Offering you a spot on a waitlist is a college’s way of saying that you were good enough to be admitted, but there just wasn’t enough room for everyone who was qualified. If too few of the accepted students decide to enroll, the college will go to the waitlist and offer a limited number of those students a spot in the class.
According to NACAC’s annual survey of colleges, nearly half (48%) of colleges used waitlists for the fall 2010 admissions cycle, up from 35% in Fall 2008. And 42% of those colleges reported an increase in the number of students placed on the waitlist. More colleges are placing more qualified students on waitlists than ever before, so it's important for waitlisted students not to second guess your application and wonder what you could have done differently.
If you decide to accept a spot on the waitlist, make sure you use the time between now and May 1 to fall in love with a college that's admitted you. I know it’s hard not to hold out hope for a school that’s making you wait. But in fall 2010, colleges admitted an average of 28% of students who chose to take a place on a waitlist, and the most selective colleges admitted only 11%. It’s hard to predict the outcome for a waitlisted student, and you deserve to celebrate the news from schools who said yes.