you accept electronic transcripts? Some schools use an online service like Parchment to send transcripts. These online transcripts are accepted as official if sent from your school to COSMOS. The Parchment site will let you know whether your school uses this service. If not, you must order them directly from the high school registrar or counselor. Plan to order these early in the application process or even before. Transcripts sent after the deadline stated in your admission email will not be accepted.

What does "postmarked" mean? Official transcripts (see above) and check payments must be at the post office, stamped, and mailed by the deadline. The post office (not necessarily COSMOS) must receive the materials by the deadline. Check your local post office for business hours.

Can I use Unofficial transcripts? Unofficial transcripts must be uploaded to the application as a PDF before submission. They must be generated after the date the application opens.

Will I be required to show proof of vaccination to attend? Students must comply with the local campus vaccine policies while attending COSMOS. For details:

UC Davis:  https://campusready.ucdavis.edu/covid-vaccination

UC Irvine: https://shc.uci.edu/immunization-requirements/exemptions

UC Los Angeles:  https://covid-19.ucla.edu/ucla-covid-protocols/

UC San Diego:   https://returntolearn.ucsd.edu/vaccination/vaccination/index.html

UC Santa Cruz: https://healthcenter.ucsc.edu/services/immunizations.html

* OUT-OF-STATE-STUDENTS

Can I apply to COSMOS if I am not a California resident and/or an international student? No. COSMOS is limited to California students only. If your circumstances are unclear, don't hesitate to contact the COSMOS statewide office .

Are international students allowed to apply?   No. Please refer to the answer above regarding non-California residents.

* COSMOS is limited to California High School Students ONLY * (please refer to program policy page for additional information)

PAYMENTS  

For all credit card payments, a 2.5% transaction fee for each transaction applies. The transaction fee is charged by the third-party processor, not COSMOS, and is not refundable even if the payment to which it relates is canceled, refunded, credited, or charged back.

University banking policy dictates that we assess this charge separately from the program cost payments. Thus, you will be asked to submit multiple payments: 1) program cost payments and 2) transactions related to service fees.

If you choose to pay by credit card, you must submit both the payment and the service fee before the stated deadlines for your admission to be complete. Alternatively, you may choose to avoid the service charge by mailing a check or money order, postmarked by the stated deadline, to: 

COSMOS-Statewide Cashier's Office University of California PO Box 989062 West Sacramento, CA  95798-9062

Make check or money order payable to  " UC Regents"  (not COSMOS) . Please note on the check which campus you are applying to, i.e.,  COSMOS UCD , and include the applicant's name.

DISCLAIMER:    COSMOS is not responsible for lost, held, or damaged mail. COSMOS is not responsible for delivery errors via carrier or incorrect shipping info. PLEASE CHECK YOUR INFORMATION, and do not request receiving a signature upon delivery. Registered mail is recommended.

Frequently Asked Questions

Academics and standardized testing, what is your minimum gpa or required sat or act score.

There is no minimum GPA or required test score. At UChicago, the admissions committee considers a candidate’s entire application—academic and extracurricular records, essays, letters of recommendation, and optional testing according to our no harm policy—and there’s no one piece of information that alone determines whether you would be a good fit for the College. You can learn more about this contextual review process here . 

What if my school does not report class rank or GPA?

If your school does not report class rank or have grade point averages, please leave that information blank. UChicago understands that many schools do not report class rank or compute averages as a matter of policy and not having these will not negatively impact your application. Please do not estimate or guess.

What does no harm testing mean?

Submitting an SAT or ACT is optional and not required for admission. In addition to being test-optional, UChicago practices a “No Harm” policy for application review when considering SAT or ACT scores. Any SAT or ACT score submitted will only be used in review if it will positively affect an applicant’s chance of admission. Test scores that may negatively impact an admission decision will not be considered in review. All applicants including domestic students, international students, and transfer students will be reviewed under this policy.

I was unable to take the SAT or ACT due to a test date cancellation. Can I still apply to UChicago?

Absolutely! UChicago is test-optional alongside the no harm test policy, which means that students are not required to share results of the SAT or ACT if you have been unable to test or prefer not to share your scores. This policy is open to all applicants. Further information about UChicago’s testing policy can be found here .

I've taken the SAT or ACT more than once. Should I send all my test scores?

If you have chosen to submit SAT or ACT test scores, UChicago recommends that you send all of your scores and welcomes you to self-report these scores. When multiple scores are submitted, UChicago will superscore both the SAT and ACT, meaning that if you take either test multiple times, your highest individual sub-scores will be combined to give you the highest overall score possible. Please note that UChicago requires an official score report if you are admitted and choose to enroll.

Is there a score cut off at which I should opt out of submitting my ACT or SAT?

UChicago’s no harm testing policy means that students do not need to worry about score cut-offs or other nuanced details of testing considerations. Your test score will only be considered if it benefits your application; that benefit will be based in part on your individual context and other details of your academic preparation. You do not need to worry about anticipating these details and can send in test scores with the confidence that they will not harm your application.

If I had SAT or ACT scores sent before applying, can my application be reviewed without considering these scores?

Yes. If you previously had SAT or ACT scores sent before applying, you can indicate in your application that you wish to have your application considered without SAT or ACT scores.

If UChicago practices a no harm testing policy, in what situation would I ever apply as a test-optional applicant?

Sending your standardized test score to UChicago is a personal choice. While all students are encouraged to submit testing if they have scores to share, you are welcome to apply without testing if it feels like the best course of action for you. The test-optional policy also allows students to apply to UChicago if they are unable to take the SAT or ACT.

Does UChicago not see a value in standardized testing?

Your transcript shows your academic record in the context of your school, but since each school can be very different from another, testing can be useful to see evidence of academic achievement that exists outside of that context.

Will you consider the new digital SAT differently than past SATs?

UChicago does not consider the digital SAT any differently than past versions of the SAT. Like any testing, your scores on the digital SAT will be considered in the context of your many other application materials and according to our no harm testing policy. UChicago will superscore across both variations of the exam.

Can I self-report my test scores or my transcript?

All applicants who choose to submit SAT or ACT scores may share either official or self-reported scores. These students will not be required to submit official score reports unless they are admitted and choose to enroll. Students can self-report test scores through the Questbridge, Coalition or Common Application, through their UChicago Account, or may share a transcript that includes test scores.

All applicants may also self-submit high school transcripts and will be required to submit an official transcript only if they are admitted and choose to enroll.

Do you grant credit for AP and IB scores? For college-level classes taken in high school?

Yes! UChicago accepts scores of 5 on most Advanced Placement (AP) exams and of 7 on certain International Baccalaureate (IB) higher level (HL) examinations for credit; other scores may be accepted in particular subjects. Learn more about accelerated course credit here .

While UChicago is unable to grant transfer credit to first-year students for college-level coursework taken prior to matriculation (including dual enrollment and early college programs), these courses can give students strong experience with rigorous work that prepares you well for the UChicago experience. UChicago also offers placement and accreditation tests to entering students in select subjects to ensure that students can start courses at a level that best suits their prior experience.

Essays, Recommendations, and Supplemental Materials

What types of supplemental materials can i submit.

The most effective supplements share a representative sample of work that is important to the applicant. One to two minutes of a recorded work, two or three high-quality prints of a work of art, the best paragraph or page of a creatively written work, or an abstract of original research are some types of supplemental materials you can consider adding to your application. None of these are required, and choosing not to send any supplemental materials will not disadvantage your application in any way.

What counts as an academic achievement of note in considering what to include in my application?

UChicago reviews every application within the context of a student’s school, environment, and opportunities. If you feel there is something that best highlights your skills, talents, and potential contributions to UChicago—and you have not already included it in your application—please feel free to share it!

Does UChicago require a counselor letter of recommendation?

While UChicago does not officially require a letter of recommendation from your counselor, many school counselors will still choose to submit one on your behalf. If they do, that letter will be considered as a part of the application review.

Can I submit supplemental letters of recommendation?

You may submit one additional letter of recommendation. The writer should know you personally and have worked closely with you in some capacity; this could include a coach, religious leader, group adviser, or employer, to name a few. Please only send an additional letter of recommendation if you feel it represents a unique perspective not shared elsewhere in your application.

