UChicago is hard to get into. Last year, they had a 4.7% acceptance rate. So, while getting waitlisted isn’t ideal, give yourself a pat on the back. It is competitive to even get on UChicago’s waitlist. If you are still dreaming of going to this prestigious research university in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, there are a couple of steps you have to take to maximize your chances of getting off the waitlist. Let’s break them down:
Accept your spot
You are not automatically included on the waitlist just because they have offered you a spot. You need to accept it. You can do this through your UChicago Account.
Understand the waitlist is not a guarantee
While UChicago publishes some FAQs about the waitlist, they annoyingly don’t say how many spots they usually offer to waitlisted students. UChicago generally is a little weird about giving out data. They just started publishing a Common Data Set (a pretty much industry-wide practice, by the way) in 2023 and haven’t released one for the most recent admissions cycle. They are trying to be mysterious, which, for the record, we hate.
Most schools publish not only how many students they accepted off the waitlist but also the number of students they placed on the waitlist and how many accepted their spots. UChicago doesn’t publish any of this. So, while we can’t give you a percent or numerical look at your chances, just know that getting off the waitlist is usually more of an exception and not the rule. For example, at Princeton (which we are using because they also have an acceptance rate between 4-5%), not a single student was admitted off the waitlist last year. Dartmouth (which has around a 6% acceptance rate) had around a 2.3% chance of getting off the waitlist last year. While we don’t have exact numbers for U Chicago, it's likely a low chance.
Make a backup plan at another school
UChicago will not let you know if they can offer you a place off the waitlist until early summer. You need to put down a deposit for your second-choice school. We know this is a bummer, but with a low chance of getting off the waitlist, you need a good backup plan. Hopefully, you have been accepted to another school where you would also be happy. If not, reach out; we are happy to talk through your options with you.
Send a Letter of Continued Interest.
UChicago recommends sending an email to your regional admissions counselor. If you haven’t contacted them before, you can find their email here. This email should briefly do a couple of things, and it usually breaks down to 4 paragraphs and shouldn’t be over 400 words.
Formal Greeting: Briefly introduce yourself (if you haven’t spoken to them already), explain that you have been waitlisted, and restate that UChicago remains your top choice.
Reinforce Interest: Explain why UChicago is your top choice. You should talk about your intended major and opportunities, such as classes and professors that have drawn you to their specific program. You can talk about any unique academic offerings as well that have drawn you to the school. Academics need to come first, but after that, you can write about campus opportunities. The big trick here is specifics. Do your research and mention opportunities that only UChicago has.
Update them: Technically, UChicago doesn’t ask for this paragraph; however, we highly recommend it. You want to send them any important updates. It has been at least a month or two since you applied, and you may have some cool updates to share. Ones that work well include:
Winning an award
Starting a new job, position, fellowship, or internship
Getting new test scores
Starting a new activity that they care about
Significant updates to a project they have been working on
Receiving recognition or press for a project
For example, maybe you have already told UChicago about being a Girl Scout, but your gold award project was recently approved, or you were chosen to be the Co-Captain of your squash team. You can write about it here.
Conclusion: Wrap it up! You should thank them again and offer to send anything else they might need. Remember to not mince words about wanting to attend.
Keep this email professional and brief. And if you are struggling to write it, we can help.
Know what not to do.
UChicago specifically asks you not to do a couple of things. They don’t want you to try to meet them in person. You’re welcome to visit the campus if you are trying to make a choice, but they don’t want you hounding them IRL. Trust us, an email is more than enough here. Also, don’t try to get them to answer the question, “Why was I waitlisted?” or “Why wasn’t I accepted?” They have a policy against answering these types of questions, and honestly, it won’t help you get off the list.
They also don’t want all new materials. Again, if you want to give them a VERY SHORT update in the email, that is great. But don’t try to submit new essays or a bunch of new materials.
We know being waitlisted is hard, but try not to panic. Do these steps and then be ready to, well, wait. They will not know until May how many spots they have. We wish you the best of luck, and if you are nervous or have questions about these steps, we are happy to help.
Need help navigating admissions? Contact us here.
