FAQ Wait list by Kris Guay

Every year we publish a FAQ about the wait list. Students on the wait list have lots of questions, so hopefully you find an answer to yours here.

How does the wait list work?
We are aiming for a class of about 1100 students this year. Based on our estimates of the percentage of admitted students who will attend (known as the "yield"), we admitted 1467 students. However, it isn't possible to exactly predict how many students will attend this year. To help with the uncertainties, we also keep a wait list of students.

Is the wait list ranked?
No.

How many people are on the wait list?
We offered less than 4% of applicants a spot on the wait list. Not all of those students will choose to remain on the wait list.

Can you tell me where I am on the wait list?
No, because it's not ranked. We will reconsider all of the waitlisted students again in May, when we know how many students remain on the wait list, and how many we wish to take from the wait list.

How many people will you admit from the wait list this year?
It is impossible to know. We will have no idea how many people, if any, we will take from the wait list until the second week of May.

What has the wait list looked like, historically?
In the last five years, we have admitted as few as 0 students from the wait list and as many as 65 students. However, it's impossible to know what will happen this year, since we don’t yet know what the exact yield will be this year.

Can you tell me where my application was lacking, or what I should improve on?
If we waitlisted you, it means we really like you, and you do not need to improve on your application. You should, however, continue to get good grades, as we may call your school to check on your academic progress.

What are the realities here?
True story: it's likely that most people on the wait list will not be admitted. But remember, any statistic against you (or for you) is associative but not causal. This means, what has happened in the past or on any other application doesn't impact your application.

Whom do you admit from the wait list?
For example, if someone from state X or major Y declines, are you likely to look for another student like them? Sometimes we look at things like that but we're not strict about it. So, if a foosball champion decides to go somewhere else, we may, or may not, go out of our way to try to find another foosball player on the wait list. It just depends on what the list looks like.

Are domestic students given priority over international students on the wait list?
No, but we do consider whether admitting international students from the wait list would put us over our international quota.

If I'm waitlisted, can I still come for CPW or do the Overnight Program?
No, I'm sorry.

I'm still very interested in attending MIT. What should I do if I hope to be admitted from the waitlist?
A wait list confirmation form will be available online in early April. After you’ve heard back from all the colleges you’ve applied to, please use the form to let us know whether you wish to remain on the wait list or not. Once it’s live, we’ll email you to let you know.

Next, be sure to enroll in a college/university by May 1.

You do not need to submit additional documents, but if you would like to, you can email mitwl [at] mit [dot] edu and the documents will be added to your application. Excessively emailing us will not help your case (and might hurt it). I would recommend sending us a note (no more than a page in length) to mitwl [at] mit [dot] edu in mid-to-late April with an update on what you've been up to since our last contact. You can also feel free to provide any other information you think would be helpful.

What should I not do?
Here are some things you should not do: Fly to campus to make the case in person. Send us ridiculous items or bribes. Submit a whole new application. Bombard our office with way too much stuff. Be pushy. Be sketchy. Let your grades drop. Not choose another college to attend by May 1.

What should I do about the May 1 reply date for other colleges?
You should accept the offer of admission from another college before May 1, even if it means making a deposit. After May 1, when all students have sent their replies, colleges will determine if they need to go to their waitlist or not, and if so, how many students they need to admit. At this point, colleges will begin admitting students from the wait list. Students who accept this offer will "unenroll" at the first college and enroll at the second. This shifting can lead to a second round of wait list admissions. All of this is a standard part of the admissions process. We colleges recognize and accept this.

If I'm admitted off of the waitlist, do I have to go to MIT? What about financial aid?
You're not required to enroll. We'll give you a financial aid package and you'll have time to consider your decision before letting us know one way or the other. It is in your best interest to complete your financial aid application now (if you haven't already), so that if you are admitted from the wait list, we'll have a financial aid package ready to go. Our wait list process, like our entire admissions process, is need blind, and we will meet full demonstrated need for all admitted students.

Okay, what should I do now?
First, focus on choosing the best fit college of those who have offered you admission. Wait lists are uncertain, so it is always best to ensure your happiness no matter what the outcome.

If you are still interested in MIT, you should stay in contact with us. Drop us a note to mitwl [at] mit [dot] edu once things have calmed down a bit. Please always be very nice in all of your interactions with us! Keep us up to date all the way through May 1 and beyond if you remain interested.

And in the meantime… be patient. There won't be any wait list news until early-mid May.

Good luck!