Is there a word limit or suggested word limit for the supplemental essays?

Please note any word limits for Coalition or Common Application essays; however, there are no strict word limits on the UChicago supplemental essays. In general 500-700 words for the extended essay and 300-600 words for the “Why UChicago?” essay are good benchmarks, but these are rough guidelines and by no means requirements. The ideas in your writing matter more than the exact number of words you use!

How do I make sure that UChicago has received all of my required application documents?

A little while after the application deadline has passed, you will be able to check to see which application materials have been received and processed by logging in to your UChicago Account . Given the large volume of material submitted every year, there will be a reasonable amount of processing time between when you submit your documents and when they will appear in your account. If anything is missing, you will have ample time to submit or resubmit it without any penalty to your application.

Can I participate in an interview as part of my application?

If you would like to add your voice to your application, you have the option to submit a highly recommended two-minute video profile. Your recording does not need to be extensively rehearsed or polished, and the video does not need to be edited. UChicago does not offer on-campus or alumni interviews as part of the application process, but will accept Glimpse or InitialView interviews in lieu of the UChicago video profile.

Is the video profile required?

The video profile is not required but is highly recommended. A video profile is one more way for us to get to know you and hear your voice (literally!), but it is up to you whether to include one. Students who choose not to submit a video profile will not be penalized in any way. Applicants can upload their video to their UChicago Account under “Portfolio” with the title “Optional Video Profile.” You may upload your video to your UChicago Account at any time, but it is recommended to do so by November 6 th for Early Action and Early Decision I or January 10 th for Regular Decision and Early Decision II.

Does my video need to be produced/edited/scripted?

The option of submitting a video gives students who wish to do so a different medium for developing their voice and ideas. In reviewing these highly recommended video profiles, the focus will be on the content of the video rather than on production quality. Students who submit a video are encouraged to film in a quiet space that limits outside distractions (background noise, music, pet or sibling interference, etc.). While it’s okay to rehearse your message a bit so that you feel confident and ready, it’s helpful to hear these spoken in your normal, conversational voice. Memorizing a script or reading from prepared notes is not necessary and might detract from a sense of your genuine voice.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Do you offer financial aid.

Yes! UChicago meets the full demonstrated financial need of every admitted student through a need-based financial aid package that does not include a loan expectation. Each financial aid package is tailored to the student and family’s particular financial profile.

UChicago requires a few forms and documents in order to offer students an appropriate package. Although US citizens and permanent residents may apply for financial aid at any time, we recommend that they apply for aid at the same time as their application for admission in order to receive an aid decision in a timely manner. Applicants who are not US citizens or permanent residents must apply for financial aid during the application process.

UChicago does not charge an application fee to students who indicate that they intend to apply for financial aid. Learn more about applying for UChicago’s financial aid .

Do you offer merit awards or special scholarships?

Exemplary students are selected to receive University merit scholarships on the basis of outstanding academic achievement, extracurricular achievement, demonstrated leadership, and commitment to their communities. Merit awards are determined by committee on the basis of the application for admission without consideration of financial need.

Merit scholarships can be awarded for four years of undergraduate study or as funding for summer opportunities. UChicago also offers scholarships for first-generation college students, the children of police and firefighters, and the children of Chicago Public Schools educators. Each student admitted to the College will be automatically considered for merit scholarships; applicants do not need to fill out an additional application, with the exception of the Police and Fire Scholarship .

Special Circumstances

I had bad grades or a special circumstance that affected my performance in high school. does this mean i won’t get in.

No one’s record is perfect, and UChicago understands that sometimes students’ transcripts have grades that are not indicative of their academic capabilities when they apply to college. If you have made significant strides in your academic performance, or outside circumstances have caused bumps along the way, please make sure that comes across in your application. The Additional Information portion of the application is a great place to discuss this. UChicago truly embraces a contextual approach to reading applications, and this approach means seeing applicants as multi-faceted individuals rather than one-dimensional students.

I am taking the November SAT or October ACT as an Early Action or Early Decision I applicant, or the January SAT or February ACT as a Regular Decision or Early Decision II applicant. Will you consider these scores?

Yes! UChicago accepts October ACT and November SAT scores for Early Action and Early Decision I, December SAT and ACT scores for Early Decision II, and January SAT and February ACT scores for Regular Decision.

I am interested in participating in a varsity sport. How can I contact a coach?

Contact information for UChicago’s varsity coaches, as well as a survey for students interested in participating in varsity athletics, can be found here .

Does the University of Chicago grant second bachelor’s degrees?

UChicago does not offer second bachelor’s degrees. Please visit the website of the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies for information on post-baccalaureate coursework and non-degree-program coursework.

Can I apply to UChicago for entry in the Winter or Spring Quarters?

Entering students may only begin study at UChicago in the Autumn Quarter.

My school experience was disrupted or changed significantly during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Will this negatively impact my application to UChicago?

UChicago understands that schools around the world made the difficult choice to close or engage in remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many students may have experienced different grading systems or an inability to engage in school in their typical way in the Spring of 2020. UChicago always reviews applicants in the context of their school’s environment and grading practices and will continue to give full consideration to all applicants regardless of the method of grading or assessment your school selected. UChicago is also aware that many students experienced a disruption to their typical level of involvement in extracurricular activities. Rest assured that these circumstances that were outside of your control will not negatively impact your application to UChicago.

I am not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, but have been living in the United States for some time or am in the process of obtaining a green card but have not yet received one. Am I considered an international student?

In UChicago’s contextual review, every student is reviewed specifically within the high school they attend, regardless of citizenship. The only time citizenship is considered in the application process is when it comes to financial aid. For financial aid purposes, you will be considered an international applicant until you receive permanent residency or U.S. citizenship. For further help and questions as they arise during this process, feel free to contact us at [email protected] .

Visiting Campus

Can i tour campus.

Yes! In-person tours and information sessions are available on most weekdays year-round and on Saturdays from March through November. You can explore the visit calendar here to sign up for a specific date and time. The full campus visit guide is available here .

Can I attend a class while visiting campus?

Faculty-led model classes are a great way to get a feel for UChicago classes! These are offered during our Fall and Spring Open Houses which are listed on our website here .

I’m unable to travel to Chicago. How can I learn more about UChicago without a physical visit to campus?

UChicago offers a variety of virtual opportunities to learn more about the University’s academic, extracurricular, and admissions processes here .

Can I choose to take a gap year after I’ve been admitted to UChicago?

UChicago will consider requests to take a one-year gap year from incoming first-year students before June 15. To be eligible for consideration, interested students should accept their offer of admission and place an enrollment deposit (or have a deposit fee waiver in place). Students must then apply for a gap year through their regional admissions counselor and will receive written confirmation from the Dean of Admissions if approved. Gap year requests should include a plan for a full year of structured programming, work, community involvement, or other exploration that could not be completed while enrolled in school. Students taking gap years will be asked to sign an agreement outlining expectations for conduct during their gap year. Second or two-year gap year requests are rarely approved except under unavoidable or well-defined national policies (typically including obligatory national/military service or other similar commitments).

Transfer Applications

Am i eligible to apply as a transfer student.

If you have already completed at least one term as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree-seeking program at another college or university, you should apply as a transfer student. All other students, including high school students who have taken college-level classes through dual enrollment or early college programs, should apply using the first-year application.

When do transfer students start at UChicago?

All incoming students, including transfer students, will start in the College in the Autumn Quarter.

Can I apply as a student-at-large, and apply as a transfer student later after taking some courses?

If you would like to pursue your undergraduate degree at UChicago, you should apply as a transfer student. Students-at-large will not be eligible for transfer admission.

What classes should I take now that will transfer to UChicago?

To be eligible for transfer credit, courses at minimum must be from an accredited institution that grants bachelor’s degrees in liberal arts subjects similar to those offered in the College at UChicago and you must have received a grade of C or higher (or B or higher in some subjects). However, since many colleges look at transfer credit differently, UChicago encourages students to make curriculum choices based on what they believe is best for their own educational goals. A full description of UChicago’s transfer credit policy can be found here: http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/thecollege/transfercredit/

Can you tell me which of my classes will transfer to UChicago?

