Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT is famous for producing Nobel laureates and some of the highest achievers in the world in their respective fields. MIT is also famous for being one of the hardest-to-get-into schools in the country, with a 4% acceptance rate.
If you’re here, more than likely, you’ve been waitlisted by MIT, and because you’re an MIT-minded student, you probably want to know every single step and action item you can do to increase your chances of getting off the waitlist. We really hate being the bearers of bad news, but getting off the MIT waitlist is very hard, and there’s very little you can control. To give you the stats (bc again, you’re an MIT-minded student and probably want the hard data), in Fall 2022, 763 students were offered a spot on the waitlist, and 682 of them accepted spots on the waitlist. Unfortunately, zero students were accepted off the waitlist. And this is a pattern that goes back for years. There may be one or two (and once, 25) some years, but the majority of years see no students accepted off the waitlist.
And here’s another twist: MIT also does not want, nor do they accept, any updates to your application. While literally every other school will allow you to send in some kind of update (or at least, doesn’t distinctly tell you not to send an update), MIT is very verbal about not wanting the update. We’ll talk about that more down below.
So, keeping in mind the odds of getting off the MIT waitlist, let’s talk about the things you can control.
Step One
To get a chance to get off the waitlist, you do need to accept a spot on the waitlist. You will accept the spot via the MIT admissions portal by May 1st, and they will start reviewing applications again in mid-May to see if they have space to accept students. They aim for a class of around 1,100 students and have a very high yield rate, which is why there are so few waitlist spots available.
Step Two
This is advice we give to all students, but MIT gives it to you themselves, too. You absolutely need to accept a spot and place a deposit at a school you were admitted to and would be happy to attend. MIT mentions this four separate times in their FAQ page:
“If you don’t hear from us by the time you need to make an enrollment decision at another college/university, be sure to enroll in another college/university by its reply date, even if it means making a deposit.”
“Here are some things you should NOT do: …not choose another college to attend by its reply date if you don’t hear from us by the time you need to make an enrollment decision.
“You should accept the offer of admission from another college before May 1, even if it means making a deposit.”
“First, focus on choosing the college with the best fit from those who have offered you admission. Wait lists are uncertain, so it’s always best to ensure your happiness no matter what the outcome.”
This is the most important step in the waitlist process for MIT. We know it’s tough to hear from us (and probably harder to hear from MIT (especially if they’re your dream school), but at the end of the day, all of us just want you to go to college and get the education you want and deserve. Please, please, please do not put all your eggs in the MIT waitlist basket.
Step Three
Usually, this is where we tell you about how to write a letter of continued interest, give you all the details, and a super well thought out guide on exactly what tone to strike and what to include. Unfortunately, as we emphasized before, they do not accept (and seemingly will penalize you) if you try and contact them.
“Here are some things you should NOT do: Submit additional documents or a whole new application. Fly to campus to make the case in person. Send us ridiculous things (or “things” in general). Bombard our office with way too much stuff. Be pushy. Be sketchy.”
This reads like they’ve been through some stuff with waitlisted students. And we know that this is a really stressful situation to be in, and there’s truly nothing as anxiety-inducing as not knowing something. But, it’s best to follow their advice and not send them something.
Step Four
Now, you wait. It sucks, we know, but you’ll probably hear back starting around mid-May. Make sure you accept a spot at another school, as we would much rather have you over-prepared on the off chance you do make it off the MIT waitlist. MIT does not want you to send any updated academic transcripts, but they may call your school for a progress check. So, in the meantime, keep your grades up and keep exploring the things that make you excited and passionate about learning. Best of luck!
Frustrated or anxious about getting off a waitlist? Reach out to us today.