We aren’t going to sugarcoat it; being waitlisted is not fun. Boston University is one of those schools that is getting more popular every year, which can lead to a long waitlist. Located right on the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts, Boston University (often just called BU) is a private research university. In 2023, they had a 14% acceptance rate. This is a pretty steep drop-off from past rates. For example, in 2020, their acceptance rate was 22%.
First off, we want to congratulate you. While it doesn’t feel like a win to be added to the waitlist, it means you were a good enough applicant to get in; they just didn’t have a seat for you at the table. Next, we want to ensure you take the correct steps.
What's the first thing you need to do when you are waitlisted?
Accept your spot on the list. Well, actually, maybe that isn’t the first thing. First, you should consider if you want to be placed on the waitlist… and then if your answer is yes, accept your spot on the waitlist. You can do this through the MyBU applicant portal. You need to do this step, and you need to do it as soon as possible.
So what’s next?
It's a hard pill to swallow, but you shouldn’t rely on BU's waitlist. You need a backup. Really, you should always set up a backup, but it's doubly crucial at BU as they have extremely low waitlist acceptance numbers.
Last year, they accepted only three people off a list of nearly 6,000. The year before, they only accepted one person off a waitlist off a list of 8,944. In other words, last year, there was about a 0.05% chance of getting off the waitlist, and we aren’t even going to calculate the year before because, c’mon, it was one person. That should speak for itself.
To state the obvious, these are extremely low numbers. You don’t want to rely on getting off BU’s waitlist. It’s important to accept your place at a backup school that you feel good about going to and pay the deposit. We will keep our fingers crossed for you, but it is in your best interest to make a good back up plan. Bummer… we know. However, if this doesn’t entirely turn you off from the waitlist, there are some next steps to take.
Send an update
BU will need your third quarter grades, so make sure your school’s college counselor knows to send them to BU. However, you should also send them an update yourself. BU doesn’t officially recommend this step, but we don’t think it hurts to be a little extra in this case. So send a letter.
This letter is often called a letter of continued interest, or LOCI. We have a blog all about how to write them here. But if you need a crash course, the letter of continued interest is essentially an email you send to the admissions office reaffirming your passion for the school. It boils down to around four paragraphs.
Formal Greeting
The first paragraph should briefly introduce yourself and the situation. You want to let the reader know that you are committed to BU if a spot opens for you and will not hesitate to attend.
Reinforce Interest
Your second paragraph should be why you are interested in the school, and make sure to talk about academics. You want to include some details, like classes, professors, opportunities, etc., in your intended major that led you to apply. Once you have talked about academics, you can also mention other on-campus opportunities you hope to take advantage of. You also want to reiterate your interest in Boston University and let them know that you will absolutely attend if accepted.
Brief Update
Next, you want to give some updates about yourself and what you have been doing since you applied. This can be new roles you have taken on in extracurriculars, new projects you have started, or updates about what you have been up to. Maybe you have taken some exciting new courses, retook a test like the SAT, got a new job, or upped your volunteer commitments. All of it is fair game here. Think of this almost as a resume refresh. You want to tell them about the cool things you have been up to since November or January.
Conclusion
Finally, you want to thank them and restate your interest in BU, again, briefly.
This entire letter shouldn’t be more than 400 words. Remember, it’s an email, so keep it brief and professional.
There is no guarantee that you will get off BU’s waitlist, but we wish you luck! After these steps, its a bit of a waiting game. They will try to let you know earlier, but you might have to wait until June. If you want some help or are considering transferring, let us know.
We are happy to help! Reach out here.