In most cases, courses taken at accredited institutions that meet the eligibility requirements described in the College Catalog and are equivalent in content and instruction to courses offered at the University of Chicago are likely candidates for transfer credit. As a prospective transfer applicant, you should familiarize yourself with programs of study and their class requirements in the College Catalog as well as our transfer credit policy online: http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/thecollege/transfercredit/transferstudents/

Admitted students will be provided an estimate of transfer credits; in the meantime, the College Catalog is a helpful resource to gain a sense of which of your classes are most likely to transfer credit and should give you a good sense of what your future path at UChicago might look like.

Is housing required for transfer students?

Yes, transfer students are required to live in college housing for their first academic year at UChicago and will complete the housing application alongside incoming first years in early summer.

I am having trouble getting in contact with former teachers. Who can I ask for letters of recommendation?

If you feel that you have not had satisfactory contact with professors at your college or university, you may ask a teaching assistant or lab instructor who may have had more experience working with you to provide a recommendation. A recommendation from a recent high school teacher is also acceptable for those who are in their first year of college, though UChicago recommends at least one of your recommendations come from someone who has worked with you in an academic context in college.

If you have been out of school for an extended period, you may ask a work supervisor or commanding officer (for veterans) to write your letters of recommendation.

I will have earned more than two years of college credit by the time I apply to UChicago. Can I still apply as a transfer?

UChicago does not have a minimum or maximum number of credits that you must earn to be an eligible transfer applicant. However, you should keep in mind that transfer students are required to spend at least two years at UChicago and complete the Core curriculum and at least half their major requirements while in residence. This means you might be spending more than a total of 12 academic quarters (the time ordinarily expected by the Dean of Students) to complete your undergraduate degree if you were to transfer to UChicago.

Can I double major as a transfer student?

You will be allotted a number of quarters that are necessary to complete your degree, taking into account your first-choice major. The number of quarters allotted will build in some cushion so that you can complete your major and all other graduation requirements at a reasonable pace.  This could allow for the completion of a second major or a minor, but this depends on the details. You can petition for an additional quarter of enrollment if it is necessary to complete your primary major or your other graduation requirements.

How much time will I have to complete my degree?

As part of the transfer credit evaluation process, you will be allotted a maximum number of quarters to complete your degree (note: summers do not count in this number). For non-transfer students, this number is 12. For transfer students, this number is discounted, depending upon how many quarters worth of credits are transferring in and how many quarters are needed to complete your degree. (Note: you must complete at least six quarters at UChicago).

What does UChicago offer for adult learners?

The Graham School offers an array of different programs for adult learners who want to access UChicago courses and faculty. You can visit the Graham School’s website and learn more about these opportunities here: https://graham.uchicago.edu/ .

What is the Mid-Term Report, and how do I submit it? What if I don’t yet have grades available for my current college coursework?

The Mid-Term Report collects information about courses in which you are currently enrolled in the spring and can be found in the “Forms” section of your UChicago Account. If you do not plan to enroll in any coursework in the spring when you apply, you do not need to fill out a Mid-Term Report. Please wait to submit the Mid-Term Report until after March 1 so that you can include accurate course information and grades. If you do not yet have in-progress grades to share for some or all of your spring courses, you are welcome to write “NA” or “IP” where it asks for a grade in the Mid-Term Report. To ensure it is included in the review of your application, please submit the Mid-Term Report no later than March 22 for Transfer Early Decision, and no later than April 15 for Transfer Rolling Decision.

What is the College/Transfer Report, and when and how do I submit it?

Transfer students are required to submit a College/Transfer Report indicating their academic standing at their current or most recently attended college or university. The report should be completed and sent via email or fax to our admissions office by a dean, registrar, or academic adviser who has access to your disciplinary and academic records. If using the Common Application, you can download the College/Transfer Report in the “Supporting Documents” section. If using Apply Coalition, Powered by Scoir, you may use the University of Chicago College/Transfer Report .

My school has a policy against completing the College/Transfer Report. What should I do?

In this case, you should obtain an official document, often called a “Dean’s Certification” letter, from your school that verifies your student conduct and disciplinary record. This fulfills the same purpose as the transfer report and is perfectly acceptable as a substitute.

When should I submit my courses for credit evaluation as an applicant?

UChicago recommends that you submit your transfer credit materials when you apply for admission to receive an initial credit evaluation in a timely manner. Students applying in Transfer Early Decision should submit their transfer credit form and materials in their UChicago Account by March 15 and students in Transfer Rolling Decision should submit their form and materials by April 15. The form can be accessed in your UChicago Account after you submit your application.

What is the Transfer of Credit form? And where can I upload my course syllabi?

After submitting your application, you should submit the Transfer of Credit form in your UChicago Account to indicate all courses for which you would like to receive a credit evaluation. Students must include an official course description and upload a syllabus for every submitted course on the Transfer of Credit form. Syllabi should be submitted as “Transfer Credit Syllabi” in the Upload Materials section of their UChicago account. If not specified in the syllabus, students should include other information about the content and structure of the course (e.g., a list of required readings and assignments, lectures, exams, papers, etc.) along with the syllabus as a single PDF for each course.

I don’t yet have grades for my current coursework this spring. Should I still include them in the Transfer of Credit form?

Yes! You should submit all classes you wish to be evaluated for transfer credit, including classes in which you are currently enrolled or plan to take this spring. If you do not yet have grades to share for your current coursework, you are welcome to write “NA” or “IP” where it asks this information.

UChicago asks for a written evaluation from an instructor for any coursework that was taken pass/fail. What does this entail? And how should this be submitted?

If you received pass/fail marks for college or university courses instead of grades, please request that your instructors submit a short, written evaluation of your work to the admissions office. This can be sent from your instructor via email or fax to the admissions office and can simply be a note explaining what your grade would have been if you had received a quality grade, or a very brief summary of your academic performance in the class. This only applies to academic coursework and does not apply to non-credit or partial-credit classes (e.g., a one-credit college orientation class.)

Successful UC Davis Waitlist Essay Example

You’re waitlisted! That means you still have a chance of getting accepted!

But to get accepted, you’ll have to show UC Davis that you’re a good fit for their school. This guide shows how to write a UC Davis waitlist essay that gets you in and shows an example of what a successful waitlist essay looks like.

Note: You should simply be using this essay example as a guide and inspiration on how to format the content and structure of your waitlist essay. Copying this essay would be cheating. We highly recommend having at least 3 admissions experts ( or well-trusted counselors if you can’t afford one ) look over your essay.

If you haven’t already, we also suggest taking a look at the University of California Waitlist Page for information on the rules!

UC Davis Waitlist Question: “Please briefly tell us why you feel UC Davis is the right place for you to continue your education. Please limit your response to 200 words. Note that you will only be able to submit your essay once, so please review it carefully before submitting.”  

The waitlist question can be scary here. Here’s why:

• Firstly, you are only limited to 200 words maximum.
• Secondly, most students only ever really have a surface-level understanding about why they want to attend university to begin with.

We’re quite proud of this one! Below is a successful UC Davis waitlist essay example from a student who was accepted into the department of engineering. Hey! That must mean that a waitlist essay like this is pretty good! After all, the department of engineering is one of the most competitive to get accepted into in Davis.

Without further ado, here’s our successful UC Davis waitlist essay.

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“My interest in UC Davis stems from its top-notch facilities and extensive research opportunities. With highly trained professors and high-tech facilities, Davis is the perfect place for me to improve my engineering skills and contribute to the field. In Ready Set Connect, I provide tech support, mostly in social media to elders and people with little technological knowledge. In the program, my group is currently developing a website to provide easier social media access to elders in our community, so they can connect with their families, wherever they are. The different opportunities available at Davis can help me pursue more research to better my community. For instance, I imagine bringing the website I am working on to be more accessible and more secure with research from Professor Chen-Nee Chuah’s RUBINET. With Davis’s resources, I aim to make technology more accessible to everyone, starting with the local elders. I want to continue my research on different programs even though I am farther away from my community. Davis is my top choice; I believe the school will challenge me and allow me to push the boundaries of current engineering to improve the lives of people in the future.”

