It’s the last week of April, and while we know that most of you are closing in on your college decision, there are quite a few of you hanging out in the limbo that admission offices like to call “the wait list.”

Edward B. Fiske, the author of Fiske Guide to Colleges, calls wait lists the “safety valves” of colleges, because schools are never sure how many students they admit will actually enroll in the fall. The wait list more or less ensures that they will have a full class coming in. That’s all well and good for the colleges, but where does that leave you? Never fear; Mr. Fiske also has some advice for those of you who are feeling a little left out in the cold:

1. If you really want to go to the school for which you are waitlisted, let them know. Send a letter to the admissions director to jog their memory of who you are and why you’d be such a good match for their school.
2. Arrange a campus interview. If you’ve already had one, try to schedule a second one and arrive with your latest grades and test scores in hand.
3. Brag a little. Send some artwork, a short story, a recording of your music—anything that will impress the admissions committee and encourage them to see you as an individual, not just an application.
4. Ask for another letter of recommendation or for an updated one to be sent to the school. The more people who can speak on your behalf, the better.
5. Ask your college guidance counselor for assistance. Perhaps they can call the school on your behalf. At the very least, keep your counselor informed of your interest and your recent grades and accomplishments so that they continue to be aware that you are a great catch for a college.

Don’t consider your wait list decision as another form of rejection just yet. Many people have been called up from the wait list, although it could take longer for a final decision. So if you are still set on a school, make sure they know it and you could find yourself on that same campus in the fall.

–Barbara Bellesi