If you are reading this, you were either waitlisted by the University of Chicago or are very committed to planning ahead. Either way, we’ve got you. In this post, we’ll give you the tools you need to charge a successful future in college, with or without the University of Chicago — but hopefully with if you play the waitlist right.
The overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 for UChicago was 4.5%. The statistic we’re most interested in, though, as we explore how to deal with a waitlist decision, is the yield.
The yield rate is the percentage of accepted students who choose to attend after receiving an offer of admission. For the Class of 2028, the University of Chicago accepted 1,955 students and 1,726 enrolled. That is an insane 88% yield rate. Like truly insane. Very, very few colleges have a yield rate this high. How do they pull it off? Early Decision commitments. The University of Chicago highly prioritizes students who have committed to attend, adding to their yield rate, before even pressing submit. They offer two binding admissions plans, Early Decision I and Early Decision II, and students who apply through either avenue have a much higher acceptance rate than students who apply Early Action or Regular Decision.
This is relevant to waitlisted candidates because the UChicago admissions team does such a great job filling their class with students who are already committed that stops don’t open up very often for students on the waitlist to fill. What they don’t do a great job at, though, is releasing statistics. They haven’t released the number of students put on the waitlist, nor the number accepted from the waitlist, as part of their Common Data Set submission for at least the past three application cycles. This means that we can’t know if 1 or 100 or 0 students have gotten in off of the waitlist in recent years.
However, we do know that they want to be 100% sure you’ll attend if they do offer you a spot off the waitlist — and that’s where we can help. Below we break down what to do to build UChicago’s confidence in your application, increase your chances of admission, and set off on a path towards success.
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Now that you’ve received a waitlist decision from UChicago (or you are planning ahead in case of one), there are four steps that you need to take immediately.
Step 1: Join the Waitlist
First, you need to get onto the waitlist. You’ve been offered a spot, but you have to actually claim it for them to consider you for any seats in the class that are still vacant in May. Be sure to respond to the waitlist offer as soon as you can, but remember that the UChicago waitlist isn’t ranked — and especially not based on response time. Taking a few days to process and decide if UChicago is still your dream. If it is, sign onto the ride and keep on going through the list.
Step 2: Commit to a College (that isn’t UChicago)
Next, you need to commit to a college you did get an offer of admission from. Yes, this is bittersweet. It may even feel a bit like ‘giving in.’ It’s not. It is simply good strategy.
Your chances of getting into the University of Chicago off of the waitlist are very low. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, which is why we’re giving you this advice and not just telling you to give up. But the chances are very low. You need to have a backup plan, and that means committing to a college and putting down the deposit so you have somewhere to go in the fall. Reapplying next year isn’t a back-up. Committing and then transferring for sophomore or junior year is. And we can help.
Step 3: Write to your Regional Admissions Counselor
The University of Chicago specifically requests that you write a “brief note to your regional admissions counselor explaining why UChicago remains your top choice.”
There are also a bunch of things they don’t want. They don’t want you to try to meet with them personally. They don’t want you to send them new application materials. They absolutely will not assuage (or amp up?) your anxiety by giving you the ‘reasons’ for your waitlist decision if you ask for an explanation.
So, you need to listen to what they ask for, and respect what they don’t want. Hearing boundaries is, perhaps, one of the most powerful things you can do right now. Flouting them and sending tons of stuff and showing up in person and calling constantly, or at all, is like ripping up your application and burning it. Dramatic, noticed, but ineffective.
Now that is clear, let’s talk about this letter. First, it needs to be short. Like 300 words or less, short. Next, it’s going to be in an email, but a professional email — like you’re emailing a potential employer. Who the email is going to depends on where you live, and you can find your regional admissions counselor here. So, figure out who that person is. That’s also the person who you’ll be writing your letter to.
The Opening: This is a letter, so start it like one. In the like “Dear name,” kind of way.
Reaffirm your Interest: The first thing you need to do in this letter, after the opening, of course, is to say clearly and concisely that you will attend if accepted. As we laid out earlier, the University of Chicago cares deeply about their yield rate. If they are not positive that you will attend if they find a spot for you, they will not accept you. To make it clear, say your name, high school, prospective major, that you are a waitlisted applicant, and that you will attend if accepted in 2-3 sentences.
Update Them: After you’ve reaffirmed your interest, you will want to update the admissions officials on anything that has happened since you applied that may impact the priority, they could give to your application in the waitlist pool. These could include awards, recognitions, advances in your core extracurriculars, or strong academic successes. All of the updates should be relevant to either a) your prospective major or b) activities you highlighted in your original application. Keep this to one or two concise paragraphs.
Close and Sign Off: The bulk of the work is done, so now you just need to land the plane. Write one sentence thanking the admissions representative for their time, state that you’re hopeful that you’ll join the Class of 2029, and then close with “Sincerely,” and your full name.
Edit. Reflect. Edit again. Then email with your name, Waitlist Letter, and any relevant applicant ID in the subject line.
Step 4: move on
Step 4 is the hardest, but also the most important — you need to move on with your life. After you’ve joined the UChicago waitlist and sent your letter of continued interest, and after you’ve committed to a school for the fall, it’s time to enjoy your senior year. Have fun, keep your grades up, and remember that your future is truly bright, regardless of how UChicago turns out.
If you want a personalized waitlist strategy, contact us.