As we said, this essay example was a pretty good one. They were able to use this to get accepted into one of the more competitive departments in UC Davis.

In the following list, we’re going to show some of the things you can get out of this essay and how you can apply it into your own.

Remember: Implementing these factors into your own essay isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get accepted off the waitlist. Since the essay becomes the primary determining admissions factor in the waitlist, you can’t afford critical errors.

Why This Waitlist Essay Worked

The essay example shows what the writer has been up to either it be in the classroom or outside. In this example, the activity of the program outside of school shows how engage the writer is in the engineering field. Any extracurricular, internship, or programs that you could have done over the year or years can help in distinguishing yourself from the rest of the essays since this is a unique experience that only you can have.

We actually firmly believe that this is the core reason that the student was able to get accepted into UC Davis for engineering to begin with. They weren’t just any student focusing on academics; they were able to stretch their skills to apply it practically in everyday life.

The experience of being in a program and making a website shows that the writer is dedicated to investing the time to be part of something that relates to the department that the writer wants to get into.

Reasons Why YOU Fit Into The School

How exactly do your talents fit in with this school? You’ll have to be able to say that, but also briefly. Don’t forget: you only have at most 200 words in this waitlist essay. Show them how you go with the grain instead of against the grain to have a good advantage against the rest of the admissions pool.

To be fair, the student here did speak about what Davis could provide for them at the beginning of the essay, which for us would be a big “no-no.” You want to make sure the beginning is interesting enough to capture the reader’s attention, so that means don’t say anything they already know about like the strengths of their facilities.

The admissions officer who reads the essay does not need to be reminded about the greatness of the school. Therefore, focus on how your talents can resonate with the help of the school. This is about how YOU are a great fit for the school and your admissions to the school will be most fruitful for the world. A general rule that schools follow is this: Students who are a great fit and who do great things typically improve our reputation. We need a good reputation to earn every dollar of our grant money.

This goes a bit with the need for brevity, though that goes with all steps of the admissions essay writing process. You have to be straightforward and forthright about your words in this one, without boring your admissions officers of course. Sure, they can spare a drop of attention for a 200 word essay. The admissions officers are spending time taking your college application a second consideration. That’s like getting your homework back and having to look at all the problems again! Long story short, that’s a lot of work.

So they’re most probably going to look through your work with brief, scanning eyes. What do you do? You can’t fit deep, poetic imagery into 200 words; even if you could, it wouldn’t be a good idea in the waitlist essay. Well, you have to not only be direct, but you have to have the proper diction, sentence structure diversity, and general writing style to provide the admissions officers with a connotation. A positive one; one that unconsciously shows you as a person who is capable and can prove that they’re the right student for UC Davis.

Questions about the UC waitlist essay? Need a second look before you press the submit button? PenningPapers provides one free expert admissions essay check to maximize your admissions chances. Simply fill out the sidebar form, or contact us through email to schedule a consultation!  

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How to Get Off the College Waitlist (5 Go-To Strategies)

• application strategy
• admit advice
• college admissions

Getting waitlisted is undoubtedly disappointing, but it’s not the end of the road. Here are 4 ways aside from a letter of continued interest to turn your “Waitlisted” status into an “Acceptance.”

1) Updates to your application

If you have a significant positive change to your application, whether it’s academic or extracurricular, make sure the school you’re interested in knows about it. Many waitlisted students send in updated grades, new awards, or additional extracurricular achievements. Include any substantive details that can strengthen the argument for why you’re interested in your intended major at the school.

Accepted off the waitlist to Brown , Computational and Applied Mathematics major  18agarwals  updated the school with various application updates. He writes to the college: 

“Since applying in December, I have furthered my interest in combining computer science and economics by taking more online courses on EDx, such as Algorithm Design and Analysis and Machine Learning for Data Science, which I have used to further enhance my stock trading robots.

2) Additional materials

For students who are applying to specifics types of majors or for admission to a specific school within a university, sometimes additional materials may be warranted. For example, additional writing samples or art portfolios that can help you strengthen your candidacy with a writing or art program can definitely be useful. Be thought, however, about only including materials that are directly relevant to your intended area of study.

DanThePotatoMan ultimately chose to attend Pomona , but not before he used this strategy to get off the Swarthmore waitlist.

“I had the chance to send more writing samples. I ended up sending a newly edited version of a fantasy chapter I had sent, as well as a comedy script that I had written.”

3) Answer the waitlist essay prompt

For schools that ask for an additional essay to be considered for waitlist admission, a letter of continued interest is not necessary. Treat this essay as you would any other supplemental essay. Make sure your writing clearly answers the prompt, free of error, and adheres to the word limit. It doesn’t hurt to reiterate your interest in the school if this comes up naturally.

According to sarahpethani , who was accepted to Carnegie Mellon just one day after responses were due, responding to the prompt quickly can’t hurt.

“Carnegie actually doesn’t accept LOCIs (letters of continued interest). I didn’t bother writing one. A few days after commitment day, Carnegie sends out a short response question to students on the priority waitlist. You have less than a week to respond, so keep a look out on your inbox.”

4) Additional references

Most of the time, taking action yourself is the best course of action to get off the waitlist. However, sometimes, an external boost can help you highlight the interpersonal elements of your application that may need emphasizing. This is where a third party reference can be useful. Ask for a perspective that you don’t already have in your application that can help to plug any weak spots of your candidacy.

Brynhildr was waitlisted at Dartmouth and UChicago . She recommends submitting a new reference in addition to establishing that your waitlist school is still your top priority.

“I sent additional references from my interviewer (this is separate from the reference from the initial interview) and sent in a resume. I also sent emails to the admissions officers expressing that those colleges remained my top choices.

5) Letter of continued interest

Last but not least, the best way to establish that you are still interested in a school that waitlists you is to tell them this directly. Whether you do this with an e-mail or by calling your regional admissions representative, the idea is to demonstrate to the school that if they admit you, you are basically guaranteed to enroll. (For universities, what’s important here is yield.) So you want to make sure you make it clear that the school remains your top choice and if you can combine this with any of the above that can substantially enhance your desirability as a candidate, that’s a winning strategy!

Accepted off MIT ‘s waitlist, ssp2020 makes a strong case for a well thought out letter of continued interest, but cautions that you should follow the instructions of the school. Not every school welcomes additional info. 

“Find a contact in the admissions office—usually a regional admissions officer—and compose a detailed email introducing yourself, describing your situation, adding any updates since you submitted your application, and explaining why you are still interested in attending the college.”

Interested in reading more student advice about getting off the waitlist? Check out our other waitlist strategy blog posts or unlock this package “ Moving from Waitlist to Acceptance ,” which includes all 5 of the students featured in this blog post. Their profiles contain additional advice as well as waitlist essays and LOCIs!

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​We remember our frustration with applying to college and the lack of information surrounding it. So we created AdmitSee to bring much-needed transparency to the application process! Read more about the team  here .

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• 9. When (and why) should you send additional materials to colleges you’re interested in?
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• 1. How to Write College Essays to Boost your Chances Part 2: Focusing the Priority
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• 9. How to Get Off the College Waitlist (5 Go-To Strategies)
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• Writing Tips

The Word Limit in Academic Writing (and How to Stick to It)

3-minute read

• 24th September 2016

Even the phrase “word limit” can cause panic among students . For some it’s the challenge of writing enough, while others find it hard to stick within the limit given. In either case, it can lead to spending more time worrying about the length of your paper than the content!

But why do college papers come with set word limits? And what should you do to ensure you don’t write too much or too little?

Why Have a Word Limit?

There are two main reasons that academic papers usually come with a word limit:

• Fairness It’s impossible to grade two papers of vastly different lengths (e.g., 20,000 compared to 2,000 words) on the same scale. The word limit makes sure that everyone taking the same class knows what is expected of them.
• Communication Skills As well as testing your knowledge, college papers are about communicating clearly and concisely. Setting a word limit forces you to consider what you’re saying more carefully, helping you to develop your writing skills.

Sticking to the word limit is, therefore, part of being a good academic, since being a long way over or under could suggest you’ve misjudged the scope of the essay topic or that you’re having trouble communicating your ideas.

How to Stick to the Word Limit

Although many colleges give you roughly 10% leeway on the word limit, you should aim for your finished paper to be as close to the suggested word count as possible. If you find yourself writing too much, you can reduce the word count by:

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• Editing out repetition, redundant words and padding phrases
• Cutting down long or unnecessary quotations
• Reducing the number of examples or case studies used (if you’ve included several)
• Using the active voice instead of the passive voice

More generally, you should re-read your work and eliminate anything that isn’t directly related to the question you’re answering. As well as helping you stick to the word limit, this will make your work more focused, which could boost your grades.

How to Increase Your Word Count

If you’re struggling to write enough, the temptation might be to add padding phrases like “in my opinion” or long block quotations until you hit the minimum word count. But this will simply detract from the clarity of your writing.

Instead, the answer is usually to go back over your work and look for things that could be improved with a little additional attention. This might involve:

• Addressing anything from your essay question that you’ve overlooked
• Adding illustrative examples to support a point
• Considering different sources and views on the same issue
• Using short quotations as evidence for your arguments

Moreover, whether you’ve written too much or too little, getting someone else to read your work and offer feedback is a fantastic idea (especially if you ask a professional for help). This will help you to identify areas that could be expanded or cut in the next draft, so eventually you should be able to get your essay to the required length.

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October 13, 2011

Word Limits on College Essays

There are word limits on college essays . Sometimes, character count limits. And sometimes, both. When there is both a word limit and a character count limit on a college essay, the character count usually takes precedence as you won’t be allowed to put in more words if the character count is already exceeded. We know that this is really gripping but, the fact is, it’s important in the college admissions process.

Many students choose to not follow the word limits on college essays. If the essay prompt asks for 300 words, don’t then provide 400 words. Be succinct. Less is more. Do you think a college admissions counselor will really be happy reading more information than you were supposed to provide? No. They want to get through their work. You’re only making their work more difficult to get through!

Word counts and character counts on college essays aren’t suggestions — even if the prompt says they’re suggestions. You should interpret the word “suggestion” rather as this is as many words as I can put in this essay. I cannot exceed this amount. That’s the kind of thinking that needs to go through your head when you sit down to write your college essays.

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Deferred or waitlisted how to write a great letter of continued interest, college admissions.

Brad Schiller

This is an article for students who pick themselves back up when they fall down. We all fall down. What matters is if we get up again. When it comes to college admissions, here’s how to get back on your feet.

As college essay coaches , we know that being waitlisted doesn’t make you unworthy — instead, it means the college does think you’re competitive enough to be in their incoming class.

Unfortunately, we’re at the height of a waitlisting wave , with gap-year students taking a big bite out of available incoming class seats, and a surge in applicants from test-optional policies and Covid worries. All of that is outside your control. 

But a continued interest letter is within your control and can be powerful. In addition, because colleges have waitlisted more (way more) applicants than usual, they’ll generally also be admitting more applicants off their waitlist than usual. 

(Great news: if you’ve been working with a Prompt essay coach , you can get feedback on your letter of continued interest at no extra charge. Take advantage!)

Step 1: Emotions are ok 

Some basics: You are a human. Humans have emotions. 

While we led with the “pick yourself up” part, and while you’re probably there already if you’re reading this, and while the “picking yourself up” part is indeed very important, still: you can cry. You can shout. You can sulk. You can rant for a long, long while to any friend who will listen. Give yourself permission to have emotions — even if those emotions lead you to waste some time. 

The college application process is a beast and none of this stuff is easy. 

Step 2: Do things > Write things 

Are you still here? If Step 1 inspired you to hide under your bed for a little while or go have a good cry, no problem. We’ll wait for you to be done!

Now, if you’re ready to get cracking, here’s the crux of it: the best way to increase your chances of getting in is to have new and exciting information to share with the school. 

Those things can include a great final set of grades, so do what you need to do to stay academically focused.

In addition, what did you do since submitting your original application that could make your case now even more compelling? 

• Is there an activity you’ve taken more initiative in?
• Is there an interest you’ve learned more about or dived more deeply into? 
• Is there anything you’ve worked on that could demonstrate any of the 5 traits (ex: drive, intellectual curiosity)?

If you’re on the school paper, did you get a big story published? If you love tech, did you work toward a free, meaningful certificate, maybe in coding or marketing ? 

So many things could make for strong “continued interest” fodder. Make sure you take a moment to account for everything you’ve done (or could still do) since submitting - no matter how small or unusual - as it could be just the thing to mention in your letter. 

Step 3: What is the school asking? 

Colleges are very different when it comes to letters of continued interest. Here’s a very important chart of the common requests they make:

It’s always a good idea to improve your qualifications (as we described in Step 2 above). But it’s a terrible idea to waste time writing an essay the college doesn’t want. So make sure you know what’s expected. 

Step 4: Look into your odds (optional) 

It’s not possible to know your odds of getting accepted off the waitlist. It’s never possible, actually. But with Covid upending normal college admissions policies, it’s harder than ever. 

Nevertheless, it’s only human to want to know your chances. (And, as we said in Step 1, being human is okay.)

One place you can look for waitlist data is from the Common Data Set project — bearing in mind that waitlist numbers change from year to year, and have been wildly different than past years before Covid. (You can also Google the school’s name and the word “waitlist” or “deferral” to see if any articles come up - usually from the school’s student paper.)

Covid has upended many families’ finances, their health calculations, and students’ potential willingness to travel far from home. As we mentioned earlier, in terms of college admissions, this has often translated into many schools admitting far fewer students than usual — and sometimes that has meant that they are more likely to take students off the waitlist than usual. Sometimes. 

Step 5: Use our simple structure to write a great letter   

Before you get into an overly literary mode — dreaming up clever metaphors and such for this essay — make sure you know what the college wants to hear.

All of these letters should be straightforwardly written.

Moreover, some schools explicitly ask for updates only. MIT is an example of a school like that. In that case, your letter should follow this simple structure:

• Dear [admission officer name who wrote to you with your decision],
• Thank you for allowing me to submit these updates on what I’ve been doing since applying this fall. [Or words to that effect.]
• [List of updates .]
• Thank you again for your consideration. 
• [Your name]

To write strong updates , bear in mind the rules we shared in our Activities List article : 

• Focus on the impact you had. (How was the activity different than it would have been had you not been there?)
• Quantify your achievement whenever you can.
• Emphasize new traits, skills, or interests you've gained since submitting your original application. 

For most other letters of continued interest, you should still write up all the impressive updates you can. You’ll also want to add a mini “why us” essay — a quick love letter to the school. 

Side note : the “Why Us” essay is all about demonstrating your interest in actually attending (ie: your ability to improve the school’s yield numbers). Take a quick look at this article on Demonstrated Interest to understand how colleges evaluate your interest and how much this matters to them. 

Structure for updates with a mini “why us”:

Your first paragraph should include:

• A statement that you remain interested in the school. If it’s true : state that the school is your top choice, and you're excited to enroll if admitted. 
• [As in the structure above, some variation on this sentence]: Thank you for taking the time to read my letter of continued interest. 

In your second paragraph , lead with what’s most compelling. If you have great updates, put them first. If you don’t really have much to say update-wise, go straight into your mini-love letter. 

If you didn’t already submit a formal Why Us essay, take this opportunity to write a short, informal one. Read our Why Us article for tips on how to do this. 

In a nutshell, it involves writing about your ambitions and interests and showing the specific opportunities at the college that match those interests (ex: courses, research opportunities, professors, etc. …). The reader should be left thinking you will have a worse life outcome if you don’t go to their school. Dramatic? Maybe, but getting off the “maybe” list and into the “yes” list is a great time for a little drama.

If you did submit a formal Why Us essay , here are some informal ways to write your love letter to the school.

• They’ll be missing out. Think about what the students at the college will miss out on if you don’t go there. Talk about what you’ll bring to campus life and why you think you’ll be a great classmate and contributor.
• Your unique contributions. Another way to get at the same material is to think about what you’ll uniquely bring to this campus. What perspective, ideas, or skills do you have that few others do? 
• Love letter. If you’re contemplating writing yet another essay, you must be in love with this school. Tell them why. Make a list of all the things you’ve loved about the college and why they resonated with you.

Connect your updates to your desire to attend that college , if you can. Show a connection between what you do now and where you want to be in a few months. 

For example, if your update was about a class in which you more deeply developed your coding skills, you might mention a class or club at the college you’re writing where you could develop those skills even further. (It’s a great strategy for waitlist essays that have an especially tight word limit.)

Finally: Get feedback 

Last but not least, seek out a second opinion from someone who understands what colleges are looking for in essays . You want to make sure what you’ve written is not only grammatically correct but, more importantly, that it shows off your potential to the fullest extent. 

More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:

• Work with a college essay coach
• Strong essays increase your chance of admission by up to 10x
• Don’t let influencers influence your college essays
• Should I apply test-optional?
• Early admissions: Everything you need to know
• College Essay Help Center

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Deferred or Waitlisted? How to Write a Letter of Continued Interest

What’s covered:, what is a letter of continued interest, what do colleges want to know about students who have been waitlisted or deferred.

• A General Outline For a Letter of Continued Interest

Example of a Strong Letter of Continued Interest

• What Are Your Chances of Acceptance If You’re Deferred or Waitlisted?

For students who are waitlisted or deferred from a top-choice college, the application process can seem frustrating or even discouraging. If you’ve received a letter placing you on the waitlist or deferring your early admissions application, you are probably feeling some combination of disappointment and impatience.

You now have to wait even longer to find out if you’ve gotten into the school of your dreams. And worse still, the odds of being accepted off the waitlist are even slimmer than the regular acceptance rate. While you may be feeling powerless, rest assured that there is something you can do during the interim to improve your chances of being accepted.

Writing a letter of continued interest is a smart thing to do if you’ve been waitlisted or deferred. In this post, we’ll explain what one of these letters entails, how you should go about writing one, and even include an example to inspire your writing. 

If you’ve been waitlisted or deferred, this generally indicates a few things about you as an applicant. First, the good news—the college thinks you’re worth a shot. They believe that you might be a strong candidate. Of course, this doesn’t come without a caveat. Generally, if you’re on the waitlist, the admissions committee is not entirely convinced that you’re going to be a positive contribution to the incoming class. While they recognize your potential, they have more qualified or compelling candidates, and until they hear back from them, they cannot guarantee that they have a place for you.

A letter of continued interest is exactly what it sounds like. It lets the college know that you are still interested in attending, even if you have to wait longer to find out. It also updates the college of any achievements you’ve accomplished since your original application and hopefully convinces them that you will indeed be a positive contributor to the freshman class.

In general, there are two pieces of information that can help to tip the scale in your favor. Think of it this way: colleges want to fill their freshman class with highly qualified, successful students. To do this, they need to cast a net that’s both wide enough to fill the class, yet fine enough to select only the students who will be truly successful. It’s a careful balance.

So, these colleges generally want to know two things about you. First, are you capable of succeeding at the school in question, and second, will you attend if you are offered a spot?

What To Include In a Letter of Continued Interest

Your letter of continued interest should answer these two questions in a way that is affable and genuine. It should also express gratitude for being offered a place on the waitlist or a deferred decision, because this serves as evidence of positive personality traits, like perseverance and the ability to rise above adversity.

You want to convey to the college that you haven’t been sitting around moping over the fact that you weren’t immediately accepted; if anything, you are even more motivated. Tell the school about recent accomplishments like how you worked your AP Physics grade up to an A+ in the third quarter or how you placed first at the state DECA competition in February.

Another good thing to include is a reiteration of why you are still interested in the school. Maybe you visited the campus over winter break and fell in love with the humanities library with original manuscripts from acclaimed writers. If the school has been in the news recently for a scientific breakthrough that excites you, tell them about how eager you are to work with the faculty to further that research.

What NOT To Include In a Letter of Continued Interest

We get it; you’re probably feeling frustrated and disappointed. Maybe you feel inadequate or powerless. Talking to friends and family, venting to your peers, or taking it out on the athletic field are all great ways to express these totally valid emotions.

The letter of continued interest is not the place for these feelings, though. Keep your focus on the positives and don’t let any of those negative feelings show through in your letter.

Also avoid talking about other schools you have been accepted to. Harvard won’t think any better of you if you tout over them you earned a spot at Yale. The focus for this letter should be on the school you are addressing, that’s it. Yes you might have other options at your disposal, but you need to convince the college of your undying interest, so don’t mention any other colleges.

A General Outline For a Letter of Continued Interest 

Introduction.

In your introduction you should thank the admissions committee for reviewing your application and let them know that you are still interested in attending. Remember to formally address the letter to the admissions committee, or even better, if you know the recruiter for your school or region address your letter to them. 

Be warm, cordial, and respectful in your introduction—don’t start by berating the admissions committee for rejecting you. While you can mention your disappointment, make sure you counter that with more positive emotions to keep the letter forward-thinking and hopeful.

Updates on Accomplishments

Here, you’ll provide information about your accomplishments since you submitted your original application. Do not repeat accomplishments or any information already on your application—the admissions committee already has this information and if you submit it again, it will look like you haven’t achieved anything since. Limit your updates to 2-3 topics and be sure to explain briefly what the update is, what level of accomplishment it illustrates, and how it has contributed to your overall character/development.

When considering what you want to update the admissions committee on, try and pick things that relate to your overall application theme. If you wrote about your interest in politics in your essays, tell the school how you recently won a Model UN competition and, as a result, got to visit the UN Headquarters in New York where you got to envision yourself as a diplomat, negotiating treaties on that floor.

Your accomplishments don’t have to be purely academic or extracurricular either. Maybe you lost a family member to cancer and since then you have clarity in pursuing oncology. You could also share an independent project you’ve taken up or a new skill you’ve taught yourself in the past few months.

Personal Element

Just as your college essay needs to be personal, so does your letter of continued interest. After you’ve demonstrated your recent accomplishments, make sure to include some details that humanize you and set you apart from the rest of the waitlist pool. Think about it this way: colleges receive hundreds of these letters, how can you make yours memorable?

Infuse your personality into the letter, whether that be through humor or a personal story that shows qualities like perseverance or curiosity. 

Humble Closing

At the end of your letter, you want to reiterate your desire to attend the school and your gratitude to the admissions committee for their time and for taking a chance on you. Just as with the opening, you want to end respectfully and positively. 

Dear College of My Dreams, (obviously you would put the actual college name here)

I would like to sincerely thank the College of My Dreams Admissions Committee for taking the time to look through my application amongst the thousands of applicants and offering me an opportunity to be on the waitlist. College of My Dreams is still my dream school, and if accepted off the waitlist, I would happily attend. I would like to take this opportunity to display my continued interest in CMD and update the Admissions Committee on some of my accomplishments since applying.

Since applying in January, I have been making substantial progress on my research project for Intel ISEF. My project seeks to test whether statistical regression and neural networking can predict geo-political conflicts in developing nations. I have been developing an algorithm to analyze such patterns using a framework of a naïve Bayes classifier under the guidance of Mr. CollegeVine, the Technology General Manager at CollegeVine Tech LLC.

This project has completely changed my perceptions of the unique dynamics implicit in a complex geo-political struggle. Additionally, I have gained an even greater appreciation for computer science’s broad applicability to solve qualitative challenges, while feeding my lifelong curiosity about international relations. It would be nice if I could eventually achieve my goal of making basic predictions about such conflicts… I wouldn’t complain either if my program found itself in the CIA’s computer system one day!

I also continued my role as a leader on the varsity basketball team this winter. Recently I was named the Northeast Elite Team MVP and was named to the All-East All Star Team. In February, I scored 34 points in our league playoff game and was recognized as the national player of the week by Basketball Weekly. We are currently gearing up for the league championship game, so lately I’ve been spending a lot of time in the gym, getting in peak shape and practicing my free throws. (That one I missed against our cross town rivals earlier this year continues to haunt me!)

Finally, I have stopped trying to beat my nine-year-old sister on the Wii. Even as the captain of my school’s basketball team, I still lose miserably whenever she chooses to play me in the digital version. I’ve now realized my best efforts are futile and I’m focusing on time and efforts on more fruitful pursuits.

CMD has distinguished itself as a top institution for me, and I am continuously in awe as I read about its amazing work in helping students achieve their dreams. I would like to thank the Office of Undergraduate Admissions once again for reviewing my application, and I would eagerly matriculate if offered a position in the Class of 2027.

Sincerely, 

(Physically Sign Your Name Here) 

What Are Your Chances of Admission If You’re Deferred or Waitlisted?

Usually, the likelihood of deferred applicants getting accepted is akin to those applying through the regular decision process. The pool of applicants for early action or early decision typically comprises the most competitive contenders of the admission season, thus making a compelling application more noticeable during the regular decision phase.

The probability of acceptance from the waitlist fluctuates based on the specific school and the admissions cycle. Broadly speaking, securing a place from the waitlist at an elite institution like Stanford is quite slim, but these odds improve significantly at schools that are less competitive. Regardless of being deferred or having been accepted, a letter of continued interest can boost your chances. College admissions can be challenging given the multitude of factors involved, especially when trying to seek an estimate of your chances of admission. However, CollegeVine’s innovative chancing engine simplifies this process. By incorporating a wide array of variables, including standardized test scores, GPA, and even extracurricular activities, this tool calculates your personalized probability of admission to your chosen school.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

The MBA Admissions Studio

How strictly must i stick to the word limit on mba admissions essays.

Here’s a question I get a lot from clients: “How strictly do I have to stick to the essay word limit? How much can I go over? Does it matter if I’m under?”

To answer this, it is essential–as always–to think about it from the MBA AdCom’s point of view. Put yourself in their shoes. Why do they set a word limit? What are they trying to achieve? How does it help them?

So, what is AdCom trying to do with word limits? First, if there were no limits, applicants would be emailing and incessantly asking the equivalent of: “Please Miss, how long must it be?”

Second, some applicants would write the great American novel, which would waste both their time and the Committee’s.

Third, limits provide a way of getting essays from different applicants to be more directly comparable, being the same length.

But there is play in the system. The purpose of the essays is to get to know you via your writing, and everyone knows that writing is a creative process. Certainly nobody expects you to hit the word count on the nail.

Note: don’t fuss the word count until they have exactly the number asked for. This is not an engineering or accounting task. You get no credit for being exact. You only get credit for a meaningful essay, well told.

Anyway, application forms often talk about a word “guide” rather than word “limit.” So you can clearly go a bit over, but by how much?

My advice to clients is not to go more than +5% in any essay. This kind of margin is a natural “rounding error” in finishing up what you have to say and will not hurt you if your reader is a reasonable person, which we assume she is.

More than this will start to look like you are taking advantage and/or asking for an indulgence that your competitors are not getting.

However if you write a number of essays that are noticeably short it is fine to have one or two that are commensurately longer, so that the whole comes out more or less right.

Can you go under the limit? Similarly, I advise clients not to go less than -5% on any essay. In one sense, like all professional communicators, I believe in: “say what you have to say; say it once, strongly and clearly, then stop talking.”

This is the royal road to more powerful communications. Certainly there’s no merit in padding, waffling, or repeating yourself.

But admissions essays are relatively short pieces of writing, and — if you merit a place at a top b-school — you are a multifaceted, talented individual with a valuable track record.

So if you can’t find enough  to say to take up the word count, this in itself flags that you have not bothered to (or been able to) fully investigate your own motivations or present your merits.

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Waitlist FAQ

As a student who was offered space on our admissions waitlist, you may have several questions about how to move forward in your college search and when to expect a final admissions answer from NYU. Please review the answers to our most frequently asked questions below.

If you wish to remain on our waitlist, you must complete the online form included in the NYU Applicant Portal where you received your waitlist offer. We will assume that any student who does not respond to our waitlist offer will be enrolling at another college or university, and will no longer be eligible for admissions consideration.  

Please note : We do not have an appeal process of any kind, and we cannot reconsider your application. If we are able to offer you a space at NYU, you will need to respond quickly to our offer of admission and financial aid (if applicable). Please refer to your NYU decision email for specific deadline information.

Thank you for your patience and, regardless of the ultimate outcome with regard to your application at NYU, we wish you the best as you begin college next year!

Every year seems to exceed the previous on as the most competitive admission process in NYU’s history. Unfortunately, even though students may be clearly competitive for admission based on their academic records and their test scores, we are only able to admit a fraction of qualified students given the space we have available in our classes at NYU.  

We do not have an appeal process of any kind. If we are ultimately not able to offer you admission, you can certainly re-apply for admission for the next applicable term. We cannot evaluate any new credentials or materials at this time. As a reminder only our campus in New York City will accept transfer students. 

No. We do not rank-order our waitlist in any way so we cannot tell you what number or how high or low you are on the waitlist. If we are able to admit any students from the waitlist, we will re-evaluate all candidates who respond to our waitlist offer. We will not know how many students have responded to our waitlist offer until after the waitlist response deadline stated in your NYU Applicant Portal.

We will not have any indication whatsoever if we have space available in our first-year or transfer class until after the admitted student response deadline. We first need to determine if those initially offered admission will accept their offers. We will re-evaluate our capacity to admit any additional students from the waitlist after we are sure that all deposits have been received. We will communicate with you about your status on the waitlist no later than August 1. 

The only thing we ask of our applicants is to respond to our waitlist offer online by the date outlined in your waitlist offer letter. You should not submit any new letters of recommendation, writing samples, resumes, certificates, DVDs, CDs, photos, or additional information. Please do not ask anyone to write you an additional letter of recommendation or ask that anyone calls to advocate on your behalf.

You can update us on any new accomplishments and/or relay your level of interest in NYU by way of our Waitlist Response Form online, but you should not submit any new materials whatsoever. Please also understand that given the volume of our applicant pool, we do not interview any candidates for admission and we will be unable to meet with you in person about your status on the waitlist. While you are welcome to visit NYU at any time, please do not make a special visit to campus to discuss your status on the waitlist. 

You can relay your level of interest in NYU by way of our Waitlist Response Form online. There, you will have the opportunity to express your interest level in NYU. 

Because we cannot provide any indication right now of whether or not you will ultimately be admitted off the waitlist, we strongly encourage you to confirm your enrollment at another college or university and provide that college or university with a deposit. While virtually all colleges and universities will release you from your initial commitment, it is very unlikely that you will receive a refund of the first deposit you make at another institution. 

If we are able to offer you admission, we will consider you for need-based and merit-based financial aid, assuming you have already completed our required financial aid forms online by our respective deadlines earlier this winter. If we are able to offer you admission, we will not expect you to commit to enrolling at NYU until after you review your financial aid award. 

Yes, students admitted from the waitlist can defer their enrollment. Learn more about  Deferring Your Enrollment  on our website.

Yes, students may indicate that they are now interested in being considered for admission to another school, college, program, or campus at NYU on the Waitlist Response Form online.

The number of students who have been admitted from the waitlist has varied widely in previous years. While during one recent year, we were not able to admit any students from the waitlist, in others we were able to admit hundreds of students. Again, the number of admission offers we can extend is contingent on the number of responses we get to our initial offers of admission, and we will have a better idea of what space is available after the admitted student response deadline. 

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Assignment length requirements are usually given in terms of numbers of words.

Unless the lecturer tells you that these limits are strict, it is normally acceptable to be 10% above or below this word limit (so, for example, a 2000 word assignment should be between 1800 and 2200 words). If the assignment uses the words “up to” (as in “up to 2500 words”) that usually means that you cannot go above the limit.

Use the tool below to calculate the acceptable range for an assignment (based on +/- 10%).

Unless the lecturer tells you otherwise, the word limit does not include ‘administrative’ sections of the assignment: the cover or title page, table of contents, table of figures, reference list, list of works cited, bibliography, or any appendices.

The word limit that you are given reflects the level of detail required . This means that if your assignment is too long, you're either taking too many words to explain your point or giving too many / too detailed examples. If your assignment is too short, either there is more to the answer than you have written or the assignment has not gone into enough detail about the answer.

• Don't try to remove single words from your assignment. It is unlikely to reduce the assignment's length significantly, but it may confuse your argument . Instead, aim to remove or condense whole sections of your assignment.
• You should not include something just because it is a fact, or just because it is included in your course materials. Include something only if it is relevant to your argument.
• Be direct. State your point rather than writing many paragraphs to ‘lead up’ to it.
• Go back to the question . Which sections relate to the point and which are secondary?
• Go back to the plan . Which paragraphs fit in the overall structure? Which paragraphs overlap and can be combined?
• Remove sections where you
• Over-explain your point
• Over-specify your point
• Repeat yourself
• Write off-topic or ramble
• Remove multiple examples where one or two are sufficient.
• Remove hedging language that adds little to the argument (e.g., it would seem that, it is possible that).

If you are often over the word count you should look at your writing style. See writing concisely for more.

Explain your argument fully

• Make sure every argument in your head and in your plan is on the page.
• Would a general (i.e., non-specialist) reader understand your point? Have someone else read over your assignment and ask you questions about it. What do they think is missing?
• Are there gaps in your argument?
• Does each point logically follow the last one, or do you jump over important points?

Look for the ‘hidden’ answer

• What theories do you think the marker expects?
• How does this relate to the materials from lectures and study guides? Use the course information in your answer to the assignment question.
• Are there complications or contradictions in the argument or in your research? Explain them and explore them.

Flesh it out

• Define any special terminology you've used that a general reader would not be familiar with.
• Illustrate with more examples and/or quotations.
• Contextualise and explain the quotations you use. How do they relate to your argument?

Page authorised by Director - Centre for Learner Success Last updated on 12 December, 2018

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Working within word limits: A short guide

• Short on word counts
• Last minute panic scenario!
• Further references on working within word count
• Acknowledgements

In adhering to the word limit, it is always a good idea for you to roughly plan first how many sections or paragraphs you will need for the essay. From there, you will be able to estimate how much you have to write for each section or paragraph. 

The general rule of thumb is to allocate 10% of the word limit for the introduction and 10% for the conclusion. This rule will leave 80% for the body paragraphs or sections.

Here is the breakdown:

Introduction - 10%

Paragraph 1 - 20%

Paragraph 2 - 20%

Paragraph 3 - 20%

Paragraph 4 - 20%

Conclusion - 10%

In writing a dissertation, the allocation of word limit might differ slightly. The weightage depends on the depth of each chapter.  For example,

Literature review - 25%

Methodology - 15%

Findings - 20%

Discussion - 20%

Remember that normally the references and appendices are not included in the word count. 

• Next: Short on word counts >>
• Last Updated: Nov 20, 2023 2:10 PM
• URL: https://libguides.bham.ac.uk/asc/wordlimits

• EXPLORE Random Article

How to Avoid Going Over an Essay Word Limit

Last Updated: July 11, 2022 Approved

This article was co-authored by Diane Stubbs . Diane Stubbs is a Secondary English Teacher with over 22 years of experience teaching all high school grade levels and AP courses. She specializes in secondary education, classroom management, and educational technology. Diane earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Delaware and a Master of Education from Wesley College. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 259,576 times.

Many people have trouble writing an essay to a specified length. It can be hard to keep the length of an essay in mind when you are writing quickly and focusing on putting your ideas into words. However, with some organization and attention to editing, you should be able to keep any essay under its assigned word limit. This guide will help you keep the quality of your essay strong while still respecting the word limit you were given.

Writing to a Specific Length

• For example, if your teacher gives you the prompt of "What is the most important invention of the 19th century?" your thesis statement could be "The most important invention of the 19th century was the steam engine."
• Having a clear thesis statement helps you to focus your writing. This allows you to minimize rambling and off-topic sections that could lengthen your essay unnecessarily.

• The number of points you will need to support will depend on how long your essay is supposed to be. Plan on only having two or three paragraphs per page. If you are writing a 2 to 3 page paper, you will likely only need a handful of points. If you are writing a 10 to 12 page paper, you will need a lot more points in your outline. [3] X Research source
• Consider adding bullet-pointed thoughts under each of your main supporting points. This can help you start to build the structure of each of your paragraphs as you outline.

• For example, remove anecdotes that increase word count. Don't follow up side points from an anecdote just because they're interesting. All of the content of the essay should be there because it directly supports your thesis statement.
• If you do accidentally go off on a tangent or an aside, cut them later. If you begin cutting content while you are writing the rough draft, you'll have less to work with in the end.

• In Microsoft Word, select the "Tools" submenu from the Toolbar and then select "Word Count." [4] X Research source
• In other programs, you may need to look in different places. You can typically use your "Help" menu to find the word count feature.
• Alternatively, an online word counting tool will automatically display the number of words and characters.
• Handwritten pages typically average about 100 to 200 words per page. The number of words on your pages depends on how big your writing is. [5] X Research source

• Try reading the essay out loud to make sure that its words flow.
• Have a peer or friend check your work and help remove the unnecessary additions. A neutral set of eyes can often prove helpful in spotting repetition.

• However, most teachers and professors frown on attempts to hide additional information in footnotes. Footnotes are meant to reference and occasionally bolster points, not to provide additional information that you couldn't cram in anywhere else.

Reducing Your Word Count

• If you trim the excess after you have written your essay, you're more likely to have a clear and concise essay in the end.
• Write first and edit later. If you constantly worry about word limits, you will often end up discarding ideas that add to your paper.

• Verbs such as "ask for" or "put up with" can often be replaced with single verbs like "request" or "tolerate."
• Replace "at the same time" with "simultaneously" and "by the same token" with "similarly."
• The adverb "immediately" can be used in lieu of phrases such as "right now" and "as soon as."
• Replace full clauses such as "It is clear that" and "It should be obvious that" with single adverbs such as "clearly," "obviously," or "evidently."
• A sentence with "the reason why... is that..." can be rewritten with just the conjunction "because." For example: "The reason why ice floats is that..." becomes simply: "Ice floats because..."

• In fact, taking extraneous words out makes your sentences stronger. For example, the statement "I am actually a great writer" sounds stronger when it is phrased simply as "I am a great writer."

• Sentences such as "Where is she going to ?" and "Where is the house at ?" have unnecessary prepositions. They do not have to be overt if they aren't followed by the object in these constructions.

• Decide when you will make each of your points and only mention them there. If you find yourself mentioning a point repeatedly and it doesn't do anything to support that specific paragraph, then delete it.

• An example of too much hedging is: "There is a chance that the man might possibly come today." This sentence sounds better as: "There is a chance that the man will come today."
• "I think that" is often an unnecessary form of hedging. Instead of writing, "I think that," give the reason why you think so. For example, just state that "Variable A will likely increase variable B because...."

• You can also work on combining the first and second sentences of your paragraphs. Sometimes you can combine them and reduce your word count, while still retaining the underlying meaning of both of them.

• Cut excess ideas but don't delete them completely if you think they have merit. Place them in a new document for another essay or for free writing inspiration.

Expert Q&A

• Many teachers place a word limit as a general guideline, not as an exact rule. If this is the case, then going over a little bit won't be a major problem. What teachers don't want are gigantic papers that have not been edited or well thought out. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• While passive voice has a place, particularly in the methods sections of scientific papers, you should generally avoid it. Even if it allows you to save a word here or there on the length of your paper, the passive voice tends to make your writing less clear and direct, and your tone more stilted and formal. Use sparingly if your aim is to write with clarity and concision. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
• ↑ https://essaysnark.com/2011/10/tips-on-cutting-it-down-to-size-overlimit-essays/
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/606/02/
• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Show-the-word-count-and-more-3c9e6a11-a04d-43b4-977c-563a0e0d5da3
• ↑ https://www.reference.com/education/many-handwritten-pages-equal-one-typed
• ↑ http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/diagnostic/writingtoolong/writingtoolong-23b
• ↑ https://targetstudy.com/one-word-substitution/
• ↑ http://grammarist.com/redundancies/
• ↑ https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/essay-editing-tips.html

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